Presented by Toes for Dance, the Common Ground Dance Festival features a weekend of free performances and interactive activities with one principle: dance is for everyone. It’s the 5th anniversary edition of the Festival, which takes place this year at North York’s Lee Lifeson Art Park from September 18 to 20.
The intercultural festival showcases a wide variety of dance styles and genres from all over the world, including Indigenous Hoop dance, flamenco, Indian dance styles Bharatanatyam and Garba, along with Western contemporary dance.
“I am one of the co-curators and festival producer,” explains Tanveer Alam. “It’s my second year.” His involvement with the festival stretches beck to its beginnings.
“I’ve been in attendance since the first year as an audience member,” he says. As a dance artist, he had a piece in the festival’s third iteration, and began serving as a producer in the festival’s fourth year. The Toronto-based Kathak dancer is a graduate of The School of Toronto Dance Theatre.
He’s had the opportunity to watch it take root as a truly community oriented event.
“I think every year, I’ve witnessed the audience growing.” He’s noticed new as well as returning faces each year.
Dance occupies a curious role in Eurocentric society; something to be revered, but perhaps not participated in. That’s something he’d like to change.
“There’s certainly a need for dance,” Alam says.
He credits Toes for Dance Co-Artistic and Executive Director, and Festival founder, David Norsworthy for both his vision and his approach. The Juilliard trained dance artist, choreographer, producer and curator has performed with dance companies and collaborated with dance creators in Canada, USA, Sweden and Australia. As a choreographer, he often focuses on community building and co-creation.
“He really believes in this kind of non-hierarchical approach,” Alam says. It courages everyone to participate.
“I think dance is such a compelling art form.”
As he points out, individuals can incorporate dance into their lives in various ways. For some, it’s a cardio exercise; for others, it’s more about expression and fulfillment. That’s true of audiences as well as dance makers.
“For some, it pulls into a deeper inquiry,” he says. “I think it has a capacity to do so much.”
The Common Ground Festival is intercultural, outdoors, and takes place in a public space. “We focus on the […] joyous qualities,” he says, “but there is also room for thought.”
Intercultural Dance
“North York is a such an area full of different cultures and age groups,” he notes. “It feels important that those communities feel reflected in our festival.”
That includes passersby who may not even have planned to stop. He says it’s a thrill to see people who walk by, surprised to find a dance performance in the park that reflects their culture, and who stay for the experience.
“That feels very important to us.”
The different styles of global dance come together in performance, in a kind of dialogue with each other, as he explains it. Dance genres approach elements like rhythm, jumping, and so on, in various ways.
“It can be achieved very differently,” he says. The Festival aims to showcase as many of those ways as possible.
Audience Participation
There are various ways that people can get in on the joy of dance, including workshops.
“This year, we have a Garba workshop,” he says. Garba is an Indian folk dance. “It’s a social dance that’s done in circles with claps and rhythm,” he explains.
“We also have an Indigenous hoop dance workshop,” he notes.
There will also be artist talks, and opening night features a retrospective on the evolution of CGDF over the years. The festival’s mainstage program will be co-hosted in Farsi (September 19) and Mandarin (September 20).
Here’s hoping for good September weather.
“We’re hopeful.”
Common Ground Dance Festival 2025
Festival highlights include:
- A Hoop dance performance and workshop from champion Grass and Hoop dancer Beany John;
- A Dora Award-nominated duet with live music featuring Irma Villafuerte and Nickeshia Garrick of the CinnaMoon Collective;
- An exploration of rhythm and improvisation by Flamenco artist Carmen Romero with percussionist Miguel Medina;
- A Bharatanatyam performance by Shivani Shivakumar;
- A Western contemporary dance duet by choreographer Gisele Ardosa, All You Ever Do Is Rain;
- A Garba-based ensemble dance work and workshop by Anjali Tanna;
- An emerging artist showcase by Groove Collective
- Performances by local dance students.
Common Ground Dance Festival 2025: Details
- Dates: September 18 to 20, 2025
- Venue: Lee Lifeson Art Park (223 Gladys Allison Place, North York)
- Website/Info: Free (online RSVP recommended)
Find more details, including a full schedule, [HERE].
All events are free, but an RSVP is recommended; RSVP [HERE].
Are you looking to promote an event? Have a news tip? Need to know the best events happening this weekend? Send us a note.
#LUDWIGVAN
Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.
Sign up for the Ludwig Van Toronto e-Blast! — local classical music and opera news straight to your inbox HERE.
- PREVIEW | Sinfonia Toronto Baroque & Beyond Celebrates the Season With Guest Artists The Ezra Duo - December 4, 2025
- INTERVIEW | Director Peter Phillips Talks About The Tallis Scholars And Their Toronto Concert - December 4, 2025
- PREVIEW | The Royal Conservatory Of Music Launches Orchestrated With Cory Wong - December 3, 2025
