Dance Creations

Sampradaya

About Us

Dance Creations

Described by the New York Times as 'a dance company of rare vitality', SAMPRADAYA Dance Creations is an award winning Canadian professional dance company specializing in the creation and production of classical and contemporary dance works rooted in the Indian Classical dance form of bharatanatyam. SAMPRADAYA's strength lies in its pursuit of excellence in the creation of a stunning range of solo and ensemble works that are infused with the creativity of Indian dance vocabularies, while inspiring audiences with the its innovative approaches to traditional movement.
SAMPRADAYA Dance Creations’ maintains a strong presence in the Canadian dance scene through its national tours and festival participation. SAMPRADAYA Dance Creations has toured across Canada and internationally to India, the United States, Indonesia and Ireland.

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Programming

PRESENTING SERIES

Launched in the fall of 2012, the Horizon Series is a double-bill performance series dedicated to showcasing talented emerging artists trained in various classical and contemporary South Asian art practices. . Each performance takes place

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

A multi-disciplinary two-year project that involves artists and survivors of sexual violence to engage with South Asian communities to prevent sexual harassment, Dispelling Darkness is supported through the Creative Engagement

ARTIST DEVELOPMENT

DanceIntense Toronto was a three-year project funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, in partnership with Sampad, England and York University. This two-week project held over three summers from 2009 to 2011 was an unprecedented and innovative

Lata Pada, Artistic Director

Dancer, Choreographer, Teacher & Cultural Consultant, Lata Pada is recognized as one of Canada’s leading artists and arts advocates. An award-winning artist, she holds the distinction of being the first South Asian artist to receive the prestigious national honor of the Order of Canada in 2009. In January 2011, she was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman by the President of India. In 2012, she was honored with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her contribution to the community as a Canadian citizen. More recently, Lata was inducted into the 2013 Inaugural Mississauga Legend’s Row as well as being named one of the Most Influential Individuals of the City of Mississauga.

As Artistic Director of SAMPRADAYA Dance Creations, Lata’s choreographic vision is compelled by her desire to redefine bharatanatyam in the ‘here and now’ as it navigates new and uncharted territory resulting in a stunning range of solos, ensemble works and multi-disciplinary productions.

Lata has trained under India’s eminent gurus Kalaimamani Kalyanasundaram and Padmabhushan Kalanidhi Narayanan. Originally from Bangalore, India, she has made Canada her home since 1964. She holds an MFA in Dance from York University and is an Adjunct Professor in their Graduate Program.

“Her clear direction in dance makes her one of the few who can successfully translate a thousand-year-old tradition into 21st century realities “
– Toronto star