ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES
10 Gates Dancing
Company, ‘We Draw the Line’ Under B-boy Crazy Smooth's leadership, 10 Gates Dancing honours Founder Tedd Robinson’s values while adapting them to the practices of its street dance community and the organization’s mission: to nurture the creativity of artists and cultivate interdisciplinary dialogue through unique collaborations.
Anthony Bradette (Palomecc)
Performer, ‘All Styles Street Dance Battle’ & ‘We Draw the Line’ Palomecc is a Hip-Hop artist with a distinguished presence. Dance has surrounded him since birth. His family instilled in him a passion for Latin music and the freedom that movement brings. Palomecc has been training to become a professional dancer since his youth. Initially, he explored several street styles such as popping, house, breaking, and locking. He also trained in ballet and contemporary dance. Palomecc has danced for companies such as Crash & Create, Gadfly, Cirque du Soleil, Les 7 doigts, Tentacle Tribe, and Ebnfloh. He also has experience in television. Palomecc welcomes challenges and follows his favourite motto, “always be a student and never be a master.” Palomecc believes there is always something new to learn. He reps in cyphers, battles, and on stage. Palomecc is constantly seeking more knowledge and always looking to share the love he has for HipHop culture and its community.
Brayden Jamil Cairns
Choreographer & Performer, ‘Modo Minore’ & ‘Jumelle(s)’ Brayden Jamil Cairns (he/they) is a Toronto based artist and a longtime dancer with Alyssa Martin’s company, Rock Bottom Movement. He is currently also a member of Toronto Dance Theatre’s 2024-2025 Company Ensemble. He left rural Ontario in 2015 to train at Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Performance. Since his training, Brayden has worked with the likes of Rodney Diverlus, Anne Plamondon and many of his peers in collaborative processes. Brayden is interested in movement that can be enjoyed by people from all walks of life. He binds dance and lived experience to create challenging works of art, utilizing different media such as writing and film. Many of these ideas come from a powerful need to uplift the queer and BIPOC communities. Brayden will often be found researching what it is to feel pleasure and what can come from self-exploration.
Caroline ‘Lady C’ Fraser
Choreographer & Performer, ‘Workin!’ & ‘CYMATIX’ Known internationally by her stage name ‘Lady C’, Caroline Fraser is a unique artist with a diverse background and skill set. Coming from a long lineage of musicians, dancers and entertainers, Lady C came by her life as an artist honestly and organically. Her main focus is in Street Dance culture and although she has made her mark in this global community, her training includes a background in Ballet, Contemporary and Tap Dance and most recently extends into Jazz Dance forms with Holla Jazz Dance Company. Caroline is the recipient of 4 Dora Mavor Moore Awards for her performance and choreography as well as the Gadfly Canadian Dancer of the Year Award. She is also a music recording artist with multiple digital and vinyl releases on various record labels. She continues to develop and expand her artistry in both dance and music, one lending inspiration to the other.
Chad Bernal
Performer, ‘All Styles Street Dance Battle’ Born and raised in the Philippines, Chad Bernal has been immersed in the world of dance for over a decade as a choreographer and a freestyler. His journey into dance started at an early age, inspired by watching dance movies and trying to recreate their moves. Over time, this passion evolved through intense training, battles, and competitions, shaping him into his own style. Now calling Halifax home, Chad is eager to share everything he’s learned from his years in the scene and also ready to level up. Chad is all about bringing ART to the dance floor.
Citadel + Compagnie
Co-producing
company
Citadel + Compagnie is not formally presenting a piece at FODAR this year, but they are co-producers, along with FODAR, for the remount of Randy Glynn’s After Godot. FODAR has had a long a very fruitful relationship with Citadel and many will recall their riveting presentation of The Man in Black last year. Citadel is one of the few other dance organizations in Canada that, like FODAR, works to preserve iconic Canadian dances. Three of the 4 performers in After Godot are Citadel dancers – Connor Mitton, Sully Malaeb Proulx and Miyeko Ferguson.
Citadel + Compagnie is a dance organization with its home, The Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance, embedded within the Regent Park community of downtown Toronto. Through its creation, curation and cultivation of contemporary dance, Citadel + Compagnie’s mission is to make a significant and lasting contribution to dance in Canada. Led by Artistic Director, Laurence Lemieux, the organization supports the artistic activities of its dance company, multiple presentation platforms and outreach training program. At its core, the company commits to the creation of original works of dance by innovative choreographers and cross-disciplinary collaborators, and the preservation of iconic Canadian repertoire.
Connor Mitton
Performer, ‘Nose is Tale’ & ‘After Godot’ Connor Mitton graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University’s Dance Program in 2017. He is a 3-time nominee and recipient of the 2024 Dora Mavor Moore Award for his outstanding performance in James Kudelka’s The Man in Black. In 2024 he also started working in film and television as an assistant choreographer. Originally from Ottawa, Ontario, Connor has toured with several companies including: Côté Danse, Red Sky Performance, ProArteDanza, and Citadel et Compagnie. He was recognized by Now Magazine as one of 2017’s breakthrough Toronto stage artists. He has performed many pieces by Canadian choreographic Icon James Kudelka, including: Fifteen Heterosexual Duets, The Man in Black, Romeo and Juliet Before Parting, Soudain L’hiver Denier and Heros. He has also had the privilege of working with many other renowned choreographers and artists including Guillaume Côté, Robert Glumbek, Roberto Campanella, Jera Wolfe, William Yong, Hanna Kiel, Kate Hilliard, Heidi Strauss, Avinoam Silverman and Allan Kaeja.
Crazy Smooth
Choreographer, ‘We Draw the Line’. Choreographer & Performer, ‘Hustle Session & Demo’ Crazy Smooth, renowned as the Founder and Artistic Director of Bboyizm dance company, is an accomplished choreographer, street dance ambassador, mentor, and community leader. His contributions have been pivotal in the preservation and promotion of street dance both in Canada and internationally. Building upon Tedd Robinson's remarkable legacy, Crazy Smooth remains committed to 10 Gates Dancing's mission and vision while elevating the profile of the pan-Canadian street dance community.
Gabrielle Greener
Performer, ‘All Styles Street Dance Battle’ Gabrielle Greener is a Halifax-based waacker who trains and teaches at House of Eights. While her dance experience includes a wide range of street and commercial styles, including house, heels, hip hop, jazz funk, and fusion, waacking is the style closest to her heart. Gabrielle has recently begun her career as a choreographer for Somos Uno, a show created in collaboration with Carolin Mateus as one of Mocean Dance’s Emerging Artists in Residence for 2022, as well as Panopticonica, created alongside Nicola Popp for the 2023 Halifax Fringe Festival, and Life’s a Drag with director Anna Mona-Pia. She recently collaborated on the creation of The Moment Before the Moment, a piece performed as part of Mocean Dance’s SURGE program for emerging artists. She is also a battle dancer, competing in cities across Canada. Her performance credits include Somos Uno, Panopticonica, Spring Blooms, Kinetic Dance’s Open Studio Series, Halifax Pride, Vibrancy Fest, Creative Nova Scotia Awards, HFX Mural Fest, and HFX NYE 2024.
Jackie Agudo (JK-47)
Performer, ‘We Draw the Line’ Jackie Agudo, aka JK-47, is a recognized international competitor, performer, and workshop facilitator. Culminating her victories across North America and executing on the grandest of stages from IBE- We Bgirlz, Holland, to becoming the first winner of the USA Redbull BC One Bgirl Finals in Houston,Texas. JK’s status of eminence has only been further solidified with her work off the battlefield with one of the well known Hip Hop theater and tour productions. Standing as one of the members of the Award Winning Cast of The Hip Hop Nutcracker 2019, she continues to bring her cultural and competitive talents to UniverSOUL Hip Hop in Los Angeles and on tours with Bboyizm across Canada and internationally. As a leader and role model, JK continues to push the generations through multiple artistic disciplines. Challenging the communities and sharing her love for the culture.
Jay Harvey
Performer, ‘All Styles Street Dance Battle’ Jayden (Jay) has been a freestyle hip-hop dancer for over 10 years. While living in Halifax, he trained, performed, and choreographed with The Woods. After moving to Toronto for school, he continued to train and host events and workshops while representing Unity Charity as an Artist Educator. After returning to Halifax, he worked with a local dance presenting company, Live Art Dance, as an administrator. He has since moved to Montreal to continue training and developing his career. His focus is in the style of popping heavily influenced by his training in hip-hop.
Jayson Collantes (JC Fresh)
Performer, ‘All Styles Street Dance Battle’ & ‘We Draw the Line’ Jayson Collantes, also known as JC Fresh, is a Filipino Canadian dance artist known for his explosive energy, creative transitions, and authentic storytelling through Hip Hop and breaking. He began breaking in 2011 and has competed internationally since 2017, representing Canada in prestigious battles around the world. His achievements include first-place finishes at Rock Harder Vol. 5, Break District Quebec, and the Red Bull BC One Montreal Qualifier, as well as being a finalist at Red Bull BC One Canada Cypher. As a performer, Jayson is a member of Bboyizm, one of Canada’s most respected street dance theatre companies. With Bboyizm, he has performed in the critically acclaimed show In My Body, which won four DORA Awards in 2022. The show toured across Canada and South America and Europe. In the commercial world, Jayson has appeared on Britain’s Got Talent (2022) and worked with brands such as Doritos, Pizza Hut, Blue Jays, Sprite and Doordash. His versatility allows him to transition seamlessly between the street, stage, and screen— always bringing authenticity to his performance.
Jera Wolfe
Choreographer & Performer, ‘Coalescence’ & ’Tether’ Jera Wolfe is a Canadian choreographer and performer and a proud member of the Manitoba Métis Federation. His compelling choreography earned him the 2019 Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Original Choreography for Trace by Red Sky Performance. His works have been presented by leading organizations such as Canadian Stage, the National Arts Centre, Fall for Dance North, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Festival des arts de Saint-Sauveur, Citadel + Compagnie, Danse Danse, and Jacob’s Pillow. Notable creations include Arise for Canada’s National Ballet School; Begin Again and Play Cowboy for Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers; Control for École de danse contemporaine de Montréal; Éphémère for École supérieure de ballet du Québec; and Soul for the National Ballet of Canada. As a performer, Jera has danced with Red Sky Performance and Peggy Baker Dance Projects, and he is the lead performer in Atlantic Ballet’s production, Pisuwin
Kalliane Brémault (Yofi)
Performer, ‘All Styles Street Dance Battle’ & ’We Draw the Line’ Born in Winnipeg, into a family of musicians, Kalliane is a dancer, workshop facilitator, movement director, choreographer and event organizer. From age 5, she dove into Hip Hop music, learning Breaking at age 7, then Hip Hop, Popping and House in her teenage years. In 2017, she moved to Toronto to pursue her career and is now based in Montreal. Kalliane has worked for notable street dance companies/choreographers (Ebnfloh, Tentacle Tribe, Lady C), co-choreographed with Rebels de la Soul for Breakin’ Convention, acted and danced in Netflix, Disney and Cirque Éloize productions. Kalliane continues to train, battle and perform internationally.
Lydia Zimmer
Choreographer & Performer, ‘if you forget me’ & ‘Night Crawler' Lydia Zimmer (BFA ’11, Boston Conservatory) is a Halifax-based dancer and choreographer. She has received support from the Canada Council for the Arts and Arts Nova Scotia and attended residencies in Iceland, Bulgaria, Banff Centre, and Ireland’s Síolta Residency. Her company, Zimmerdans, premiered The Devil’s Intervals to sold-out audiences in Live Art Dance’s 23/24 season. Recent works include Mercurials for Mocean Dance and Xenofauna for Atlantic Ballet Theatre’s ImpactFest. Recognized with the Emerging Artist Recognition Award from Creative Nova Scotia, Lydia recently performed Daughter of the Night at Kinetic Studio's Open Studio Series and is honoured to present Night Crawler at this year's FODAR. Lydia will perform Extremophile at Dance: Made in Canada in August 2025.
Marrin Jessome
Choreographer & Performer, ‘Modo Minore’ & ‘Jumelle(s)’ Marrin Jessome is a Halifax-based artist who studied Performance Dance at the Toronto Metropolitan University (2019). She now works as a freelance dance teacher, choreographer, adjudicator and performer throughout the Maritimes. As a trained pianist, her choreography is informed by her nuanced understanding of sound— arranging tension and release on a visceral level, to form a direct translation between the instrument and the architecture of the body. Marrin creates exciting contemporary work that has been showcased across Atlantic Canada. Inspired by storytelling, memory and relationship, she marries classical techniques with the theatre of lived experiences. Her compositions are raw and sensual while athletic and playful. Her work features intricate partnering, floor work and flow acrobatics while maintaining a thoughtful awareness of her audience. She is driven to make work that is relatable and accessible to the untrained eye, without diluting technical qualities. Her performance credits include the Montreal Fringe Festival, Red Sky Performance, Zimmerdans, Votive Dance, Nostos Collectives, The Underground Cabaret and FODAR 2024.
Miyeko Ferguson
Performer, ‘Coalescence’, ’Tether’ & ‘After Godot’ Miyeko Ferguson is a Toronto based dance artist. She graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University’s Performance Dance program. Miyeko has worked with choreographers such as Laurence Lemieux, James Kudelka, Peggy Baker, Jera Wolfe, Kate Hilliard, and Vicki St. Denys. She has performed with Compagnie de la Citadelle, Canadian Opera Company and toured across North America with Red Sky Performance’s production, Trace. In 2024, she was a member of the Dora-winning ensemble of James Kudelka’s The Man in Black a part of Compagnie de la Citadelle’s Living Dances program. Miyeko has assisted Jera Wolfe on multiple projects including his production, Arise set on Canada’s National Ballet School and Stratford Festival’s Wendy and Peter Pan. Film credits include Seven Veils by Atom Egoyan and SWEAT by The Bicycle Opera Project.
Nathaniel “Natorious” Dooks
Performer, ‘All Styles Street Dance Battle’ Nathaniel “Natorious” Dooks is a Breaker, Hip Hop dancer and emerging choreographer based out of Kjipuktuk (Dartmouth) NS. He has been battling, performing and teaching for over 15 years. Battling all over Canada, he is the first Male Breaker from Atlantic Canada to compete at the Canadian national qualifier for the Canadian Olympic Breaking team. He’s performed with “The Woods Hip Hop Dance Company” since 2015, and has since performed with “Mocean Dance,” “Phin Performing Arts,” “Kinetic Dance” and “Rooted Jazz.” He strives to create a strong and connected Breaking and street dance community as an event organizer. Look for his event “Don’t Stop my Rock” for future battles and jams.
Randy Glynn
Choreographer & Performer, ‘After Godot’ While I am the Artistic Director of FODAR it easy to forget that I was once, and occasionally still am, a dancer. I started my dance career by attending a class taught by Elizabeth Langley in Ottawa in January of 1975. I was 24 at the time and didn’t really know much about dance or what to expect. I had spent the previous five years leading a kind of ‘wild west’ sort of life in Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories and had a girlfriend who was once a dancer. Based on her stories, I gave dance a try. Let’s say I wasn’t a natural, but somehow, I got hooked. I went to Halifax to study music and English in the fall of 1975 and found a dance class to take with Pat Richards. Over my three years in Halifax, I switched my focus from English to Dance and, against a million odds, became a dancer. I helped start a company in 1977 in Halifax and that fall left to try to join the Danny Grossman Company in Toronto. Magically I ended up on stage with them in NYC that fall. And now, here I am at 73, dancing a bit and very thankful to still be having a truly delightful dance career.
Rock ‘Gimrock’ Mejia
DJ, ‘All Styles Street Dance Battle’ Grimrock Mejia is a multifaceted Hip Hop artist with a successful professional career as a dancer and DJ spanning the fields of education, choreography, and production for numerous projects including artists, companies, venues, tours, and studios. Nationally, through Unity Charity, he establishes barrier-free and accessible programming and events for marginalized youth. These initiatives foster mental well-being, resilience, inclusivity, and representation, while amplifying Black arts, music, and culture throughout Canada. As coDirector of Atlantic Breaking Alliance, Grimrock provides opportunities for youth artists to travel, acquire knowledge, and compete through street dance events and competitions in collaboration with their national partners. Driven by the Hip Hop ethos of “each One teach One,” Grimrock continues to explore innovative methods of contributing to the communities he serves across Canada.
Romain Gailhaguet (Vibz)
Performer, ‘All Styles Street Dance Battle’ & ’We Draw the Line’ Romain Gailhaguet, better known as Vibz within the local scene, quickly made a name for himself and earned the respect of his peers in the industry. He is a passionate, self-taught artist in search of knowledge and socio-cultural experiences. Through research, learning, travel, socio-cultural experiences, and practice, “Salty Vibz” has reached a high level and won numerous competitions. Furthermore, Romain is never short of words when it comes to talking about his art and is always eager to share his knowledge. He continues to enrich his stage journey with the renowned company Bboyizm, all driven by the same passion for the art of movement and the pleasure of of exchanging and learning from their respective knowledge. 2019.
Saxon Fraser
Choreographer, ‘We Draw the Line’. Choreographer & Performer, ‘Hustle Session & Demo’ A third-generation dancer with a B.A. in Dance Kinesiology, Saxon’s versatility has brought her together with Cirque du Soleil, Moment Factory, W&M Physical Theatre (Poland), and Dragonfly Orchestra (China). She was a prominent choreographe on the Radio-Canada series Les Dieux de la Danse, TVA’s Revolution, and the award-winning short film La Volière. Artistic Director of Juxtapose, her production disˈtraktəd was presented at 100LUX and Toronto’s world-renowned Breakin’ Convention. Saxon and Bboy Crazy Smooth premiered Patina at NAC’s Dance Forth in 2020. She has since worked with him as Associate Choreographer for the dance company Bboyizm’s recent creation In My Body, which received four Dora Awards in 2022. Her choreography for Olympic Ice Dancers Guillaume Cizeron and Gabriella Papadakis of France won Gold at Beijing’s 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Saxon has collaborated with the fashion industry, choreographing for Aubainerie, Y! D.N.A. Collection, Saco International, X-presion (Madrid), L’Oréal, Filler Magazine, and Noize (London). Travelling worldwide, her creations have been presented at the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Vancouver Olympics, Le Zénith in Paris, and the Kremlin Palace in Moscow.
Sully Malaeb Proulx
Performer, ‘Nose is Tale’ & ‘After Godot’ Sully Malaeb Proulx (he/they) is a Québécois-Lebanese freelance dance artist based in Tkaronto. After training at the Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre, they earned a BFA in Dance from the State University of New York at Purchase College, graduating summa cum laude in 2020, and received additional training at the London Contemporary Dance School and Springboard Danse Montréal. Sully has performed works by and with artists from near and far, across Canada, in NYC, Spain, and India. In 2024, Sully was part of the Dora Award-winning ensemble of James Kudelka’s The Man in Black with Citadel + Compagnie.
THANK YOU
FODAR’s growth has been increasingly supported by public funders, corporate sponsors, and our donors and patrons, and we thank them for their ongoing encouragement. Further, we wish to extend our deep appreciation to all of our many supporters, local and from afar that help to Make FODAR what it is today.
FODAR 2025 would like to thank:
Laurence Lemieux and Citadel + Compagnie
Janet Larkman and all the staff of King’s Theatre
Annapolis Royal Farmers and Traders Market
Julia Ford and St Luke’s Anglican Church
Thea Boyanowski and Arch and PO
Alanna Hulko and Murray Stott and The Garrison House Inn
Mark Knox and Karen Hudson
Holly Sanford and The Madhatter Wine Bar
Salt Cinematic
The Annapolis Brewing Company
Bistro East
Thanks also to:
Pamela Grundy, Michael Copeman, Susan Tileston, Mike Toole, Sara Reesor, Rhynn Winstead, Maggie-Rene Grundy-Glynn, and Owen Bull
And all our incredible FODAR 2025 volunteers
