Workshop Leader - Choreography - Indigenous Performance
Nation: Kahnyen’kehàka - Six Nations of the Grand River Territory
Tekaronhiáhkhwa Santee Smith is a multi-disciplinary artist, producer and director. She is an international leader in Indigenous performance.
At the age of two Santee was already creating dances. Even after suffering an injury that left her with two broken legs, she went on to complete six years of formal dance training at Canada’s National Ballet School. After leaving the ballet world, Santee went onto post-secondary education completing Physical Education and Psychology degrees from McMaster University and a Master of Arts in Dance from York University.
While she was working on her Masters she also produced her first choreographic work entitled Kaha:wi, based on her family creation story. In 2005, Santee Smith founded Kaha:wi Dance Theatre as a vehicle for her artistry, which she grew into an internationally renowned company that shares it's Indigenous artistic voice globally. Her body of work includes 12 full productions and over 9 short performance works.
Santee appears on numerous television and documentary shows and tours her work around the globe.