Toronto: The Toronto International Dance Festival marked its 10th anniversary with an extraordinary two-day event on November 19 and 26 at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto. This year’s festivities not only brought together a kaleidoscopic array of dance forms but also attracted hundreds of attendees from across the city, reinforcing the festival’s role as a significant cultural platform.
On day one, Sunday, November 19, the audience was treated to a dynamic showcase featuring 16 remarkable artists and dance groups, each weaving a vibrant tapestry of their cultural heritage through dance. The performances included Nirkoda Israeli Dancers of Toronto, Rangara Performing Arts, Kaleidoscopic Chinese Performing Arts, Mimi Batho, Shreya Notaney, Sakura Performers, Sentir Venezuela, Mexican Folklore Group, MM Entertainment, Portuguese Cultural Centre of Mississauga Inc. Folklore Dance Group, Dantitude Elites, Ensemble Topaz, Gaana at Mac, and SG Expressions.
The opening ceremony on day one added an extra layer of grandeur to the festivities. Inaugurated by MP Shaun Chen – Scarborough North, Councillor Jamaal Myers – Scarborough North. Guests of honor included Nadarajah Moorthy – Senior Tamils Society of Peel, Mr. Jaime Libaque – Knights of Columbus Scarborough, Community Contributors Jeyaseeli Inpanayagam of Ambika Jewellers, Alex Alexander and Praveen Varkey joined Managing Director – Mary Ashok, Executive Director – Gita Sankaran, PRO – Jaison Mathews, Festival Manager – Parul Verma and all the lead choreographers to cut the ribbon, officially commencing the festival.
Day two, on November 26, continued the celebration with another diverse selection of talented artists and dance groups. Performances ranged from classical and contemporary to ballet and modern dance styles, featuring Elite Chinese Arts Troupe, Sanjukta Dancers, Karika – Verses of Dance, Dance Fachin, Mississauga Chinese Arts Organization, UV Pole and Cirque, Sapna Sehravat & Ayushi Sharma, Hoor Dance Team, Roosara Dance, Canada’s Ballet Jörgen, Arte Flamenco, Sougandhikam Dance Academy, The Candy Shop Dance, Tdot Tdat Thai Dramatic Dance Troupe, Prajakta David, Shivani Shivakumar, and Icons.
The Toronto International Dance Festival extends heartfelt appreciation to the community sponsors Alex Alexander – Remax Community Realty Inc., Chennai Caters, Ontario Heroes, Menon Law Professional Corporation, Ambika Jewellers, Nightingale Nursing Academy, Team Fortune Builders Financial Education, REG Immigration Consultancy, Mint Leaves Indian Kitchen, Manoj Kumar – Shrine Realty Brokerage, Excellanz Education, Arjun Sanilkumar – Property.ca Realty, Team Zach – Trusted Name in Real Estate, Priyanka Sugathan – Mortgage Specialist, Dr. Chandy’s CanSmile Dental, Sujit Nair – Wealthkare Financial, Niramaya Ayurveda Wellness Clinic, Nupura School of Music and Dance, Razia Rafic Ahmed – Homelife Miracle Realty Ltd., Royal Kerala Foods, Aju Verghese – Save Max First Choice Real Estate Inc., Swatikha Anand – Color Happy’ Anil Karipooru – CIBC Mortgage Advisor, Airlink Travels Ltd, Varnaah Dance Academy, Madhu Cyriac – Insurance Agent, Manna Kitchen Catering, Prime Time Photography, Mohan Wellness Clinic, Dr. Reeny Benny Dental Office, Art and Artisans Development Network, LMR furniture and Myoflex Physiotherapy Clinic, whose generous support made this two-day cultural extravaganza a resounding success:
Audience enjoyed delicious ethnic food from Ammi’s Kitchen Take Out & Catering and Tharavadu Home of Kerala Cuisine. Scarborough Art, North York Arts, Dance Current, Dance Umbrella of Ontario, Dance Ontario supported the festival by sharing the information to their networks. The event was ably supported by media networks CMN – Canadian Multicultural Network, Madhurageetham 101.3fm, TET – Tamil Entertainment Television, Keraleeyam Canada, Ruban Cam, Vanakkam TV, Toronto Media Networks, Toronto Caribean, Thalir Tamil News, Thamilar Vazhikaati, TO Times, Annalai Express and Green Yang Photography.
The Toronto International Dance Festival expresses sincere gratitude to these sponsors for their commitment to fostering cultural diversity and supporting the arts in Scarborough and beyond. Their contributions have played a crucial role in making this landmark edition of the festival a memorable and impactful experience for the community.
“The Toronto International Dance Festival acknowledges the financial support from the department of Canadian Heritage for their commitment to fostering cultural diversity and supporting the arts in Scarborough and beyond.” said Parul Verma, Festival Manager of the Toronto International Dance Festival. “The overwhelming response from the community and the presence of various community leaders on both days of the festival underscore the festival’s importance in promoting cultural diversity and fostering unity through the universal language of dance.”
As the curtains close on the 10th edition of the Toronto International Dance Festival, organizers look forward to building on this year’s success and continuing to contribute to the cultural vibrancy of Scarborough and the entire city of Toronto.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Parul Verma (Festival Manager)
contacttidfcanada@gmail.com / tidfcanada@gmail.com
@tidfcanada (on Instagram & Facebook)
