If you are having trouble registering please email jacquelinemelindy@gmail.com.

Breaking Canada presents:

B-Girls in Leadership, Training, and Teaching Virtual Symposium

Saturday, November 20th

10am-5pm*

Timezone: EST (Toronto)

Program

10am: Introducing Ourselves with Mary Fogarty and Ariyan Johnson

Participants who have registered for the conference have a chance to introduce themselves to each other and hear from other participants

10:30am-noon: Breaking as Culture and Experience

Rokafella (NYC) in conversation with b-girls Emma (Vancouver) and Tiff (Toronto)

Noon: Lunch break

1-2:30pm: Breaking, Training, and Teaching

Honey Rockwell (NYC) in conversation with Bgirl Emma Ready (Glasgow, Scotland) and VicVersa (Montreal)

2:30-2:45pm: Breakout rooms

2:45-4pm: B-Girls in Leadership Roles Thinking about Gender Equity

Bgirl Lynx (Montreal) in conversation with Bgirl Vee (Cape Town, South Africa) and Judi Lopez (Toronto).

4pm-5pm: Assigned breakout rooms to share thoughts on the day and future directions

*Participants are encouraged to attend the whole day if possible so we can build on our knowledge together throughout the experience.

Bios of Panelists:

Judi Lopez is the Founder and Collective Director of KeepRockinYou. Judi is a community engager, dancer and educator for the arts in building presence in the Toronto Hip Hop community. Her work expanded to Project Manager for the Toronto B-Girl Movement, as well as Breakin' Convention festival, Open Art Surgery Toronto and Ladies of Hip Hop Toronto. She has completed her MA in the dance program at York University. Her leadership qualities have given her many opportunities to speak about Hip Hop, and arts for social change at universities, community gatherings and special event showcases.

“One of the best bgirls on the planet. If you don’t know, get to know!” During her 23 years of breaking, Emma Ready has established an international reputation as an inspirational, empathetic motivator who is both approachable and accessible. Her students describe her as a “treasure trove of information” and she's known for her clear, helpful and insightful approach to sharing knowledge. Emma’s leadership style has been described as inspirational and elevating. She’s renowned for her creativity and has been dubbed “10,000 Moves Master”. Her recent choreographic work looks at the issue of coercive control and has been described as “utterly awfully wonderful” and “hauntingly beautiful”.

Emma Misak is a Bgirl born and raised in Surrey, BC. She has been breaking for 7 years and has competed in various competitions both locally and internationally including battles in Japan, China, Europe and Argentina to name a few. Emma won a silver medal in the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Argentina representing Team Canada and the Stray Path crew. Emma’s goal is to keep battling and representing as much as she can. Emma has also been teaching breaking for over 5 years, she is passionate about passing on her love, drive and knowledge about breaking to young dancers in her community.

Victoria Mackenzie aka VicVersa is a Toronto-raised, Montreal-based artist working in the field of dance. A music lover and natural mover, she has been dancing since childhood. Her main areas of focus are break, facilitation, performance and teaching. She has performed locally and internationally for numerous artists and events since 2012. In recent years she has begun to present her own creations, both solo and group work, under the artist name VicVersa Productions. As a teacher, she gives episodic workshops in Montreal, Toronto and abroad that are primarily focused on break and floorwork. She organizes battles and hosts practices within the Montreal scene and is constantly seeking out break communities while abroad.

*support from York University’s Department of Dance