Naomi Brand (she/her)
Co-Founder & Artistic Director
Originally from Tkaronto (Toronto), Naomi spent ten years dancing on Treaty 7 territory (Calgary), before relocating to the unceded territories of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil- Waututh), and xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) people in 2013.
She holds both a BA and an MFA from the University of Calgary and a DanceAbility teaching certificate from founder Alito Alessi. As a performer, choreographer, writer, and facilitator Naomi has cultivated a unique artistic practice that spans work with professional dancers to a community-engaged practice with diverse populations. She has danced in the works of many Canadian choreographers and her own choreography which ranges from works as a soloist, to large ensemble pieces have been featured in numerous venues and festivals across Canada as well as in Poland, Italy, Uruguay, and Croatia. In recent years, her practice has been focused on values of access and inclusion as she strives to make dance within a context that both creates and speaks to community connection. In addition to her role as Co-Founder / Artistic Director of All Bodies Dance Project, Naomi is also a Community Arts Programmer with the Vancouver Park Board, a faculty member at Langara College and most importantly, a mother. Naomi is the recipient of numerous grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, BC Art Council, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada, as well as the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award.
Email: director@allbodiesdance.ca
