The art of
Aeris Körper
As a professional dance company, we bring people into their bodies through movement, awareness of sensations and connection to self and others with the aim of fostering resilience, understanding and empathy.
You don’t just watch dance here.
You’ll experience it up close.
You meet artists.
You move.
You transform.
Here&Now is an annual three-day festival of bold and urgent dance performances in Hamilton.
Witness something unfolding in real time and notice what shifts - in the performers, and in yourself.
Call To Filmmakers
short dance films
A new international call for a short dance film series presented as part of the annual Here&Now Dance Festival.
Rooted in choreography that is urgent and responsive to the present moment, Here&Now Dance Festival has become a platform for bold, embodied inquiry in Hamilton and beyond. This year, we introduce our first Dance Film Series - an international call for short dance films that will be presented leading up to the annual festival.
We are seeking works that explore movement that speaks to the present moment. Films that feel necessary, intimate, radical, tender, experimental. Works that translate choreographic thinking to the screen in ways the could not exist on stage alone.
Submission deadline: March 20th 12pm
Meet the Team
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Artistic Director
Mayumi (she/her) is a Japanese Canadian settler who seeks to expose, challenge, and rectify systems of oppression by creating innovative, introspective and inclusive dance theatre. She sees embodiment as at the crux of world making, providing alternatives to unconscious thought and oppression. Her primary practices span performance, choreography, production and education. Mayumi graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University’s Theatre Performance Dance program, on the Dean’s list. Mayumi is the Artistic Director of Hamilton based Aeris Körper, which has just been awarded a 2024 Creators Award in the Hamilton Arts Award. She is a mentee in Butoh and composition with renowned Japanese Canadian dance theatre artist Denise Fujiwara, as well as a company member of Fujiwara Dance Inventions. Her training in Butoh has revealed ways of creating formless dance that negates the dance step and instead exposes our humanity in movement. She is the Curator for Hamilton Arts Council’s hArt Dance Film Series, Curator and Creative Producer for Kaeja d’Dance’s Porch View Dances, and Creative Producer of dance made in canada’s The ‘D’ Word Podcast. She has choreographed for Dusk Dances, Guelph Dance, CanAsian Dance and produced a bi-city presentation of her work Enemy Lines.
Photo by Daniel Neuhaus
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Here&Now Festival Producer
Alten Wilmot (they/he) is a choreographer, playwright, performer, and producer. Founder and Artistic Director of Unwrap Theatre, they have produced over 50 original works and have developed programs, productions, and mentorship opportunities for over 200 artists. They are passionate about working directly with audiences from vast demographics, including seniors, young people, and underrepresented groups. They value meaningful community connections, virtuosity, comedy, stirring creativity, and finding meaning in the unresolved. Alten has been recognized with awards from Buddies in Bad Times, ArtworxTO, and the Waterloo Region Arts Awards, and has worked in residency with institutions like the National Ballet of Canada, Project Humanity, and MT Space. Their work has been presented by companies like the CBC, Harbourfront Centre, Guelph Dance, and more.
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Artistic Associate
LOR (she/they) is an interdisciplinary artist whose work bridges film, performance, curation and facilitation, fostering connections through creativity, authenticity and care. Her recent productions in Ontario include a film with hArts Dance Film Series and a performance with In The Soil Festival. As a facilitator and space holder, LOR weaves ritual, fundamental movement, somatic practices and free-form dance to inspire self-exploration and community care. With training from GOODBODYFEEL, The 360 Emergence, Somatic Soul Coach School and Downward Dog Yoga Centre, her offerings are rooted in trauma awareness and designed to empower individuals—especially those from marginalized communities—to access their inherent wisdom and creativity. LOR’s approach nurtures curiosity, connection and compassion, while fostering a trusting relationship with the mind, body and soul. Through embodied practices, she invites participants to explore their unique potential and contribute to collective healing and transformation.
Photo by Katie Rawn
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Artistic Associate
Skye (she/her) is a dance and theatre artist based in Attiwandaronia (Hamilton, Ontario), dearly devoted to making spaces for people to feel at home. Skye is the co-Artistic Director of retrograde: dance in motion and Tapestry Theatre Collective, and is an Artistic Associate with Aeris Körper Contemporary Dance. She is an alumni of the RBC Apprentice Program with Musical Stage Co. (Choreographer, 2023-24), Brock University (Arts & Culture, 2022) and Randolph College for the Performing Arts (Triple Threat, 2019). Skye’s creative process is collaborative, embodied, and wholehearted. Her practice spans choreography, workshop facilitation, devised theatre creation, and performance. Alongside many self-produced projects, she has worked creatively with The City of St. Catharines, The City of Hamilton, Ontario Culture Days, Suitcase in Point, Frog in Hand, Stand Up Dance, Expect Theatre, shykids, Spindle Collective and Riot King, among others. You can explore more of Skye’s range of work at www.skylightcollection.com.
Photo by Jonah Atkins
Thank You
We’re excited to announce that we are recipient of a 2024 Creator Award by at the Hamilton Arts Award! Congratulations to all the nominees; we celebrate the incredible talent our city holds.
Thank you so much for this incredible honor. Reflecting on 10 years of dancing, choreographing, and performing in this vibrant city is truly amazing. Your support has been a beacon of encouragement and inspiration.
To the individuals, organizations, the City of Hamilton Enrichment Fund, and the patrons who have backed Aeris Korper over the years—you are the wind beneath our wings. To our family and friends, your unwavering support has given us momentum to keep pursuing our dance dreams. To our board and collaborators, you are the binding force within our small but mighty organization.
Now more than ever, we recognize that art and dance are not luxuries but essential contributors to our physical and mental well-being. Empowering ourselves through movement and physical expression allows us to fully experience the magnitude of our aliveness.
Your support has not only allowed us to create and perform but has also empowered us to foster spaces where embodiment contributes to our collective well-being. It is Aeris Korper’s honour to be one of the organizations championing the importance of dance for Hamiltonians.
