Join Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo of the A'nó:wara Dance Theatre for an immersive experience through the dance, music, and stories of the Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island. In the spirit of reconciliation, this interactive workshop will invite participants to engage in dialogue, explore dance improvisations inspired by Indigenous perspectives, and discover some dance techniques. No dance experience is required: just a desire to move! A Q&A session will follow. All are welcome!
Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo is a member of the Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) Nation from Kahnawà:ke. She now lives in Montreal, where she serves as Artistic Director and Choreographer of A'nó:wara Dance Theatre. A recipient of the prestigious 2025 Clifford E. Lee Choreography Award from the Banff Centre, she has worked as a choreographer and performer for more than 30 years, creating works that foreground Indigenous themes, stories, and perspectives. She achieves this by blending powwow, Haudenosaunee, and contemporary dance styles into a distinctive artistic fusion that resonates with diverse audiences.
Her dance production Sky Dancers received the 2022 Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Touring Production, and she was also honoured with the 2021 Prix de la danse de Montréal (Performer). Proud to share her culture, Diabo performs across Canada and internationally. Her work has been presented live at the National Arts Centre, Festival Quartiers Danses, the Prismatic Arts Festival, Native Earth Performing Arts, Matriarchs Uprising, FODAR, Festival Le Diamant, and the Waterproof Festival (France). Her performances have also appeared on screen in productions such as PULSE (APTN), Le Grand Solstice (Radio-Canada), Telling Our Stories (Radio-Canada), and Indigenous Day Live (APTN), among others.
Barbara also collaborates with numerous organizations, helping to raise awareness, create safer and more inclusive spaces, and support Indigenous artists around the world. Diabo creates and performs for future generations, to honour her ancestors, to strengthen community belonging, for those who cannot dance, to inspire, to communicate, to foster cultural pride, and to uplift the spirit.
