Choreographer Reequal Smith on Caribbean Flamingo, blending Afro-Caribbean dance with advocacy, resilience, and building Oshun Dance Studios in PEI.
In this episode of Afropolitan Dialogues, we sit down with Reequal Smith, a Bahamian-born, PEI-based choreographer and founder of Oshun Dance Studios. Her latest work, Caribbean Flamingo, recently featured at dance: made in canada / fait au canada Festival 2025, fuses Afro-Contemporary, jazz, and Caribbean folk traditions. Inspired by The Bahamas’ national bird, nearly driven to extinction, the piece embodies resilience, cultural reclamation, and rebirth. Beyond her choreography, Smith is a cultural leader, community advocate, and recipient of the 2025 Kerri Wynne MacLeod Women of Impact Award and the Diane Moore Creation Award. This conversation explores her artistic journey, her role in uplifting Black artists in Atlantic Canada, and her vision for Caribbean dance on global stages.
Conversation highlights
- Origins and evolution of Caribbean Flamingo from its Halifax debut to Toronto’s DMC festival.
- The symbolic connection between the Caribbean flamingo’s survival and diasporic resilience.
- Creating a unique fusion language of Afro-Contemporary, jazz, and Caribbean folk.
- Founding PEI’s first Black performance company, Oshun Dance Studios.
- Navigating challenges of creating in PEI and building networks across the Maritimes.
- Balancing artistry, community advocacy, and leadership roles in Black cultural organizations.
- Recognition through major awards and what they mean to her as a Black queer woman.
- Advice for emerging dancers far from “dance capitals” like New York or Toronto.
- What’s next: grants supporting artist care, new collaborations, and expanding her reach.
Topics covered
- Caribbean Flamingo: inspiration and symbolism
- The evolution of the piece
- Afro-Contemporary and jazz-Caribbean fusion
- Building Oshun Dance Studios
- Creating and belonging in PEI
- Choreographing for different spaces: outdoor vs. stage
- Community advocacy and leadership roles
- Awards and recognition in 2025
- Mentorship and advice for emerging dancers
- Future projects and goals
Selected timestamped quotes
On inspiration from the flamingo
[00:02:27]: “The flamingo is our national bird… at one point it almost became extinct. For me, that connected to our ancestry—Black Caribbean culture being taken, almost erased, but always finding our way back.”
On the evolution of Caribbean Flamingo
[00:05:28]: “Over time, as I sat back and watched, I saw where the story really came alive. Now it’s less about nerves, more about embodying the flamingo’s resilience.”
On her movement fusion
[00:07:31]: “I realized my movement is naturally Afro-Contemporary—rooted in my culture, yet infused with jazz and contemporary influences I embraced in Canada.”
On creating in PEI
[00:10:54]: “If we don’t see ourselves in these spaces, we have to create our own. Even though I live here, my mindset and my goals are not just here.”
On Oshun Dance Studios
[00:13:56]: “Oshun connects to my beliefs and culture—uplifting women of colour to channel their inner sensuality and embrace it through performance.”
On advocacy and balance
[00:20:52]: “Balance is the word of the year… being an entrepreneur, a freelance artist, and also working with the Black Cultural Society means I live by my schedule.”
On mentorship
[00:26:27]: “Don’t limit yourself. Plan, execute, network. Always ask questions. There are people willing to help if you’re brave enough to reach out.”
On receiving awards
[00:29:45]: “I didn’t expect it at all. Sometimes I ask if I’m doing enough. These awards remind me others are proud of my work and see the change it’s making.”
About Reequal Smith
Reequal Smith is a multidisciplinary choreographer, performer, and cultural advocate from The Bahamas, now based in Prince Edward Island. Founder and Artistic Director of Oshun Dance Studios, she bridges Caribbean movement traditions with contemporary and jazz influences. She has performed and choreographed across theatre, film, and festivals, including Coastal Currents, Carte Blanche, and River Clyde Pageant. Beyond her artistic practice, she is Program & Events Coordinator for the Black Cultural Society of PEI, Administrator for the Canadian Women of Colour Leadership Network, and holds board positions with the Island Fringe Festival, Fusion Charlottetown, and Kinetic Studio in Halifax.
About the project
Caribbean Flamingo is a dance work inspired by The Bahamas’ national bird, the flamingo. Drawing from the bird’s survival story, the piece explores resilience, cultural reclamation, and rebirth through a fusion of Afro-Contemporary, jazz, and Caribbean folk movement. It premiered at Coastal Currents 2024 in Halifax and was presented in August 2025 at dance: made in canada / fait au canada Festival in Toronto.
Where to find Reequal on social media
- Oshun Dance Studios Instagram: @oshunsdance
