The Zyra Talk Series

Dickson Mbi Born in Cameroon, Dickson Mbi grew up in London, creating ground-breaking hip hop performances and inspiring a new generation of dancers. As a dancer with Russell Maliphant Company and Boy Blue Entertainment, his award nominations include Best Achievement in Dance (UK Theatre Awards 2017), Outstanding Male Performer & Emerging Artist (National Dance Awards), and Times Breakthrough Artist Award (Sky Arts Awards 2018).

Rooted in his early training in the street dance form of popping and the amalgamation of dialects that organically emerged from many contemporary dance performances, Dickson’s unique form of expression is fashioned and fuelled by the desire to unite, connect, and create through the human experience. He has a distinct and compelling artistic voice, making work that reflects our times and the human condition, as well as his personal heritage.

As a choreographer, his first full-length solo, ENOWATE, won the 2023 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance. His choreographic commissions include Sadler’s Wells, Royal Ballet, Northern Ballet, Barbican and Scottish Ballet. His journey into dance and choreography was the subject of a 2018 BBC documentary.

A self-taught musician, Dickson began composing in 2016 and his score for TWICE BORN: was released in 2025 by Chester Music label.

Kristin Bartlett (she/her) is a creative arts facilitator and Therapeutic Recreation specialist dedicated to building meaningful, inclusive spaces for older adults. With a background in Theatre and Community Development, she has produced community-based theatre with Mixed Company Theatre, weaving real stories to spark dialogue and social change.

Trained in an art-based relational caring philosophy at The Dotsa Bitove Wellness Academy, Kristin helped launch The Bitove Method, a virtual arts program for people living with dementia. She now serves as Active Living Program Coordinator at the Alzheimer Society of Toronto, where she designs holistic programs that foster creativity, connection, and joy for people living with dementia and their care teams.

Jennifer Hicks (she/her) has combined dance and fitness experiences that translates into classes that are innovative, fun and just plain good for your body and soul. She is a passionate and enthusiastic mover whose contagious energy encourages you to reach your own personal movement potential.  Jennifer currently leads accessible Dance Fitness classes through the City of Toronto, Alzheimer's Society of Toronto, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Joy of Dance and Mosaic Community Services.  She has been part of a research study led by the Royal Conservatory of Music, Baycrest Health Centre and Toronto Rehab Institute called “Exploring the Impact of Artful Engagement with Older Adults”. Additionally, Jennifer has been commissioned to choreograph theatrical pieces, and offers customized party classes and private lessons. 

Esie Mensah is an award-winning choreographer, director, dancer, movement director,  educator, and TEDx speaker whose powerful voice shapes the future of performance across dance, theatre, opera, and film/TV. A Dora-nominated artist, she has worked with global leaders Rihanna, Nelly Furtado, Kenny Ortega, Canada’s Got Talent, AGO, and the Toronto Raptors. Her work has toured internationally to the U.S., U.K., Ghana, Nigeria, France, and more. She has created for Soulpepper, Obsidian Theatre, and Shaw Festival, and directed Serving Elizabeth at Theatre Aquarius. This season, she makes her Stratford Festival debut with Ransacking Troy and is choreographer for Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha: A Musical Reimagining, premiering in Chicago in May 2025.

Ivan Lemus  is a registered nurse with 17 years of clinical practice. He currently splits his work week between the operating room, and leading projects for the PeriOp Culture Change Committee at SickKids Hospital. In addition to his experience in the nursing profession, Ivan has been a self-proclaimed arts practitioner for over three decades in the fields of theatre, visual arts, poetry, and singing.

Through the arts-based projects he is leading, Ivan has been able to merge his love for nursing and his passion for the arts. He is currently working with major arts organizations (including Fall For Dance North) to create programs which improve healthcare culture at SickKids, with an emphasis on arts-based approaches grounded on person-centred principles.

Shanthini Kangesan works at The Hospital for Sick Children as a Medical Lab Technologist in Genetics in the department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine, where she specializes in cancer diagnosis in Cytogenetics. Shanthini is a Toronto-based dancer and performer in the Indian classical dance styles, Bharatanatyam, and Odissi.  She had trained under the late Dr. Menaka Thakkar and toured across many cities in Canada, U.S and India as part of the Dance Company Ensemble. 

David Rokeby's early work Very Nervous System (1982-1991) was a pioneering work of interactive art, translating physical gestures into real-time interactive sound environments. It was presented at the Venice Biennale in 1986. Several of his works have addressed issues of digital surveillance, including Taken, and Sorting Daemon. Works such as The Giver of Names and n-cha(n)t critically examination of the differences between human and artificial intelligence. He has exhibited and lectured extensively in the Americas, Europe and Asia. His awards include a Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts, a Prix Ars Electronica Golden Nica for Interactive Art, and a British Academy of Film and Television Arts “BAFTA” award in Interactive Art. He is currently the Director of the BMO Lab for Creative Research in the Arts, Performance, Emerging Technologies and AI at the Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Toronto.

Kate Hilliard creates through movement, digital media, writing, and conversation. Her performances closely examine themes of transformation, and her process invites collaboration. Kate is the Artistic Director of Arts Orillia in Ontario, Canada, where she programs residencies and festivals to invite learning and community gatherings. She is faculty at Toronto Metropolitan University, teaching dance and acting students in the areas of creation and production.