A new and unique concert bursting with a cultural soundclash of bhangra dancers and traditional orchestral musicians is coming to Toronto this spring.
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is hosting Bhangra and Beyond as part of its Young Peoples’ Concerts series, meant to introduce young people and children to orchestral music.
The entire production is conducted by Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser – host of CBC’s “Centrestage” and the first-ever Black conductor of the National Arts Centre Organization.
Bartholomew-Poyser has worked alongside Jewelle Blackman, World Pride, and the Economic Club of Canada. He’s known for combining his own Jamaican culture with other world styles, so it’s no surprise that a collaboration with the South Asian community is happening.
“Many people from the Indian sub-continent have made their home in the GTA. Bhangra & Beyond is a concert that celebrates all the unique ways those cultures have fused music and dance together,” the TSO website reads.
Almost half of the show will have Maritime Bhangra and Sanskriti Arts dancers moving to the music on stage, according to TSO.
After going viral on social media for combining dance with social activism, Maritime Bhangra was featured in the CBC documentary “Behind the Bhangra Boys” in 2019. Since then, they’ve done advocacy campaigns all over Canada with Seva Food Bank, TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, Autism Nova Scotia, and Hockey Canada.
“Bhangra (dance) is the hidden language of the soul, we dance when our soul is happy,” the team shared on social media.
Sanskriti Arts has worked with both youth and adults to deliver a range of South Asian style dance classes, such as Kathak and Bollywood. Founder Puja Amin created the slogan behind the company: “Empower Through Movement.”
“Dance dissolves boundaries, it is a universal language we can all speak,” she posted on social media.
Maritime Bhangra and Sanskriti Arts will be teaching mini choreography workshops before their performances.
TSO began the Young Peoples’ Performances to educate young people about classical music in a fun way.
“The TSO occupies a special role in the community, it exists to connect with others through shared musical experiences—and a core part of that involves kindling a passion for orchestral music in the next generation,” Bartholomew-Poyser said in a statement.
Repeated exposure to music can improve brain cognition and memory, especially when positive associations are made with musical experiences, according to Alzheimer researchers at the University of Toronto.
Bhangra and Beyond costs $9 a ticket and they will be hosting school concerts for Grades 4-8 from Tuesday Apr. 9 to Friday Apr. 12 at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto.
On Apr. 14, there are performances at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. The relaxed performance will occur at 11 a.m., which is intended for audiences with specific accommodations and disabilities.
