Native Earth Performing Arts is proud to present Black Ballerina by Syreeta Hector from May 23-25, 2025, at Aki Studio in Toronto. Based on Syreeta Hector’s Blackness and Indigeneity in relation to her experiences in classical ballet, Black Ballerina is a powerful exploration of the nuances within one’s identity and the unconscious ways that we all try to fit in.
Based on Syreeta Hector’s relationship to race and her experiences in classical ballet, Black Ballerina is a powerful exploration of the nuances within one’s identity and the unconscious ways that we all try to fit in. The 2019 performance of an earlier version of Black Ballerina was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award. Performed by Hector, Black Ballerina brings an unbridled energy to the stage.
May 23-25, 2025 @ Aki Studio
Duration: 45 minutes
Showtimes:
- Friday May 23rd, 2025 7:30pm
- Saturday May 24th, 2025 7:30pm
- Sunday May 25th, 2025 2:00pm
Tickets:
PWYC | $15, $30, $45
At all Native Earth productions, we offer General Admission seating, and this season, we’re providing tickets at three Price Points. We ask that you choose the price point that you can afford, knowing that the higher price points will increase your support for Indigenous Theatre and ensure it stays affordable for those who need it.
www.nativeearth.ca/shows/
Phone: (416) 531-1402
For Indigenous Group rates, email
Buy tickets
More about Black Ballerina
Syreeta has been exploring short versions of Black Ballerina since 2017, gaining recognition at the SummerWorks Festival, and winning the Stratford Festival Lab Award for Research and Creation in 2019, as well as a Dora Mavor Moore Award nomination in 2020.
Alongside its successful live stream during the pandemic, this show has been performed for live theatres in Halifax, St. John’s, and Winnipeg. This past February Black Ballerina embarked on a civic tour in Calgary, Alberta.
"Syreeta Hector challenges the rules and traditions that dancers are expected to follow" - The Globe and Mail
Syreeta Hector is a Mi’kmaq, African-Canadian and French Acadian dance artist based in Toronto, Ontario. While she continues to tour Black Ballerina, Syreeta is developing a new dance theatre work which will be the second chapter in the Black Ballerina series. Syreeta has also been commissioned to make ensemble works for Mocean Dance (Nova Scotia), ProArteDanza (Ontario), and most recently will create a new work for Kittiwake Dance Theatre (Newfoundland). Although performance and creation endeavours remain a priority for Syreeta, she derives an equal measure of inspiration by teaching movement and choreography. She is an Assistant Professor in the Theatre, Dance, and Performance Department at York University.
As a highly accomplished performer, Syreeta has worked for internationally recognized companies like Adelheid Dance Projects, Danny Grossman Dance Company, Peggy Baker Dance Projects, Political Movement, and Toronto Dance Theatre. She is a proud graduate of The National Ballet School’s Teacher Training Program, The School of Toronto Dance Theatre, and has achieved her Master of Arts in Dance Studies from York University.
Black Ballerina is Part 2 of Native Earth’s Niimi’iwe Dance Series, which began with What We Carry by Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo in February 2025.
“In past seasons, we presented Niimi’iwe as a double-bill evening of dance. This season, we chose to expand the offerings so that each of us can hold their own space in our season and honour the individual stories that both contain,” said Joelle Peters, Artistic Director of Native Earth. “Each piece works on its own, but in connecting them in our Niimi’iwe Series, we are inviting audiences to explore the nuances of Indigenous identity stories and highlighting the importance of self-expression in dance.”
Credits:
Creator/Performer: Syreeta Hector
Movement Dramaturg: Seika Boye 2017-2020
Rehearsal Director/ Movement Dramaturg: Dedra McDermott 2020
Production/Lighting: Helin Gungoren, Noah Feaver
Set Design: Elissa Horscroft, Tristan Goethel, Mary Spyrakis (Courtesy of Canadian Stage)
Sound Design: Germaine Liu and Mark Zurawinski
Music: Marie Davidson, Richard Reed Parry, Kendrick Lamar, A Tribe Called Red, Germaine Liu, XRNA, Mark Zurawinski
Costume Alterations: Kleanthi Markakis
Outside Eye/ Film Editor: J. Adam Brown
Partners: Canada Council for the Arts, Toronto Arts Council, RBC Canadian Stage Creators’ in Residence, Creative Residency Program through Workspace Brussel, Kaaitheatre in Belgium, York University
Pt. 2 of the Niimi’iwe Dance Series:
“In past seasons, we presented Niimi’iwe as a double-bill evening of dance. This season, we chose to expand the offerings to each hold their own space in our season, and so that we can honour the individual stories that both contain. Each piece works on its own, but in connecting them in our Niimi’iwe Series, we are inviting audiences to explore the nuances of Indigenous identity stories and highlighting the importance of self-expression in dance. It’s extra special for us too, as audiences will experience the first full, live runs of these shows in t’karonto at our Aki Studio.”
— Joelle Peters (Artistic Director)
