ARIA EVANS (they/she/he) is an award winning, queer Toronto-based interdisciplinary artist working in dance theatre; creation, performance and film. Aria is a certified Intimacy Coordinator and draws on their experiences of being multiracial (Afro-Indigenous, settler) to capture meaningful social and cultural themes through their interactive art. Collaboration is the departure point to the work that Aria creates with their company Political Movement. Aria was co-Artistic Director of hub14 from 2013-2018 and the Toronto, Ontario and Canada Council for the arts have supported Aria’s endeavours as well as the National Arts Centre, Buddies In Bad Times Theatre, CAHOOTS, Why Not Theatre, Volcano Theatre, Nightswimming Theatre, Jumblies Theatre, Native Earth Performing Arts, Nova Dance and b current. Aria is currently the Metcalf Artistic Director Intern at Soulpepper Theatre Company.
Aria has presented their choreographic work with Dusk Dances [RElaps 2021], Public Energy [Bridge Over Troubled Water 2020], Citadel + Compagnie [In The Abyss 2019], The National Arts Centre [Finding Wolastoq Voice 2019], DanceWorks [link 2018], The Toronto Concert Orchestra [The Trickster Re-imagined 2017], Ontario Culture Days [Two Row 2017], the Toronto Fringe [RATED R 2016], SummerWorks [Desiccated 2015], Long Winter [box box box 2014] and many more. Aria’s works have been presented in both North America and Europe. Aria has toured with Theatre New Brunswick, Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, created work commissioned by the Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance, performed for the Indspire awards, participated and performed in works by The Stratford Festival, Lara Kramer, Tapestry Opera – Michelle Olson, Sylvain Émard, Kaeja d’Dance, Michael Greyeyes and Yvette Nolan, Penny Chouchie, Julia Sasso, Peggy Baker, The Banff Centre, A Tribe Called Red, Constance Cooke, Expect Theatre, and many more.
Aria has sat on Canada Council, Metcalf Foundation and Dora Award juries, been an Invited Guest Contributor to the 20th anniversary Canadian Arts Summit, talked on interdisciplinary panels for CPAMO, the Toronto Dance Community Love-In, CAHOOTS, CADA, TAPA’s INDIEX, DarkNights and On The Move. In 2017 Aria was chosen to participate as one of Culture Days’ Youth Arts Ambassadors. Aria’s work in dance film has led them to collaborate with many of Toronto’s leading dance artists and organizations. Aria has taught dance film with a focus on editing at Ryerson University, the School of Toronto Dance Theatre and for the SummerWorks Performance festival. Aria has done videography and editing for Kaeja d’Dance, RT Collective, Dreamwalker Dance Company, MOonhORsE Dance Theatre, Julia Sasso Dances, Ryerson University, The Banff Centre, Dance Matters, Ella Cooper Creates, Canadian Dance Assembly and the Pulse Ontario Dance Conference, and many more.