Black in Canada 2025
With Ty the Poetess & Guests
February 28, 2025 / Orillia Opera House
Presented by :
Bringing the Arts to Life
Our Impact
• Engage Youth through workshops, camps, and school programs.
• Support Artists by offering spaces and resources for creativity.
• Promote Inclusion by ensuring arts access for everyone.
• Promote critically acclaimed cultural events that would otherwise not be seen in our region.
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Thank you
Arts Orillia is thrilled to partner with Orillia & Area Black Community Association. Both organizations would like to thank The City of Orillia's Recreation, Youth, and Culture Department for their support for this evening's performance.
We generously acknowledge the support from the following:
Our Vision
To be the driving force behind a united and empowered Orillia and Area Black Community. We aspire to create a model community that champions diversity, breaks down barriers, and sets the standard for inclusive excellence.
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Our mission
To empower individuals within the Orillia and Area Black Community, fostering unity and transformation through education, advocacy, and collaborative initiatives.
Biographies
Act 1
Tyneisha Thomas
Tyneisha Thomas, known by her artist name Ty the Poetess, is a talented author, performer, mother, community leader, teacher, and event curator. Born in Toronto, she currently lives in Barrie, Ontario. In 2022, Ty was honoured by being named Poet Laureate, making her Barrie's fourth "People's Poet." She uses this prestigious role to highlight local artists, advocate for mental health, and promote kindness and equality. Through her work with youth in schools and libraries across Simcoe County, Ty teaches the therapeutic benefits of creativity, especially through poetry. She is the author of *Bearing Fruit*, a poetry collection focused on pregnancy, and the curator of *Rap is Poetry!* Ty has introduced many people to the healing power of poetry and literature and encourages everyone to “write through what they grow through.”
Roxann Whittingham
Roxann Whittingham is a dedicated Child and Youth Practitioner, and advocate for education and community empowerment. A Georgian College graduate with honors, she served as VP of Community Engagement, working to foster diversity and inclusion in Orillia. She is a proud member of the Orillia and Area Black Community Association and recently served as MC for their 2024 Diversity Gala.
With over a decade of teaching experience in Jamaica, Roxann has dedicated her Canadian career to supporting marginalized youth, particularly those with disabilities and mental health challenges. She is the founder of the Black Education Empowerment Fund (B.E.E.F.), providing scholarships for Black students at Georgian College.
An entrepreneur and published author, Roxann uses proceeds from her business ventures, including, Ms. Hotty Hotty Jamaican Jerk Marinade, to fund scholarships. Her contributions to education have earned her the Simcoe County Newcomer’s Education Award and the SEMBA Award.
Currently, she works as a Graduation Coach for Black Students with the Simcoe County District School Board, advocating for student success and expanding opportunities for marginalized youth. A wife and mother, Roxann continues to lead with passion, ensuring her community thrives.
Act 2
Artists in Motion
Artists in Motion is a multidisciplinary dance company established in 2008 by Shameka Blake. AIM is a Black Led, Black Focus and Black Serving dance company that creates works to motivate present and future generations to use their voices to shed light on the issue of social justice and the perspective on Black Culture. AIM also focuses on the reality of a career path in the artistic industry and the importance of representation and keeping balance with artistic endeavours.
Shameka Blake
“In my artistic practice, I am committed to shedding light on issues of social justice, as they relate to culture, gender and ethnicity. I intend to deconstruct racial stereotypes and increase awareness on the diversity of expression that can exist within any cultural group. My works include raising awareness of how learned prejudices and unconscious biases play out in our daily lives.”
Shameka Blake, was born in Manchester, Jamaica, and immigrated to Canada at the age of ten. She developed a passion for dance at age three, and in 2007 Shameka, pursued dance professionally. Her training in a variety of dance genres, including jazz, ballet and contemporary, helped her to develop her craft as a dancer/choreographer. Since establishing her professional dance company Artists in Motion in 2008, Shameka, through her choreography, has made a strong imprint on the Toronto urban and commercial dance communities.
Shameka’s career began in the commercial dance field but has now evolved as she has found a new voice in the dance/theatre world. To date, she has six productions. Her most recent full length production "Earth" was commissioned by Uptown Moves, a double bill feature alongside world-renowned Zab Maboungou/Compagnie Danse Nyata Nyata. “Earth” premiered at the Meridian Arts Centre November 2019. In the previous year, Shameka was commissioned by Dance Ontario to present at DanceWeekend’18 and most recently for Dance Ontario ONWARDS where she premiered her first short film “No Justice, No Peace!” In February Shameka remounted her production “Ashes'' which takes a critical view of the history of the Peoples of the African Diaspora by examining their struggles, and celebrate their victories through an exploration of the “Black Experience.” Shameka was recently commissioned by Dusk Dances to be a part of their summer festival as well as by Lua Shayann Co. for the Yensa Festival, celebrating Black Women in dance.
Shameka’s work has earned her the 2015 Black Canadian Award for Best Urban Dance Act and has been featured at the Association for the Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) Convention in New York City and the BNL (Basketball National League) in South Africa, in addition to local Toronto festivals; Toronto Fringe, Pride Toronto and TIFF. She has also had the pleasure to co-choreograph for the Victory Celebration of the 2015 Pan Am Games honouring Canadian and International athletes.
Marquisha Sparkes-Whonder
Marquisha Sparkes-Whonder was born to entertain. Discovering her passion for dance in High School at the age of 17 when she curated and performed in her own annual talent show/fundraiser and established the schools hip-hop dance team. Being self-taught with no prior training she was accepted into the Fine arts dance program at York University where she studied ballet and contemporary modern dance styles such as limón and graham technique. There she was recruited into the Dark Dance Company where she trained and performed in various street styles and contemporary dance. Eventually branching out to advance her skills and work with a variety of professional companies including Artist in Motion, Urbanesque and Duality Entertainment. Now, you can find her on the tv screen dancing and acting in motion pictures for Disney, Netflix, and lifetime television films such as Work it, Sneakerella, Salt and Pepper, Grand Army, 13 the Musical and in short films like Tweetations and Revolution of Love. Her career has steered her to travel internationally and work with artist like Sean Paul and Keri Hilson and choreographers like Shameka Blake, Hollywood Jade, Tanisha Scott, Aljamaal Jones, Ebony Williams, Aakomon Jones, Christain Vincent, Amanda May-Wilson and more. She’s always felt gratification through exploring diverse personas, especially hip-hop, jazz-funk, afro-fusion, and heels choreography. Marquisha aspires to explore dance to the fullest and to inspire others to appreciate its value.
Onija Bennett
At the age of 17 Onija’s love and appreciation for the arts began to bloom into a passion for dance. With no prior dance experience he started educating himself by watching videos from youtube and his friends dancing. His love for dance and the arts grew and he moved to Toronto to pursue a career in dance. After dancing for a year Onija was convinced that this was the path he wanted to follow and he began to explore the opportunities of the dance community in Toronto, which eventually brought him to DARK dance company where he joined both the hip-hop company headed by Lineen Doung and the Contemporary company headed by Allison Bradley. Now at twenty three years old, Onija has had time to grow and develop as an industry professional which has in turn provided him many opportunities to share and express his artistry these include production titles such as Akoma, Ashes, Child Soldier, Iceberg Principle as-well a many community performances such as Choreographers Ball, Fever After Dark, Industry Night, Bazzar and others. As a current member of AIM (Artists in Motion) dance company directed by Shameka Blake. Onija has been fortunate enough to have had opportunities to expand on his artistry and has had the pleasure of learning from some of Toronto’s best dancers and Choreographers; e.g Shameka Blake, Allison Bradely, Leon Blackwood, Hollywood Jade, Lineen Doung , Chris Clarke, Esie Mensah, Siona Jackson and many more. With a strive and ambition for Performance Onija trains to continue to widen his scope of the arts to become a more versatile performer, while cultivating his own unique style of dance by blending elements and techniques from his favourite styles. He would like to eventually start his own company to help train the next generation of artists.
Diane Jean-Louis
Diane Jean-Louis was born in Haiti and raised in the US and Canada. She is very passionate about the arts and she knew from a very young age that it is something she wanted to pursue. At the age of 16 Diane decided to submerge herself in the art form that is dance and since then she has never looked back. In 2018, at the age of 18, Diane moved to Toronto to pursue her acting career and then began exploring the opportunities within the Toronto dance scene. Diane started her Toronto training at Dark Dance Company taking Hiphop lead by Lineen Doung and contemporary lead by Allison Bradley. Now at twenty five years old, Diane has had the time to develop into an industry professional which has given her many opportunities to share her passion. Diane has been fortunate enough to have opportunities to learn from Toronto’s best Dancers and Choreographers; e.g. Shameka Blake, Allison Bradley, Chris Clarke, Amanda-May Wilson, Esie Mensah and many more. As a current member of AIM (Artist In Motion) Dance Company directed by Shameka Blake, Diane is thrilled to see where this chapter of her dance journey will take her, and is looking forward to continuing performing and growing in multiple elements and styles, into the versatile artist she knows she is. Diane would one day like to fuse all her favourite styles and everything she has learned in her dance career and create a unique style in hopes to teach and inspire the younger generation of dancers.
Kayla-Renée Wilson
Kayla-Renée Wilson is a dance artist born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. Greg and Charlene Anthony-Hines, two original Do Dat Entertainment Company members, sought her. And at seven years old, she began training at their all-hip hop dance school, DOAHL Dance Academy. There, she received mentorship in choreography and freestyling, fuelling her love for hip-hop culture and street dance. When accepted into the Arts Unionville Program at Unionville High School, Kayla-Renée began expanding her dance knowledge in modern jazz. Performing as a dancer in musicals such as Crazy for You and Bells are Ringing. As of 2022, Kayla-Renée began her battle journey, taking on a victory in October at From the Ground Up All-Styles Battle in her hometown. Kayla-Renée is currently a member of Footnotes Academy, run by Andrew “Pyro” Chung and Mariano “Glizzi” Abarca; Artists in Motion Dance Company, run by Shameka Blake and WeKnoFlo Crew. Today, she continues developing her skill sets as a hip-hop dance artist while training in contemporary, jazz, popping, locking, breaking and house dance. All of which fuels her love for dance, pushing her to be a better artist.
