Aga Khan Museum Invites Visitors to Experience World Rhythms

New Season of Performing Arts Offers Free Outdoor Dance Workshops and Live Music

Toronto, May 31, 2017 — The Aga Khan Museum is proud to offer a family-friendly season of free, open-air, international music and dance performances, as well as interactive dance workshops, all featuring local artists expressing their global heritage, and all on the Museum grounds.

“We’re showcasing world-class Canadian dancers and musicians who carry experiences from multiple geographies. It reminds us that our communities consist of many artistic traditions and this diversity is vital to the development of a robust cultural life,” says Henry Kim, Aga Khan Museum Director and CEO.

Programming for the 2017 summer performing arts season is replete with dynamic world dance, modern and traditional choreography, and workshops that take the experience of live performances to a new level. The Museum grounds are a springboard for creativity as the boundary between performer and audience blurs; dancers demonstrate and encourage spectators to participate.

All events are free. Program highlights include:

Workshops

• On June 9, musicians, singers, and dancers from the Toronto-based ensemble Nhapitapi conduct a workshop on ancestral dances from three regions of Zimbabwe.
• On June 23, two-time world-champion hoop dancer Lisa Odjig performs and teaches several styles of powwow dance while accompanied by singers and drummers from Turtle Island.
• On July 8, Toronto-based choreographer Puja Amin and Sanskriti Arts dancers and musicians teach audiences Garba Haalo Re.
• On July 14 (announced earlier as June 17), Sanskriti Arts teaches Chak de Bhangra.

Live Musical Performances

• On July 22, Toronto-based band The Arsenals perform Jamaican ska and reggae.
• On August 19, singer Njacko Backo leads Kalimbas at Work, a quartet of musicians playing African melodies on the thumb piano, African harp, fiddle, and accordion.

“Our culturally diverse summer programming reflects the wide range of dance and music styles that Canada has to offer,” says Amirali Alibhai, Head of Performing Arts. “Our outdoor spaces will become a place to embrace familiar rhythms and explore new ones.”

The Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, Canada, has been established and developed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). The Museum’s mission is to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the contribution that Muslim civilizations have made to world heritage while often reflecting, through both its permanent and temporary exhibitions, how cultures connect with one another. Designed by architect Fumihiko Maki, the Museum shares a 6.8-hectare site with Toronto’s Ismaili Centre, which was designed by architect Charles Correa. The surrounding landscaped park was designed by landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic.