Stream the stunning and mesmerizing dance opus New Monuments, now on CBC Gem
On the shores of Lake Ontario, dancers take us on a journey from colonization to an equitable future
Live performance meets film in the mesmerizing New Monuments, now streaming on CBC Gem. On the shores of Lake Ontario, over 40 dancers from across Toronto take us on a cathartic journey of purpose—from the beginning of colonization to a more hopeful and equitable future.
New Monuments teams up a group of internationally-recognized and local talent in a collaborative space where a wide array of dance styles, from ballet to street style to contemporary, all come together as one.
Directed, conceived and developed through a distinctly IBPOC lens, New Monuments asks tough questions: do the statues that adorn our public spaces speak to values that represent us as a city, and elevate our values of freedom and diversity? Should they be dismantled piece by piece? What are the new standards that define us, and which ones should make the cut? New Monuments imagines a future world where racist monuments no longer exist, and where IBPOC art and activism continue to seamlessly intersect.
The special was conceived and curated by Toronto's iconic, Grammy-nominated and multiple award-winning director and installation artist Julien Christian Lutz pka DIRECTOR X (Drake, Rihanna, Rosalia, Superfly movie) with award-winning artistic producer and curator Umbereen Inayet (Nuit Blanche Toronto, Awakenings, TEDx), alongside visionary three-time MTV VMA-nominated Tanisha Scott (Beyoncé, Sean Paul) as lead choreographer.
New Monuments is directed by Karen Chapman and features choreography by Sze-Yang Ade-Lam, Nova Bhattacharya and Kieran Herallal, Robert Binet, Travis Knights, Esie Mensah, Fizz Oladiran, Kevin A. Ormsby, Nimkii Osawamick, Natasha Powell, Sandra Laronde, and "Snapp" Jan Yalda.
