Dance Immersion presents 4 Spectacular Showcases at IABD In January

dance Immersion proudly hosts the 24th Annual International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD) Conference and Festival in Toronto on January 26 - 29, 2012. The IABD Conference & Festival has become the convergence of ideas and interaction for the dance community, with a focus on those who serve the black community. This four-day event brings together people from around the world around issues that are relevant to dance within the global dance ecology.

At the heart of the conference and festival are four dance showcases taking place at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Exhibition Place.
Thursday, January 26 at 6PM - Emerging Artists Showcase Presentation
- performances by Baltimore Dane Tech (USA), Caribbean Children's Dance Theatre (Toronto), Cleveland School of the Performing Arts (Ohio), Dallas Black Dance Theatre III (Texas), Duke Ellington Performing Arts School (Washington, D.C.), NGOMA (Toronto), Detroit Children's Group (Michigan), singer Saidah Baba Talibah (Toronto) and more.

Thursday, January 26 at 9PM - Canadian Showcase Presentation
- performances by Ballet Creole (Toronto), Jasmyn Fyffe Dance (Toronto), Ghislaine Doté (Montreal), Nafro Dance Productions (Winnipeg), Shawn Byfield (Toronto), Ronald Taylor Dance (Toronto), Kashedance (Toronto), Michele Moss (Calgary) and more.

Friday, January 27 at 9PM - IABD Members Showcase Presentation
- performances by Zelma Badu Azaguno (Ohio), Germaul Barnes (New York), Robert Solomon (Germany/Canada), UNLV (Las Vegas, Nevada), Dallas Black Dance Theatre II (Texas), Howard University Dance Ensemble (Washington, D.C.) and more.

Saturday, January 28 at 8PM - International Showcase Presentation
- performances by Alvin Ailey - (New York City), Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble (Denver, Colorado), Compagnie Danse NYATA NYATA (Montreal), Danza Corpus (Cuba), Desert Crossing (UK), Dallas Black Dance Theatre (Texas), Lula Washington Dance Theatre (Los Angeles, California), Philadelphia Dance Company (Philadanco) (Pennsylvania), National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica (NDTC) (Jamaica), bwsene !nmotion - Bernadette Walong (Australia), Salia ni Seydou (France/Ivory Coast), Muntu Dance Theatre (Chicago, Illinois) and more.

The conference and festival provides opportunities for audiences to network and share in an international arena of dance professionals through dance classes, panel discussions and auditions for international companies.

The Queen Elizabeth Theatre also plays host to "Motion", an exhibit of dance posters curated and remounted by renowned photographer Michael Chambers that celebrates the artistry of movement and reflects on the influence of blacks in dance and the impact their motion has made on Canadian art.

For tickets to the Showcase Presentations ($50 / $35 Student/Senior/CADA/IABD), contact the Arts Box Office at 416-504-7529 or visit danceimmersion.ca where full information on the IABD Conference can also be found.