Toronto Dancer Tia Kushniruk Performs at Beijing Dance Festival

In 2018, a Professional Development grant helped Tia Kushniruk become the first Canadian artist to perform at the Beijing Dance Festival and Youth Dance Marathon.

An international celebration of contemporary dance

The Beijing Dance Festival is one of the biggest celebrations of contemporary dance in China. By combining learning opportunities and performances, the festival provides young dancers and choreographers with a platform for international exchange and development. Dancer Tia Kushniruk of Toronto attended workshops during the festival’s education week, which allowed her to develop her arts practice in an international context.

Making connections with the international contemporary dance community

In addition to attending workshops at the festival, Tia also had the opportunity to present it lives in the fifth—a work by Canadian choreographer Christianne Ullmark—during the festival’s Youth Dance Marathon. Tia’s participation at the festival—through both workshops and performance—allowed her to build artistic partnerships with several instructors and converse with participants and audience members about her work.