Jasad is Arabic for body.

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Jasad values softness, subtlety and somatic sensibility, as well as feminism and giving a voice to the less loud, through the body.

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The company's mission is to promote the research, creation and presentation of works and provide training opportunities in contemporary dance, with a focus on artists who share an interest in somatic practices and/or who identify as North African, Arab or Middle Eastern.

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Meryem Alaoui, a Moroccan dancer-choreographer, currently living and working in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Artistic Director of the company, was interested in finding a way to support this vision, which led her to found Jasad Dance Projects, a structure through which to develop artistic projects. Read Meryem's Artistic Statement.

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Collaboration, exchange and a spirit of openess and non-hierarchy, as well as experimentation and play are integral to the processes of dance making, performing and transmission at Jasad.

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Jasad aims to be a platform for building a bridge between the contemporary dance scenes in Canada and countries in North Africa and the Middle East.

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Founding Board Members:

Coman Poon

Christina Giannelia

Natasha Powell

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Current Board Members:

Garry Neil

Jasmine Hawamdeh

Meryem Alaoui