ABOUT AIM

Award winning choreographer Shameka Blake was born with an intrinsic desire to create. In her artistic practice, she is committed to shedding light on issues of social justice, as they relate to culture, gender and ethnicity. Her work in the Commercial Industry has earned her the 2015 Black Canadian Award for Best Urban Dance Act. Shameka’s work has been featured at the Association for the Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) Convention in New York City, Roots Canada, The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, in addition to local Toronto festivals; Yensa, Dusk Dances, Dance Ontario DanceWeekend, TIFF and Pride.

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. Recently she had the opportunity to present at the 33rd IABD International Conference and Festival of Blacks in Dance held in Toronto. Her newest work, “Black in Canada”, will tour schools for the 24/25 school year, starting in September.

Marquisha Sparkes-Whonder was born to entertain. Being self-taught she was accepted into the Fine arts dance program at York University at 17, eventually branching out to advance her skills and work with a variety of professional companies. Now, you can find her on the tv screen dancing in motion pictures for Disney, Netflix, and lifetime television. Dance has steered her to travel internationally to work with artists like Sean Paul and Keri Hilson and to work with choreographers like Shameka Blake, Hollywood Jade, Tanisha Scott, and Ebony Williams. She feels gratification through exploring diverse personas and aspires to influence marginalized groups to speak up and use their voices.

Diane Jean-Louis was born in Haiti and raised in the US and Canada. Diane has developed 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. 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, in an all black lead, all black force and all black serving space. Diane would one day like to create in hopes to teach and inspire the younger generation of dancers.

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.

Onija’s appreciation for the arts began to grow into a passion for dance and acting, and he started educating himself with videos from YouTube whilst practicing choreography with friends. To further his studies, Onija joined a training program to develop a strong foundation in hip-hop and contemporary dance. Having learned from some of the industry’s best instructors and choreographers, he went on to perform on variety of sets and stages across Canada. Currently, Onija is a principal dancer at Artist in Motion, where he and fellow company members take on and tackle world issues through the lens of the BIPOC community.

Treshonna Wolliston, a Caribbean-Canadian dance artist , started dancing at the age of three years old and fell in love with the art form immediately. Her formal dance training started in the
competitive dance circuit where she trained in ballet, jazz, contemporary and acro . She continued her dance education, attending institutions that focused on the arts like Rosedale Heights and George brown college dance programs. Being one of the very few black dancers training in predominantly white spaces, she felt accepted but never entirely understood.

Although grateful for her ability to learn from amazing teachers having her first black teacher after 15+ years of training, Karen Andrews, she began to realize that being taught by black teachers and surrounding herself with other black dancers meant more to her than she knew. Now being a part of Artists in Motion, a company that creates space and explores the creativity of black dance artists, it’s different yet familiar. In this space, her blackness is not a token, it’s shared experiences and community. It’s home.

Alexis Peddie-Jones is a dancer and actor living in downtown Toronto. With a strong passion for dance from a young age, she first began training at Randolph Academy doing musical theatre, ballet, tap, jazz and contemporary. In high school she continued her training at Rosedale Heights School of the Arts where she discovered her love for hip hop. After high school, she focused mostly on hip hop and commercial dance as well as acting. She’s worked with well established choreographers such as Alyssa Martin, Tatiana Parker, Shameka Blake and others. She’s currently dancing with Artists in Motion, a multidisciplinary dance company that is black led where she has the opportunity to honour her ancestry as well as continue to pursue her career as a professional dancer.

Tekee Karlo, a Toronto native, has been passionate about dancing since a young age. He honed his skills at Deborah Thompson School of Dance, where he was introduced to Dancehall, Afro, and Hip Hop

movements. Tekee’s determination and desire for training allowed him to expand his dance vocabulary, learning from choreographers such as Luther Brown, Leon Blackwood, Trevor Brown, Tatiana Parker, and Shameka Blake. Tekee has performed with popular and multi-award-winning artists, including Dancehall

artist Tasha T and the King of Dancehall, Beenie Man. He has also traveled to Notting Hill (London, UK) to perform with Afro B & Maleek Berry and has been cast in music videos for Sean Paul, Rihanna, Drake, Yemi Ali, Mr. Vegas, and Ding Dong. Tekee has also choreographed pieces for Canadian artist Roy Woods, World of Dance, and Fever After Dark. He was even featured in the Emmy Award-winning Disney movie, Sneakerella. Tekee has partnered with well-known brands such as Nike, Adidas, Hennessy, Captain Morgan, and Superbowl, among others. Tekee’s mission is to inspire others through the arts, make a difference, and bring joy to everyone as he continues to explore his love for dance while staying deeply connected to his Jamaican roots.

Myles Jordan is an experienced Hip-Hop dancer with 8+ years of recreational and competition studio training. Currently practicing in traditional styles (Theatre, Modern, Contemporary, Ballet and Afro) at Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts, Toronto, ON.