Gorge Michael - Festival Leader
Gorge (he/him), is a treaty partner on Treaty 13 Tkaronto.
He is a queer trans dancer, writer and dance educator devoted to decolonized art making. Arwyn holds an MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and a BEd from University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute Studies in Education, and he taught in the Elementary division for the Toronto District School Board for 15 years, winning awards for Excellence in Elementary Education and Arts Teacher of the Year, 2017. Arwyn is a skilled dance educator with experiences accumulated over 25 years at the former Canadian Children’s Dance Theatre, York University and Canada’s National Ballet School.
Arwyn studied for a year with the wisdom keepers of Kapapamahchakwew - Wandering Spirit School.
Together with Carol Anderson, Arwyn founded the Flight Festival in 2021. He is an artist member of the Department of Illumination and the Prince Edward County Arts Artist Advisory Committee.
Creative Co-Founders
Sophie Dow
Winnipeg-born Sophie Dow is a multidisciplinary artist inspired by dance, music, collaboration and her Métis-Assiniboine and settler roots. An avid adventurer, Sophie has a passion for busking, yoga and traveling on top of holding a degree in Dance Performance and Choreography from York University.
Carol Anderson
Carol Anderson has enjoyed a long and diverse career as a dance artist – her performance, creation, teaching and writing activities span fifty years. She started her performing career in 1970 with Canadian pioneer Judy Jarvis’ first dance-theatre company.
Kristen Foote
Originally from Toronto, Canada, NYC-based dancer, performer, teacher, Limón reconstructor, and coach, Kristen Foote joined the Limón Dance Company in 2000 - where she was a principal dancer until 2017 - and Dance Heginbotham in 2011, with whom she still performs.