Born on the sunny isle of Trinidad, West Indies, BaKari Ifasegun Lindsay has been perfecting his crafts for over 32 years. He is a dancer, choreographer, singer, musician, costume designer/ maker and researcher. Trained at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The School of Toronto Dance Theatre on scholarship and with various teachers from the Caribbean and the African Continent. Bakari holds a craftsman diploma in Style and Design and Masters Degree in Dance Ethnology and Bachelors in Education, from York University, Canada. In completion of his masters thesis BaKari researched and developed “A-Feeree – The Physical Language,” an innovative training method for dance practitioners working in an Africanist movement aesthetic.
He co-founded COBA Collective Of Black Artists, and danced for the Danny Grossman Dance Company (Canada), Jubilation Dance Co (USA), Artcho Danse Repertoire (Haiti) and several independent choreographers in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean. BaKari also appeared as an original cast member of Disney’s The Lion King. He was nominated for a Dora Mavor award for his solo performance of “Ancestal Calling also choreographed BaKari.
BaKari as created works for Les Enfants Dance Company, Entre Duex, The National Dance Company of Trinidad and Tobago, while also creating a body of work on COBA Collective Of Black Artists. He has also choreographed three dance films including the BravoFacts “Rites, along with “Ashe” and “Orisha Suite” directed by Nicole Brooks. He also choreographed and directed D’bi Young Anitafrika in Watah Theatre production of “Esu Crossing the Middle Passage” of which she won a Dora Mavor Award.
BaKari served on the faculty of Ryerson University, York University, Humber College, Lester B. Pearson School for the Performing Arts, and several dance schools, and institutions and community groups. BaKari is a vice- principal with the Toronto District School Board and advocates for equity and arts education. Bakari’s artistic vision is to create a harmonious balance between artistic practice and traditional cultural values.
