TESSEL, featuring 14 Black dance makers from across Canada, streaming nationwide for free, to June 30
Esie Mensah’s dance film launches on the one-year anniversary of Blackout Tuesday
Esie Mensah conceptualized TESSEL, which is a national show of unity featuring 14 Black dance artists from across Canada.
TESSEL, a Fall for Dance North and Harbourfront Centre co-commission, has its world premiere June 1, running all month via free livestream.
TESSEL, A GROUNDBREAKING national dance film, is now on virtual view nationwide.
DORA-nominated choreographer and dancemaker Esie Mensah (Shades, A Revolution of Love) conceptualized the dance film that is a national show of unity. It features 14 Black dance makers from acoss the country and touches on what it means to be an artist from the Black community in the here and now.
Mensah also performs in TESSEL, which is a co-executive produced by Fall for Dance North and Harbourfront Centre, the project’s lead commissioners. Vancouver International Dance Festival is among a total of nine co-commissioners from all over Canada..
Vancouver artists Livona Ellis (an Arts Umbrella alumna, Ballet BC dancer, and emerging choreographer). Gabrielle Martin (a contemporary dancer who performs aerial circus and acrobatics and is VIDF’s festival manager), and Kevin Fraser (artistic director of the multidisciplinary company Immigrant Lessons) are among the ensemble members.
June 1, 2021 is the one-year anniversary of Blackout Tuesday, when organizations around the globe publicly committed to institutional change to support the Black community.
Vancouver International Dance Festival is participating in the Great Canadian Giving Challenge; every $1 donated to the festival in June enters it to win $20,000 from CanadaHelps. The VIDF has announced that digital presentations are here to stay, and funds raised will go toward launching a fall livestream series.
Watch TESSEL and learn more here.
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