3 minute read
Community Engagement with the ICA
Embodied Workshop on Cultural and Migration Stories with Kay Huang
By Larissa Sharma, Community Engagement Manager
Last month, Dance Victoria partnered with the Inter-Cultural Association (ICA) of Greater Victoria to offer a creative dance workshop for newcomer youth and young adults. Led by Dance Victoria Artist in Residence Kay Huang, the workshop welcomed participants from six different countries! Everyone brought their own cultural perspective, language, and personal stories into the space. The energy in the room was vibrant, with every participant fully engaged and eager to explore movement together.
Our partnership with ICA has grown over several seasons and is rooted in shared commitments to inclusion and access to the arts. Through the Nutcracker Kids ticket access program, for example, ICA youth and families are invited to experience the magic of live performance during the holiday season. This past December, forty ICA members attended Dance Victoria’s presentation of Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s large-scale Nutcracker, accompanied by the Victoria Symphony. Newcomers to Victoria also received tickets to the Canadian premiere of Shamel Pitts’ BLACK HOLE through the Dance Is for Everyone initiative, which broadens access to world-class dance throughout the season.
This workshop with Kay Huang marked an exciting new chapter in our collaboration: the first time Dance Victoria has offered a dedicated creative movement session for ICA members. Huang, a Vancouver-based choreographer, educator, and dance artist, led young people through exercises that invited reflection on identity, storytelling, and cultural heritage. Participants explored their own migration journeys through movement, text, and dialogue, creating a space of trust, curiosity, and discovery.
Huang also shared excerpts of her choreographic work 安/Girl Under, inspired by her own immigration journey from Hong Kong to Vancouver in 1975, and her mother’s earlier migration from Guangzhou to Hong Kong in the 1950s. Kay’s story offered a compelling framework for participants to consider how their own lived experiences could become sources of artistic expression and connection.
The impact of the workshop was felt deeply by participants. Nelson Mandela Ngabo reflected, “Music and dance connect people of different backgrounds. I was very excited about the moves everyone was making! I also got to learn how to speak different words in different languages!” Another youth, Sediqa Akbari, shared, “I lose my shyness when I’m dancing.”
It was a joyful afternoon — one that highlighted the power of dance to build community, foster belonging, and celebrate both shared and individual histories. The success of this workshop laid a meaningful foundation for future collaboration between Dance Victoria and the ICA. Both organizations witnessed the positive impact on participants and are eager to continue building on this momentum in 2025/26 and beyond. FN
This workshop with Kay Huang was made possible in part by the Anne Russo Community & Youth Engagement Fund. Special thanks to the Victoria Foundation, RBC Emerging Artists, and generous individual underwriters for supporting Dance Victoria’s Residency program. Interested in supporting Dance Victoria’s Community Engagement efforts? Please contact Shireen McNeilage, Development & Operations Manager, at shireen@dancevictoria.com to learn more.
