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Lua Shayenne is a dancer, choreographer, storyteller, artistic director of Lua Shayenne Dance Company, dance instructor and producer of Shayenne Productions.
A 2016/17/18 K.M. Hunter Dance and 2013 TELUS Newcomer artist award nominee, Lua was recently in Brendan Fernandes’ (Us/Canada)In Touch, Lars Jan’s (NYC/LA) Holoscenes - Toronto/ Florida/ Miami/ New York City/ London, UK/ Abu Dhabi tours, Jenn Goodwin’s Should I Stumble (Canada) and Lemi Ponifasio’s (New Zealand) Apocalypsis - Luminato Festival. She has also worked with choreographers Dalia El Abad (Egypt), Christina Towle (USA/France), Mziyanda Mancam (South Africa), Karen Kaeja (Kaeja D’dance) in Porch View Dances, Bakari E. Lindsay (COBA) in Ho's N Head-wraps/Cheque Yo Soul, Kevin Ormsby (Kashedance), De-Napoli Clarke (RJC Dance, UK), Chester Whitmore (L.A) and the late Eleo Pomare (NYC). She has choreographed for Lua Shayenne Dance Company, the Living Art centre School programming, IFT theatre/Obsidean Theatre, Dusk Dances, Esie Mensah’s Akoma, and Art Starts programs to name a few. Lua is a community engaged-artist and has produced several projects such as Tales and Dances Under The Baobab, a series that draws on the power of storytelling and African dance and music to connect with audiences of all ages and Dancing Rivers of Wellbeing, a program for older adults that uses the mediums of West African dance and drumming to increase their expressive range, voice their creativity and improve their physical health. Lua is a recipient of the 2013 BMO seeds Fund Award for Artists working in community for her children’s project Under the Baobab. Lua has facilitated dance and theatre workshops for many organizations and schools such as Prologue for the Arts, Driftwood and Harbourfront Community Centres, Recognize the Real, YAG, Falstaff Girls Club, Daystrom Summer camp, St Ambrozic CSS, Firgrove P.S., Eastdale High school, Rosedale Heights, St Marguerite d’Youville, Thomas L.Wells, Rose Av P.S etc. |
She has been commissioned to create dance works for youth by No Man’s Land, NIA centre, Artists’ Play, Iona Css, Firgrove P.S, North Albion, St Martin CSS and Dusk Dances. In 2008, she was awarded one of 12 spots reserved for outstanding dancers in the Choreographers Lab/ Community Arts Practice at the school of Jacob’s Pillow (MA, US). She has served as board member of Dusk Dances and on the juries of the 2014 TELUS newcomer Artist award, the 2009 Ultimate Dance War competition in Ottawa, the Ontario & Toronto Arts Councils as well as the 2012/13 Doras.
She was a performing member of Toronto Playback Theatre for seven years and mentored and conducted the Youth Playback Company. As a freelance actor, her main projects include 360 Degree Vision (Vision TV documentary), Anowa (African Theatre Ensemble), Judgment Day Café (Hysteria Festival), Building Blocks (Rock Paper Sistahz Festival), Zigga, Xenobia & Phyllis (Shadowpath Theatre).
She was a performing member of Toronto Playback Theatre for seven years and mentored and conducted the Youth Playback Company. As a freelance actor, her main projects include 360 Degree Vision (Vision TV documentary), Anowa (African Theatre Ensemble), Judgment Day Café (Hysteria Festival), Building Blocks (Rock Paper Sistahz Festival), Zigga, Xenobia & Phyllis (Shadowpath Theatre).