Alida Esmail (Liquid Lead Dancing)

Dance

Contact Info

Email address

alidaesmail@gmail.com

Website address

www.liquidleading.com

Where Artist lives

Montreal

Resides in

English Montreal

Social Media

Experience working with

Cycle 3 Elementary
Secondary 1 & 2
Secondary 3 & 4
Secondary 5
CEGEP
Senior Citizens

Lifelong Learners

Adult Learners

I regularly explore the following Broad Areas of Learning/Themes in my work

Citizenship and Community Life (Identity & Belonging)

Listed in the Quebec Culture in the Schools Repertoire

I can facilitate virtual creative experiences

School board areas you are available to work in

Central Quebec - Quebec City & Environs
Central Quebec - Rural/Regional Schools
Cree School Board
Eastern Shores - Gaspe/Coast
Eastern Shores - Lower St. Lawrence
Eastern Shores - Magdalen Islands
Eastern Townships
English Montreal
Kativik School Board
Lester B Pearson - outside Montreal transportation areas (STM)
Lester B Pearson - within public transit area
Littoral - Lower North Shore
New Frontiers - Chateauguay
New Frontiers - Chateauguay Valley
Riverside
Sir Wilfrid Laurier – Lanaudiere
Sir Wilfrid Laurier – Laval
Western Quebec - Northern area
Western Quebec - Southern area (Hull, Wakefield etc)

Travel

I am available for travel within the same day
I am available for travel overnight
An extended residency is an option

As professional dancers with a combined 50+ yrs of experience, Trevor, Jeff, and I became concerned with the way partner dancing was perpetuating gender and cultural stereotypes rooted in antiquated paradigms. After experimenting with different roles on the dance floor, we took to the TED stage in 2015 to share Liquid Lead Dancing, a reimagined system of partner dancing that removes gender from the equation. We continue to develop the practice and share it with the world!

Creative Approach and Experiences Offered

Liquid Lead creates spaces where individuals of all genders can feel empowered, included, and free to express themselves fully by re-examining the lead/follow relationship dynamics in partner dancing. Educational settings, regardless of their dance-specific nature or not, are the place to open discussion and reflection on topics of high relevance and interest in society at large (such as, critically analyzing gender biases, consent, toxic masculinity, touch), whilst encouraging new perspectives to join the table. We use Liquid Lead as an example to get the juices flowing. We offer a mix of motivational talks, dance demonstrations, interactive dance workshops, and facilitated discussions. All activities can be tailored for different groups and adapted for dancers of all levels (beginner, intermediate, advanced).