Small travel grant helps Halifax dancer attend Toronto workshop

Tomomi Suyama, a Halifax resident, specializes in belly, Egyptian oriental and Egyptian folkloric dance. A small grant helped her travel to Toronto for a two-day workshop in Egyptian dance.

Learning dance from the masters

Living in Halifax, Tomomi Suyama lacks access to authentic Egyptian oriental dance teachers, so when she heard about the opportunity to attend a two-day workshop in Toronto with world-renowned guest instructors, she jumped at it. Tomomi appreciated the chance to learn techniques from teachers who had grown up immersed in Egyptian culture. The workshops delved into classical dance techniques, including choreography and lectures on the theory and philosophy behind the dance. There was also an opportunity to perform in front of a live audience at the closing gala.

Sharing her art with the community

Halifax has a number of residents of Middle Eastern background, including recently arrived refugees. Returning from the workshop, Tomomi was better equipped to share her newly honed skills with locals interested in Egyptian dance. She views dance as a way to appreciate other cultures and communicate without language barriers.