Fujiwara Dance Inventions

📣WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT!📣

📆 November 16 - 20
⏰ 10am - 2pm
📍 Pia Bouman School for Ballet and Creative Movement
💵 $275

Zen gives us keys to deepen the practice of Butoh. Applied to dance, these insights present resources for improvisational creation and performance skills that allow even simple movement to become alive and meaningful.  They open us to possibilities and freedom in our creative pursuits, and honesty in our performance.

This is a workshop for practitioners of movement, physical theatre and other creative pursuits.

📣 WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT! 📣

📆 November 16 - 20
⏰ 10am - 2pm
📍 Pia Bouman School for Ballet and Creative Movement
💵 $275

Zen gives us keys to deepen the practice of Butoh. Applied to dance, these insights present resources for improvisational creation and performance skills that allow even simple movement to become alive and meaningful.  They open us to possibilities and freedom in our creative pursuits, and honesty in our performance.

This is a workshop for practitioners of movement, physical theatre and other creative pursuits.

Come and see our Canadian Premiere! William Yong has won 6 international Festival awards for best cinematography and Gerry's performance is moving.

✨ LATEST ANNOUNCEMENT – Valley of Shadow ✨

We are excited our film ‘Valley of Shadow’—a 37-minute short film is selected officially and will have our Canadian cinema premiere for dance: made in canada/fait au canada 2026 Dance on Films Programme ‘STARTING FROM WHERE WE ARE’.

https://imaginecinemas.com/cinema/carlton/?date=2026-08-13

We are deeply honored to have won Best Cinematography at:
🏆 Cine Paris Film Festival
🏆 Rotterdam Independent Film Festival
🏆 Tokyo International Cinema Awards
🏆 Dublin International Film Awards
🏆 Hong Kong Indie Film Festival
🏆 Reale Film Festival - Milano, Italy
Additionally, we’re proud to have been named a semi-finalist at the Paris International Short Festival.

A huge thank you to our dedicated team and collaborators for bringing this vision to life, and to the festivals for this recognition.

Producer . Fujiwara Dance Inventions
Co-Producer . lbs/sq” Performance
Director . William Yong
Writer . Gerry Trentham
Choreographers . Denise Fujiwara + Gerry Trentham
Cinematographer . William Yong
Editor . William Yong
Colourist . Oliver Salathiel
Sound Designer . Robert Bertola
Sound Editor . Sean Hackl
Sound Re-recording Mixer . Bruce Fleming @ Eggplant Picture & Sound
Film Production . W Zento Productions
Dramaturg . Denise Fujiwara
First Assistant Camera . Rachel Leung
Camera Operators . Rachel Leung + William Yong
Drone Camera Operator . Jordan Cutbill
Production Coordination . Mayumi Lashbrook
Music Direction . William Yong
Child Singer . Gabriel Schmidt
Composers + Songs
Racoon Racoon . Birds and Daisies
Artlist Music License No. 237944
Cast
Gerry Trentham
Aaron Krogman
Gabriel Schmidt
Mayumi Lashbrook

'Valley of Shadows' follows a man as he travels back to the landscape of his childhood, the Badlands of Alberta, Canada, a place characterised by layers - geological, historical and personal. The strange beauty and vulnerability of the Drumheller Valley converge with the nature of his queerness and the gentle toughness he has embraced to survive it. The film tugs at the heart of identity, resilience, and the enduring connection between a person and his birthplace.

Artlist Music License No. 237944

We’re excited to share that Denise Fujiwara has recently been inducted into the DCD hall of fame.

“Dance is perhaps the most ephemeral of art forms, which is why I am so deeply grateful to Miriam and Lawrence Adams for their foresight and dedication in creating Dance Collection Danse—for today’s artists and audiences, and for generations to come.

Forty-eight years ago, I was part of a group of choreographers who founded Toronto Independent Dance Enterprise. Since then, it has been a remarkable series of adventures.

I am honoured that Dance Collection Danse has begun archiving my work and is welcoming me into the Hall of Fame. It is a distinction that both delights and humbles me, especially as I join so many of my heroines, including my extraordinary mentor, Elizabeth Langley, to whom I am artistically indebted.

I hope you’ll join me in celebrating all of DCD’s 2026 Honourees.”

- Crystal Pite, C.M.
- Jean Grand-Maître, C.M., LL.D. h.c.
- Elizabeth Langley, C.M.
- Claudia Moore
- William J.S. Boyle Dance Luminary: Joysanne Sidimus, MSM
- Community Builder: Debbie Slade 
- Sandra Faire Next Generation Award: Jera Wolfe

More details on the honourees and how to attend the event on November 8th DCD

Sylvie Bouchard needs our support now. Please check out her GoFundMe page

Donate to Help Sylvie Bouchard fight a devastating infection and suppo, organized by Denise Fujiwara Sylvie Bouchard is a remarkable dance artist with a long care… Denise Fujiwara needs your support for Help Sylvie Bouchard fight a devastating infection and suppo

Yumiko Yoshioka returns to Toronto to deliver a masterclass in Butoh and Organic Movement.

📆 September 8 - 11
⏰12pm - 4pm
📍Artist’s Play Dance and Circus Arts

Discover the body as a site of memory, imagination, and transformation. Rooted in Butoh and Organic Movement, this workshop invites participants to connect body and mind through breath, flow, imagery, and improvisation.

Join us for this unique opportunity to expand your movement practice and experience transformation through the body. Recommended for people with existing movement experience.

Link for tickets in bio

Are you passionate about dance? Do you have a strong commitment to nourishing the arts? Do you have an interest in supporting the training of young choreographers? If so, please consider putting your name forward as a board member of Fujiwara Dance Inventions.

We are actively looking to grow and strengthen our board with new members eager to contribute to the growth of the company, as well as to the vitality of Toronto’s dance scene. Interested individuals will have a spirited interest in the arts/dance world, a sincere enthusiasm for what we do and a desire to collaborate and contribute to Fujiwara Dance Inventions’ future.

Click the link in our bio for more information and the expression of interest form.

Please send in your expression of interest by June 30th. Submissions will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, and the Board call will stay open until positions are filled.

Dont miss your chance to sign up to our next Contemplative Dance series. Starts Sunday 8th March at 10.30am.

More information on our website 🔗fujiwaradance.com

👀 Looking to dive a bit deeper into your practice? Join us for our upcoming intensive, Moving Improvisation into Performance.

This week long workshop will develop your movement improvisation skills and apply them to choreography and performance situations. This is a practice in opening potential, finding specificity, and getting out of our own way.

This is a workshop for practitioners of movement, physical theatre and other creative pursuits.

March 23 - 27, 10am - 2pm at CCDT

Registration: $275

Link in bio for more details and registration

📣Announcing a new series of Contemplative Dance workshops coming up! 📣

Join us for Contemplative Dance:

A movement workshop to open up possibilities for your body and mind. With simple directions, we’ll move with curiosity, to expanding creativity and movement capacity. This work can be done at all levels and for both the beginner and experienced mover. Start from where you are and find joy in your movement.

On Sundays, March 8, 15, 22 and 29 from 10:30am - 12:30pm
at CCDT

🔗 www.fujiwaradance.com for more info and to register