Dyana Sonik-Henderson (She/They)was born at home on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak and Attawandaron peoples. She is a staple in the local dance community with weekly classes at the iconic Raino Dance, Victoria Academy of Ballet, Canadian College of Performing Arts and is a popular guest instructor at many schools across Canada. She has been nationally recognized for her choreography, community work and artistic direction with awards nominations, grants and ambassadorships. Dyana has had featured work in Dance Current Magazine and Boulevard Magazine with her touring performance named as one of Toronto Star’s “can’t miss shows.” She has been commissioned to set choreography on local and national companies and invited to lecture at universities about creativity, dance and gender performance. She is continuously collaborating with artists across many disciplines, while simultaneously working with her company on creative projects. Dyana has studied, worked and performed widely, including at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (London, England), Decidedly Jazz Danceworks (Calgary), and One Immigrant Productions (Toronto). She continues to engage in contemporary multi-disciplinary areas of study and performance, most recently completing her Masters thesis in Sociology at the University of Victoria with a focus on movement and bodies through the lens of gender, race, history, and ballet/contemporary dance works.
Question one: You just completed a masters with a focus on gender in dance. How does gender shape your choreography?
The idea of a movement being inherently masculine or feminine is a very interesting and complex topic for me. As dancers we know how to shift our bodies into the vision that the choreographer wants to portray. I was once told my choreography felt masculine and my movement was trying ‘to be masculine’. This has stuck with me and after my research, I have interpreted this to mean that I allow dancers to take space, move strong and really go for it on stage. This movement quality I would argue is not inherently masculine or feminine but perhaps demonstrates a social expectation that women should take up less space and/or men are inherently stronger. This of course taps into a rigid gender binary that is only just now being challenged in the dance world. I like to think my choreography and work is a subtle rejection of gendered movement expectations and this little rebellion is always present in the work I create.
Question Two: Why is keeping BR a Victoria based company so important to you? Working in the community is a big part of the BR mandate. How does working in studios, schools, and other organizations contribute to BR?
Keeping BR locally focused and hiring local dancers is key to the Broken Rhythms mandate. It is all connected to the greater dance ecosystem in Victoria which is what we want to cultivate and support. We have to think of ways to keep wonderfully talented artists/dancers local so they can teach classes, have families, bring arts to a wider audience and make the overall community live richer lives. All of our outreach programs and collaborations are built on the knowledge that we will be here to help for years and it is the consistency of support that is so important for programs and communities to feel validated and safe. This creates more stability overall for our wider local arts/dance communities.
See Dyana’s Choreography in Broken Rhythms upcoming production of ‘KNOTTED’
Premieres April 12 2024 at 7:30 PM McPherson Playhouse.
*Tickets starting at $48.25
VENUE: McPherson Playhouse (3 Centennial Square) Victoria, BC
Broken Rhythms 