CHOREOGRAPHER

Shanique Peart (she/her) is a first-generation, Afro-Canadian, multidisciplinary artist, educator, and arts administrator based in Kingston, Ontario. With a background in dance, photography, performance, and storytelling, her work explores the intersections of movement, identity, and environment.

Shanique’s exploratory essence led her to become a self-taught dancer. Since then, she has explored and become versed in Hip-Hop, Freestyle, Dancehall, Afro Fusion, Modern, and Urban Contemporary styles.

Rooted in collaboration and inspired by community, Shanique blends artistic disciplines to craft stories that reflect shared experiences and collective memory. Through vibrant compositions, she seeks to foster connection and evoke emotion.

Beyond performance, she is actively involved in creative projects across theatre, education, film and arts administration, continuing to build spaces where art, culture, and community meet.

PERFORMER

Savannah Shea is a Kingston based musician, visual artist and creator. She has a Bachelor of Music from Humber College in Vocal Performance and works as a performer and vocal teacher in Kingston and the surrounding area. Savannah enjoys collaborating across mediums with dancers, visual artists, and other community members. Over the years growing up in Kingston, Shea has been involved with Blue Canoe Musical Theatre, Cantabile Choirs, and The Juvenis Festival, and as a performer has appeared at Women’s Art Fest, Kingston Blues Fest, Westport Music Fest, Skeleton Park Arts Festival, MacKinnon Brother’s Back to the Farm Festival, at The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, and much more! In 2023, Savannah was a recipient of a Mayor’s Creator Award for her multidisciplinary contributions to the Kingston Arts Community. Shea has been a part of the Ground UP Dance Festival on the technical side since its inaugural year and is excited to be involved as a performer for the 2025 lineup, alongside festival coordinator Kay Kenney, and her trio mates Anna Sudac and Christina Foster.

PERFORMER

Mazinibi’iige otherwise known as Kaiya Mongrain is an Anishinaabe multimedia artist specializing in digital illustrations and acrylic paintings. She comes from a remote reserve where a lot of her art is inspired by the beauty of the traditional homelands of the Teme-Augama Anishnabai. Her artwork takes a lot of inspiration from the natural world and her inspirations as a contemporary Fancy Shawl Dancer who has been dancing in Pow Wow for over ten years.

PERFORMER

Melissa Noventa (she/her) is a dance artist, educator, and cultural researcher (PhD Candidate, Cultural Studies, Queen’s University) based in Kingston and Toronto.

Dancing since the age of 4, her dance practice moves across a wide range of forms, with a deep focus on Cuban folkloric and popular traditions. This foundation places her art at the intersection of movement, research, and community, shaping a practice that connects embodied learning with lived cultural exchange. Her work is guided by how movement carries memory, builds cross-cultural connection, and circulates through communities across place and time.

Her work travels between studios and stages across North America, Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean. She has performed with Cuba’s Raíces Profundas, stepped into shared stages with Los Van Van and Alexander Abreu, worked with NYU Tisch, appeared at Scotiabank Arena for a Toronto Raptors halftime show, travelled to Nigeria to dance Afro-Soca with Team Canada, performed alongside Grammy award winning band Arcade Fire. Most recently, she toured internationally with Obeah Opera in South Africa and Barbados.

Offstage, Melissa actively brings dance to community spaces, including guest teaching in local highschools, and through her classes of AfroSalsa, Femme Flow, and Rooted—grounded in rhythm, shared practice, and embodied learning.

Come dance with us and join Melissa for an energetic samba performance and join in audience participation as part of the Ground Up Downtown Canada Day Celebrations!

INSTRUCTOR

Alexei Barois one of the driving forces behind La Vida in Kingston, and the heartbeat of its dance floor. A natural entertainer, instructor, MC, and host, Alexei doesn’t just start the party, he is the party. His infectious energy and dynamic dance style have a way of pulling everyone in and keeping the floor alive all night long.

With formal training in multiple dance styles and a deep appreciation for the culture of movement, Alexei teaches and performs salsa, bachata, cha-cha-cha, rumba, and merengue with both skill and passion. He is a graduate of Physical Culture and Sports from the University of Matanzas in Cuba, a foundation that shapes his approach as the lead instructor of Latin Dance Kingston at La Vida.

Before bringing his talents to Canada, Alexei spent 10 years as a tourist entertainer in Cuba, starring in numerous cabaret shows at the Melia Varadero Hotel. His performances left a lasting impression on guests from around the world, earning him a reputation as a performer who truly connects, captivates, and leaves people wanting more.

PERFORMER

From centre stage to the classroom, Kingston-based dancer, choreographer, and educator Jessica Irwin-Champagne brings precision, creativity, and passion to every performance and learning experience. She has trained extensively in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, musical theatre, cheerleading, modern, and contemporary, competing nationally and internationally and earning many distinctions. She has also completed ADAPT Jazz and Tap examinations, demonstrating technical excellence and versatility.

Jessica holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) in Performance and Choreography from York University, performing in mainstage productions and as a featured member of the York Dance Ensemble. She trained in Cecchetti Ballet and modern techniques including José Limón and Martha Graham, refining her choreography under Julia Sasso.

Professionally, Jessica has performed in numerous live stage events for TDC Entertainment and Sole Power Productions. Since 2017, she has been a performing member of contemporary company Movement Market, appearing in many professional works. She also spent several years portraying a variety of princess characters for a mobile event company.

A qualified educator with a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University, Jessica has over 15 years of experience teaching recreational and competitive dance. She is celebrated for her award-winning choreography, holds certifications including Alexia Flexibility Levels 1–3, has trained through Acro-Demics, and is a member of the Professional Adjudicators Alliance. In her spare time, she currently teaches Grade 3/4 students with the Limestone District School Board.

INSTRUCTOR

Melissa Prince has been dancing since the age of two, making her stage debut as a “Twinkle Toes” ballerina. She trained and competed in various dance styles throughout her childhood and teen years, dancing competitively until she was 18. Before graduating from high school, she earned her BATD teaching certification. Melissa moved to Kingston to study Drama and Film at Queen’s University, where her passion for dance continued to thrive. She taught and choreographed at a local studio and was actively involved in university dance programs and productions, including the Vogue Charity Fashion Show, Movement Market, and The Juvenis Festival. After graduating from Queen's, Melissa has been working locally in the film and production industry.