SPOTLIGHT
GREAT PICKINGS AT RIPE FRUIT DANCE FEST
Tejas is written and performed by Neena Jayarajan who proudly represents desi culture at the Ripe Fruit Dance Festival at VideoCabaret Theatre in Toronto, February 12-15.
The inaugural Ripe Fruit Dance Festival is taking place at VideoCabaret Theatre in Toronto, February 12-15.
Similar in format to a Fringe Festival, Ripe Fruit will showcase five different modern dance companies with 30 minute shows.
The show Tejas is written and performed by Neena Jayarajan who proudly represents desi culture at this festival.
Neena Jayarajan is an independent dance theatre artist whose work bridges tradition and contemporary exploration. Trained extensively in Bharatanatyam and Odissi under Dr. Menaka Thakkar and Sujatha Mohapatra, she brings over two decades of performance, teaching, and choreographic experience.
She served as Assistant Artistic Director of the Menaka Thakkar Dance Company for seven years and taught at Nrtyakala for twenty. In her role Neena assisted in re-choreographing remounts of MTDC productions & new works, teaching advance students, and conducting arangethrams for senior students. Neena toured and performed with the company to various cities across North America and Asia in both classical and contemporary works throughout her years at MTDC, and in addition performed in the Children's programming wing of the company in over 200 schools across Canada.
Since 2012, she has been an Associate Artist with Nova Dance, contributing to company initiatives such as Discover Dance, Compassion Funding for Caregivers, and The Deep End Week. She has originated roles in productions including Broken Lines, Jatiswaram Remix, and Svaha!
She completed her MA in Dance at York University where her research was a comparative analysis of the training methods used to attain the ideal Plie in Ballet and Aramandi in Bharatanatyam.
Jayarajan also made her theatrical debut in Theatre Smith-Gilmour’s play Metamorphosis (2022-2024)
Committed to shaping the Canadian dance landscape, Jayarajan serves on the boards of CADA West and The Dance Current magazine. Her current choreographic practice explores the intersections of classical South Asian dance vocabularies with contemporary sensibilities, using tradition as a foundation for new artistic inquiries. She is a recipient of the Chalmers Arts Fellowship Grant, which allowed her to create Tejas which continues to showcase and elevate Bharatanatyam dancers in all their glory.
The Ripe Fruit Dance Festival is a four-day celebration of contemporary dance, featuring bold, physical, and visceral works by five Toronto-based artists and companies.
The festival showcases 25-30-minute performances rich in research, craft, and creative depth. Each work is performed multiple times over the weekend, allowing audiences to choose their experience.
Featuring works by Neena Jayarajan, Emily Duckett, Alli Carry, Angela Blumberg and Justin Fraser, the festival looks to celebrate choreographic innovation in Toronto.
See one performance for $19.78 or a full evening/matinee program (3 of the 5 festival shows) for $45.60 (tax and fees included).
Artists receive direct ticket revenue, making your attendance a meaningful way to support these creators and their practices.
FULL FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
A scene from Tejas.
Thursday, February 12 evening
7:00 pm to 7:30 pm - This Skin is Not My Own by Emily Duckett
7:45 pm to 8:15 pm - Tejas by Neena Jayarajan
8:30 pm to 9:00 pm - A Subject, by Alli Carry
Friday, February 13 evening
7:00 pm to 7:30 pm - This Skin is Not My Own by Emily Duckett
7:45 pm to 8:15 pm - In A Landscape by Angela Blumberg
8:30 pm to 9:00 pm - Shapeshift by Justin Fraser
Saturday, February 14 evening
7:00 pm to 7:30 pm - Tejas by Neena Jayarajan
7:45 pm to 8:15 pm - A Subject, by Alli Carry
8:30 pm to 9:00 pm - In A Landscape by Angela Blumberg
Sunday, February 15 Matinee
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm - This Skin is Not My Own by Emily Duckett
2:45 pm - 3:15 pm - Tejas by Neena Jayarajan
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm - Shapeshift by Justin Fraser
Sunday, February 15 evening
7:00 pm to 7:30 pm - A Subject by Alli Carry
7:45 pm to 8:15 pm - In A Landscape by Angela Blumberg
8:30 pm to 9:00 pm - Shapeshift by Justin Fraser