Kuumba Artist Feature: Kevin A. Ormsby
Harbourfront Centre’s Kuumba festival is spotlighting a different Black artist each day of February. Today we’re sharing the story of Kevin A. Ormsby.
As a dancer, Kevin Ormsby has been described as having a magical quality to his movements. He is a firm believer that art, as well as dance, is meant to confront the emotions and feelings of society, and to challenge society’s perceptions and expectations. Dance is a political statement for him, one which can sometimes comment on history. History is a major theme within Kevin’s work, which takes inspiration from the African diaspora and the creative potential it embodies. He’s known for creating work that, with great nuance, explores how performance is rooted in the cultural memory of Caribbean peoples, whether in Canada or abroad. He ensures that every piece he creates is informed by extensive research into cultural and historical practices, drawing from communities that move him. He takes care, though, to avoid being repetitive. With each performance, he tries to accomplish something new, exploring different variations of his processes.
Kevin, being part of the Dance Performance Faculty at Centennial College, has a vibrant, academic perspective on dance, and this is reflected in who he turns to for inspiration. He cites Rex Nettleford, the acclaimed Jamaican music and dance scholar, as someone he admires, because of Nettleford’s leadership in documenting and presenting cultural identity and its relationship to innovation and dance creativity, which, in some ways, set the stage for Kevin’s career. He also looks to Garth Fagan, the acclaimed Jamaican choreographer, because of how his technical approach to dance inspired Kevin when developing his own style. Finally, he cherishes the work of Toronto’s Rodney Diverlus, because of Rodney’s intellectual and academic rigor, as well as his ability to use dance to interrogate the intersections of culture and sexual identity.Currently, Kevin finds his state of mind fluctuating, owing to the precariousness imposed on his life by the pandemic. At times, life seems to brim with optimism, and, in those moments, he slows down and assesses his personal and professional relationships, taking advantage of the pauses created through crises. Other times, life seems dimmer, filling him with frustration as he tries, as best he can, to strategize in the face of a disrupted, ever-changing future. Though this calls for self-care, he admits that things can be draining, not just because of his own challenges, but because, as an artist, he has an obligation to support and nurture other artists where possible, which invites its own set of burdens. Similarly draining is having to battle the assumptions made about his work, whether by presenters or funders, and having to explain the contexts of his pieces.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, life goes on, and so will Kevin. He is a fixture of Canada’s dance scene, having worked in dance for 30 years already. He has toured the world and graced countless stages, including those at Harbourfront Centre. His resume is ornamented with no shortage of awards, and his academic worked continues to pierce into the relationship between culture and art, mimicking the pioneering work of his heroes. “As artists, we have more resources than we choose to use. Indeed, we all breath, feel and dance,” he says.
Kevin Ormsby is the artistic director of KasheDance and program manager of Culture Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO). He is also on the Dance Performance faculty at Centennial College. You can find his work on his Instagram and Twitter (@kashedance1), Facebook (@kevinaormsby) and website (www.kashedance.com).
