Artistic Director
Mayumi Lashbrook (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.

+ David Hudson

Chair
David Hudson (he/him) has been performing, creating and appreciating contemporary dance for over twenty years. Born and raised in Oxford, UK, David trained at The Laban Centre in London. David has enjoyed a diverse career as a performer, choreographer, and lecturer in dance and movement. Now living in downtown Hamilton with his husband and two dogs, David is the current Artistic Director for Hamilton Arts Council.

+ Priyanka Tope

Treasurer
Priyanka Tope (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist who has studied Indian dance and music her whole life. She currently studies and performs dance within the repertoire of Kathak and trains in Hindustani vocal music. Priyanka is also an emerging choreographer who seeks to create work that speaks to her experiences as a North American, while staying rooted to the Kathak artform. Priyanka enjoys baking and cooking with her family, taking long walks with her dog and traveling.

+ Anne Prat-Kalonji

Board Member

Anne (she/her) is currently a French teacher in a Montessori school. She’s been an amateur dancer since childhood and has explored many genres. She participated in the Aeris Korper’s project Collapsing the night as well as many of their workshops throughout the years. Anne is also an occasional storyteller sharing tales of a biracial and multicultural upbringing. She’s currently dancing in the adult competitive program of Defining Movement Dance studio, a street dance focused studio in Hamilton.

+ Rebekka M. Gondosch

Secretary
Rebekka M. Gondosch (they/she) is a theatre maker, writer, and arts educator living in Hamilton. They are a proud graduate of Trinity College Dublin’s M.Phil. in Theatre and Performance program. Some of their favourite work to engage in is devised theatre, Irish theatre, physical theatre, site-specific theatre, and queer performance. Rebekka coordinates and co-leads the Spark Teen Performance Intensive through the Hamilton Festival Theatre Company and has had the honour of teaching amazing high school students for over seven years. Rebekka currently teaches at Glendale Secondary School in the arts based program. Learn more at www.rebekkagondosch.com and @theatre_is_wilde.

+ Laureen Flanagan

Board Member
Laureen (she/her) is currently a Dance/Theatre teacher with the Waterloo Catholic District School Board where she has developed a thriving Dance program. Previously, she trained with the National Ballet School, Les Ballet Jazz Toronto and the Black Walnut Ballet Company. She has been an active member of the Dance community in Kitchener-Waterloo as a local Ballet Director for 25 years. Laureen is a passionate advocator for Arts Education and continues to promote the benefits of dance. She teaches that “dancers make passion visible”. In a society where everything is transferred digitally, the human quality of dance has never been more imperative.