Our DanceWeekend’24 Artist Feature is Candace Kumar as apart of our online film screenings!
Friday, January 26th, 2024 at 7pm VIRTUALLY.
🔗 https://candacekumar.com/
About Candace Kumar:
Candace Kumar is a cultural dance artist from Mississauga and now based in Mississauga and Toronto. She specializes in Filipino folk dance, practicing diverse styles from all across the Philippines. Her work aims to reimagine traditional dance forms from the Canadian diaspora, looking at folk dances through the lens of self identity and storytelling. She believes traditional dance is not an art form of the past but can guide us through the future as we navigate life on land that is not our ancestral home.
Candace views dance as a community-based practice, with a commitment to placemaking and collaboration. In her future work, she hopes to continue developing the Filipino dance community in Canada and create unity between diverse Asian dance forms across the Can-Asian landscape.
Candace has worked with Little Pear Garden Dance Company, Nova Dance Company, Frog in Hand, Nautanki Creations, HATAW, A La Una, Han Han and more.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself/your company?
I started learning Filipino folk dance when I was 10 years old. Unable to speak my parents’ language, dance became the language through which I expressed love for my homelands. I practice dance styles from all across the Philippines, but fan dance is particularly special to me. I learned how to fan dance as a young woman, taught by my Ates (elder sisters), whom I was fascinated by their elegance. They taught me that fan dance is an extension of the body and expression of femininity. In my practice, I use the form as an avenue of self-expression.
What will you be sharing at DanceWeekend’24?
Voyage is a coming-of-age dance film about Filipina women. It tells our stories as Filipina folk dancers growing up in Canada and finding community with one another through dance. Set within significant Asian-Canadian landmarks in Mississauga, the film draws inspiration from Maranao fan dance from the southern Philippines. Fan dancing is an expression of femininity, reflecting the body and soul through fluid, graceful movements. Following a main character in her journey through womanhood, the film explores vulnerability, sisterhood, and growth. Voyage encapsulates the universal experience of self-discovery, showcasing the transformative power of dance in fostering community and belonging.
What interests you about film as a medium and how does if differ from a live performance?
Dance on film intrigues me because of its potential for storytelling beyond the stage’s boundaries. The flexibility to explore different locations and experiment with filming techniques provides a larger canvas to convey a narrative compared to live performances. It opens up creative avenues, allowing dance artists to use cinematography to enhance emotions and concepts, providing an immerse experience for audiences that extends past the immediate reality of a live show.
What does dance mean to you?
Dance is joy in its purest form.
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Stay Up to Date with Candace at their social media links below: