Aria Evans (they/them)
Winnipeg | MB | Canada | evans.aria@gmail.com
@politicalmovement | @intimacychoreographer | @ariaevans.ca
Artistic Leadership
Assistant Professor University of Winnipeg, Teatre and Film Department (2023 - present)
Artistic Director, Founder POLITICAL MOVEMENT (2015 - present)
Guest Curator Guelph Dance Festival (2022 - present)
Guest Curator Young Lungs Dance Exchange Anniversary (2025)
Board of Directors, Co-Chair Young Lungs Dance Exchange (2023 - 2025)
Guest Curator SummerWorks Performance Festival (2023)
Metcalf Artistic Director Intern Soulpepper Theatre (2021 - 2022)
Advisory Board Member Moonhorse Dance Theatre (2019 - 2023)
Co-Artistic Director hub14 (2013 - 2018)
Education
Master of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies University of Manitoba (2027)
Intimacy Coordinator Certification Intimacy Professionals Association (2021)
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) in Dance York University (2012)
Awards
Lorna Irene Eggertson Graduate Scholarship (2025)
DCD Hall of Fame - Dance Collection Danse: Sandra Faire Next Generation Award (2024)
Urjo Kareda Residency Award (2023)
Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize: Protégé (2021)
JAYU Arts for Human Rights Award (2021)
Critics' Pick Theatre Award for Outstanding Dance Performance (2018)
POLITICAL MOVEMENT Projects
Connect 4 (2024 creative process)
Forget Me Not (2024 live)
Dead Ends (2023, 2024 live)
Midline (2023 live)
I Will Fall (2021, 2022 creative process)
heart2heart (2021 digital)
In The Abyss (2019 live)
Link (2017, 2020 live)
RElaps (2016 live, 2021 digital)
RANKED (2016 live)
Desiccated (2015, 2016, 2018 live)
Gallery and Museum Performances
Commissioned Artist School of Art Gallery - Echoes of Persistence (2026)
Exhibition Artist School of Art Gallery - PROCESS (2026)
Choreographer/Performer Royal Ontario Museum - Dead Ends (2023)
Choreographer/Performer Museum of Contemporary Art - Exit Strategies (2023)
Choreographer Michele Pearson Clarke - Quantum Choir (2021)
Site Specific Performances
Co-Choreographer/Performer Nuit Blanche Winnipeg - Terraformers (2025)
Lead Artist The Bentway - Walking:Holding (2024)
Choreographer/Director/Performer Soulpepper Theatre and the City of Toronto - AWAKENINGS For Sale (2022)
Choreographer/Performer Canadian Opera Company - Voices of Mountains (2021)
Choreographer/Performer Kaeja d'Dance - Kitchen Dances (2021)
Choreographer/Director Public Energy - Bridge Over Troubled Water (2020)
Choreographer Urban Vessel - On The Brink (2017)
Choreographer Eldritch Designs Collective for SummerWorks - PATHS (2017)
Choreographer/Director/Set Designer Ontario Culture Days - Two Row (2017)
Choreographer and Co-Director Thinking Rock Community Arts - The Rivers Speak (2017)
Choreography, Movement Direction and Direction
Director AD HOC Assembly - Finishing [workshop] (2025)
Choreographer Buddies in Bad Times Theatre - Gilgamesh [workshop] (2025)
Choreographer Manitoba Theatre for Young People - Just Friends [workshop] (2025)
Movement Director Centre for Indigenous Theatre - Story Creation Intensive (2025)
Choreographer Tapestry Opera - Sanctuary Song (2025)
Choreographer Canadian Opera Company - Aportia Chryptych: A Black Opera for Portia White (2024)
Associate Director Tarragon Theatre - Three Fingers Back (2024)
Movement Facilitator/Performer Yolanda Bonnell - The Eighth Fire, The Great Migration (2023)
Choreography Consultant Native Earth Performing Arts - Niizh (2023)
Movement Director Stratford Festival: Conservatory - The Birds (2023)
Associate Director Tarragon Theatre - My Sister's Rage (2022)
Assistant Director Soulpepper Theatre - Queen Goneril (2022)
Choreographer Soulpepper Theatre - Kamloopa (2022)
Movement Director Stratford Festival - Every Little Nookie (2022)
Movement Director/Performer FabCollab - WOMEN IN SONG: STRANGE DARLINGS (2021)
Choreographer Theatre Passe Muraille - Seven Pieces [workshop] by Jenn Forgie (2021)
Choreographer Stratford Festival - Penthesilea [workshop] (2021)
Choreographer Urban Ink - Wolf Cull [workshop] by Cheyenne Scott (2021)
Choreographer Manidoons Collective - White Girls in Moccasins [workshop] by Yolanda Bennell (2019)
Choreographer/Performer Theatre New Brunswick - Finding Wolastoq Voice (2019)
Choreographer Stratford Lab Ensemble - Indigenous Body of Work (2019)
Movement Coach Manidoons Collective - Bug (2018)
Choreographer/Director Toronto Concert Orchestra - Voice Of A Nation (2017)
Choreographer/Director Article 11 with Humber College - iRISING (2016)
Intimacy Professional
Intimacy Director Royal Manitoba Theatre Company - The Last Wife [Theatre] (2026)
Intimacy Director University of Winnipeg - UNITY 1918 [Theatre] (2026)
Intimacy Director Royal Winnipeg Ballet - Jekyll & Hyde [Dance] (2024)
Intimacy Director Théâtre Cercle Molière - Un peu partout ! [Theatre] (2024)
Intimacy Director Royal Manitoba Theatre Company - Little Women [Theatre] (2024)
Intimacy Director Royal Manitoba Theatre Company - The Recipe [Theatre] (2024)
Intimacy Director Root Sky Theatre Company - Owl Calling [Theatre] (2024)
Intimacy Coordinator OutTV - We Three Queens (Season 2) [Web Series] (2024)
Intimacy Director Canadian Opera Company - Aportia Chryptych: A Black Opera for Portia White [Opera] (2024)
Intimacy Director Tarragon Theatre - Three Fingers Back [Theatre] (2024)
Intimacy Director University of Winnipeg - Stupid Fucking Bird [Theatre] (2023)
Intimacy Coordinator Snail Mail Media Inc. - Packing [Film Teaser] (2023)
Intimacy Director Coal Mine Theatre - The Effect [Theatre] (2023)
Intimacy Director Factory Theatre - Armadillos [Theatre] (2023)
Intimacy Director Stratford Festival - Richard II [Theatre] (2023)
Intimacy Coordinator J Stevens Cinema - Really Happy Someday [Film] (2023)
Intimacy Director Toronto Metropolitan University - Arctic Ocean [Theatre] (2023)
Intimacy Coordinator OutTV - We Three Queens (season 1) [Web Series] (2023)
Intimacy Coordinator Black Entertainment Television - Sworn Justice [TV] (2022)
Intimacy Director Soulpepper Theatre - Queen Goneril [Theatre] (2022)
Intimacy Director Stratford Festival - Every Little Nookie [Theatre] (2022)
Intimacy Coordinator Your Cool Aunt Productions // Peach Emoji Productions - La Ronde [Web Series] (2021-2022)
Intimacy Coordinator Guetcha Guaritcha - This Place [Dance Film] (2021)
Performance
Dancer Buoyancy (2025) Pounds Per Square Inch
Actor Unearthing Reading (2025) Yvette Nolan for Canadian Stage
Dancer Interdisciplinary Collaborative Improv (2025) Coexist Dance
Dancer Opening Party (2023) SummerWorks
Actor The Eighth Fire [Workshop] (2023) Yolanda Bonnell
Dancer Li Keur: Riel's Heart Of The North [Workshop] (2023) Manitoba Opera
Dancer I am the Child of (2022) Kaeja d'Dance
Dancer If I Should Stumble (2022) Jenn Goodwin
Dancer Bonfire Sonata [Live Stream] (2020) National Arts Centre
Dancer Lifetime Achievements Awards Performance (2020) Kaeja d’Dance
Dancer WOMEN IN SONG: STRANGE DARLINGS (2021) FabCollab
Dancer Giizhig (2021) Michael Caldwell for Jamii
Dancer her body as words (2020) Peggy Baker Dance Projects
Actor A Portrait In Red (2020) AWAKENINGS
Dancer Pawâkan Macbeth [Workshop] (2020) Stratford Festival and The Banff Centre
Dancer Shanawdithit (2019) Tapestry Opera
Actor Four Sisters (2019) Paradigm Productions
Dancer WAKE (2018) Kaeja D'Dance's Wind Down Dance
Dancer Miijin Ki (2018) Lara Kramer
Dancer The Fall (2018) The Fall Frog In Hand
Dancer La Grand Continental (2018) Luminato Festival
Actor MAW (2018) Natalie Sappier
Dancer FEMPOCALYPSE (2017) Nightwood Theatre
Dancer, Actor Bearing (2017) Bearing Signal Theatre
Dancer Everything is Everything (2017, 2020) wind in the leaves collective
Dancer Guswenta Gathering (2017) Soulpepper Theatre
Dancer, Actor A Venue Warming (2016) Us Arts Collective
Dancer Indspire Awards Openning (2016) Sarain Fox
Dancer When Will You Rage? (2015) Penny Couchie
Dancer Solo/SoulsDeep (2015) Sharon Harvey
Dancer Intertribal Gathering (2015) Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance
Dancer Light and Shadow (2014) Peggy Baker Dance Projects
Dancer Beats and Intentions (2014) Expect Theatre
Dancer, Actor Medicine Bear (2013/15/16) Kaha:wi Dance Theatre
Dancer SloE [Workshop] (2012) Julia Sasso Dances
Dance Film
Facilitator Guelph Dance Festival - Dance Film Workshop Series (2021-2023)
Choreographer/Director JOBEL Arts For Earth - TRANSFORMATIONS (2022)
Choreographer Dusk Dances - RElaps (2021)
Choreographer & Film Maker National Arts Centre - coastline (2021)
Choreographer/Film Maker/Performer Soulpepper Theatre's Queer Youth Cabaret - fluid (2021)
Choreographer/Film Maker Urban Vessel - Four Rooms (2021)
Film Maker The School of Toronto Dance Theatre - Dance Film Creative Project (2021)
Facilitator University of Toronto - Dance Film Workshop (2021)
Film Maker Toronto Metropolitan University - CHANGE 2nd Year Dance Project (2020)
Facilitator SummerWorks Performance Festival - Dance Film Workshop (2020)
Facilitator Toronto District School Board - Dance Film Workshop Series and Creative Projects (2017)
Guest Lecturer Toronto Metropolitan University - Dance Film Editing (2016-2019)
Videographer/Editor Kaeja d’Dance - Various Dance Film Creative Projects (2013-2019)
Facilitation, Interviews and Public Speaking
Podcast Host Dance Made In Canada - Thrust: season 6 (2026)
Artist Talk Moderator Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers - Accumulation (2026)
Artist Talk Moderator Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers - Croquis (2025)
Mentor Paprika Theatre Festival - Kéïta Fournier-Pelletier (2026)
Podcast Host Dance Made In Canada - Thrust: season 5 (2025)
Panelist University of Winnipeg - 2SLGBTQ+ Mentorship Network Lightning Talks (2025)
Mentor Creative Manitoba - Intimacy Direction (2024-2025)
Panelist University of Winnipeg - Decolonial and International Pedagogy: Perspectives and Praxis - A Virtual Roundtable (2024)
Podcast Host Dance Made In Canada - The ‘D’ Word: season 4 (2024)
Facilitator Paprika Festival - Creative Producers Program (2024)
Podcast Host Dance Made In Canada - The ‘D’ Word: season 3 (2023)
Guest Facilitator MOCA Toronto - Youth Council: Art and Social Change (2023)
Invited Guest Generator - Intimacy and Self Care check-in (2022)
Facilitator Ontario Presents - BIPOC Touring Network (2022)
Podcast Host The Dance Current - Currently in Dance: bonus episode (2022)
Panelist Playwrights Guild of Canada - The State of Care (2022)
Facilitator Paprika Festival - Hot Topic (2022)
Podcast Host Dance Made In Canada - The ‘D’ Word: season 2 (2022)
Facilitator Guelph Dance Festival - Screen Dances Series (2022)
Panelist Theatre Passe Muraille and Red Dress Productions - Sovereign Bodies, Sovereign Stages (2021)
Roundtable ICC - Issues in Art, Curation and Community Care (2021)
Interviewee Buddies in Bad Times - the Youth/Elder's Project ‘Mixed Race’ (2021)
Interviewee Mixed In The Six Podcast - Through Me, My Ancestors Say “Hello” with Aria Evans (2020)
Panelist Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Ontario - Indigeneity and its Representation in the Arts (2020)
Facilitator POLITICAL MOVEMENT - By Us For Us (2020)
Co-Facilitator Cahoots Theatre - MIXTAPE (2020)
Panellist Toronto Dance Community Love-In - Wants&Needs in Uncertain Times (2020)
Interviewee Fall For Dance North - Bathtub Bran (2020)
Panelist Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists - Working Intersections in Dance and Theatre (2019)
Keynote Speaker Dancer Transition Resource Centre - On The Move (2018)
Guest Contributor Canadian Arts Summit (2017)
Panelist Toronto Alliance of Performing Artists - INDIEX, Interdisciplinary panel (2017)
Published Works
Staging Coyote's Dream Volume 3 - Playwrights Canada Press (2024)
Keep On Calling - The Dance Current (2021)
Slide Show - SummerWorks issue, Canadian Theatre Review (2021)
a consent-based choreographic score for two bodies - 2021 Rhubarb Festival Publication, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (2021)
A Calling In - Provocations, The Dance Current (2020)
Photo Collection - Articulating Artistic Research Vol. 172, Canadian Theatre Review (2017)