MAINSTAGE 2026-27
The Crossing
The Crossing is a contemporary dance work exploring my heritage as a Vietnamese Canadian and the extraordinary journeys my parents endured as refugees.
My mother came from a prominent family. Her father was a respected scholar and Vietnamese literary writer. After the communist takeover, his books were burned, his titles and degrees were taken away, and he was left to support twelve children after my grandmother’s death. He begged my mother to leave Vietnam and seek safety elsewhere. She escaped by boat with her boyfriend and approximately fifty other refugees. Communist patrols fired at the vessel, destroying its engine and leaving it adrift in the Pacific Ocean for thirty days. Only eight people survived. Her boyfriend died during the journey, but before his death, he urged her to continue living.
My father was a farmer who had fought for the democratic South Vietnamese side. His brother, a monk, was killed because the communist government rejected religion. My father was forced to work for the regime to survive. After saving enough money, he attempted to escape with three friends. Two were shot while running toward the boat, but my father continued and eventually reached Thailand.
Both of my parents were assisted by the Red Cross and welcomed into Canada, where they rebuilt their lives.
Choreographed in collaboration with Tali Elman, The Crossing honours their courage, sacrifice, resilience, and gratitude toward the country that gave them safety. Their journey made it possible for me and my three brothers to proudly call Canada home.
Miguel Nguyen and Tali Elman
photo by James Doyle
TRAILER
ARTIST BIO
The Crossing is a collaboration between internationally acclaimed artists Miguel Nguyen and Tali Elman, bringing together decades of professional experience in ballet and contemporary dance to tell a deeply personal story of resilience, identity, and belonging.
Miguel Nguyen is a Vietnamese Canadian choreographer, educator, and former international principal dancer. Following training at the National Ballet School of Canada and Goh Ballet, he represented Canada internationally, winning a gold medal at the International Dance Organization World Championships before performing professionally with Orlando Ballet II, the State Ballet of Georgia under Nina Ananiashvili, Ballet of Montreal, Coastal City Ballet, and Ballet del Centro del Conocimiento in Argentina. Throughout his career, he has performed leading classical roles while also developing a passion for contemporary choreography and arts education. Today, he is the co-founder and Ballet Master of the Northern Institute of Dance in Prince George, British Columbia.
Tali Elman is an award-winning contemporary and ballet artist whose career spans Canada and Europe. Following three seasons with Ballett Vorpommern in Germany, she performed an extensive repertoire of classical, neoclassical, and contemporary works while assisting the company's Young Choreographers program. She is an acclaimed educator whose students have earned recognition at major dance festivals and was named one of the outstanding instructors at the 2026 Youth America Grand Prix. Tali is currently a principal guest artist with Coastal City Ballet.
Together, Miguel and Tali combine classical excellence with innovative contemporary movement to create The Crossing, a powerful work honouring the refugee experience, the strength of family, and the opportunities made possible through Canada's compassion and welcome.
Performance History & Upcoming Performances
Miguel Nguyen and Tali Elman have built international performing careers spanning North America, South America, and Europe, bringing together extensive experience in classical ballet, neoclassical, and contemporary dance.
Miguel has performed professionally with the State Ballet of Georgia, Orlando Ballet II, Ballet of Montreal, Coastal City Ballet, and Ballet del Centro del Conocimiento in Argentina, where he danced as a Principal Dancer for seven years. His repertoire includes leading roles in Don Quixote, Giselle, Swan Lake, La Bayadère, and Paquita, while also performing contemporary works by internationally recognized choreographers. He has also appeared as a guest artist throughout Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, and Canada.
Tali Elman performed for three seasons with Ballett Vorpommern in Germany, dancing an extensive repertoire of classical, neoclassical, and contemporary works by both resident and guest choreographers. She has also performed across Canada as a contemporary artist and is currently a Principal Guest Artist with Coastal City Ballet, appearing in productions including Swan Lake.
Together, Miguel and Tali have collaborated as guest artists, choreographers, and educators, creating works that blend athleticism, storytelling, and contemporary movement with strong classical foundations.
Upcoming performances include the development and premiere of The Crossing, as well as guest performances and teaching engagements with Coastal City Ballet, Northern Institute of Dance, and international collaborations in Canada and South America. Their ongoing work continues to foster artistic excellence while connecting audiences through meaningful, culturally significant storytelling.
Project Created by: Will be created by Miguel Nguyen and Tali Elman
Key Artistic Collaborators: I will be creating and performing The Crossing alongside Tali Elman, who will serve as my co-choreographer, collaborator, and performer. Together, we will combine our backgrounds in classical ballet and contemporary dance to develop a movement language that authentically tells my family's story.
The work is based on the lived experiences of my parents, Chau Nguyen and Trien Nguyen, whose journeys as Vietnamese refugees escaping post-war Vietnam inspired this project. Throughout the creative process, they will act as our cultural advisors and storytellers, sharing their personal memories and experiences to ensure the work respectfully and accurately reflects their history.
Constanza Aguirre Hayes will serve as Rehearsal Director and outside eye, supporting the development of the work by providing artistic feedback, staging guidance, and rehearsal direction. Her role will help ensure the choreography is polished, cohesive, and presented to the highest artistic standard while maintaining the emotional integrity of the story.
Performance type: THIS WORK IS BUILT FOR THEATRE
How do you define this work: contemporary ballet/modern, with digital media focusing on the history of vietnamese refugees arriving in Canada
Length of performance: 25 minutes
Audience type: General Audience
Number of Performers on tour (including choreographer): 2
Number of Support Staff on Tour: 0
Availabilities: 2027 Spring Season (Mar - June),2027/28 Season,2028/29 Season
Other Details
The Crossing is conceived primarily as a theatrical presentation, in which the integration of dance, music, lighting, and multimedia creates a powerful, immersive storytelling experience. While the choreography can be adapted to a range of venues, the work is best suited for theatres or performance spaces that can accommodate basic theatrical lighting, professional sound, and video projection.
A projector and screen are an important artistic component of the production. Throughout the performance, carefully selected historical photographs and imagery provide context for the audience, illustrating the realities of the Vietnam War, the refugee crisis, and my parents' journey to Canada. These projections are not intended to distract from the choreography but to deepen the audience's understanding of the events that inspired the work and create a stronger emotional connection between the dancers and the story being told.
The technical requirements are intentionally modest, allowing the production to tour to both fully equipped theatres and smaller presenting venues. When projection equipment is unavailable, the work can still be performed, with spoken introductions and program notes providing additional historical context.
At its heart, The Crossing is a deeply personal story that reflects a universal human experience. While rooted in my family's history as Vietnamese refugees, the work speaks to themes of resilience, sacrifice, hope, identity, and belonging that resonate across cultures. We hope audiences leave not only with a greater appreciation of the refugee experience, but also with a renewed understanding of the compassion and opportunities that have shaped Canada's multicultural identity.
Project Details
Community Engagement
General Technical Requirements: We will need a video projector to show pictures, Marley flooring, and regular stage lights.
Required amount of time for tech set up: We will need at least 30 minutes to make sure the video projector works, marley floor is set, and the regular lights are on.
Alternative Venues: The Crossing is designed to be adaptable to a variety of performance venues, including traditional theatres, black box theatres, and community arts centres. The work can also be presented in select outdoor locations where weather and technical conditions permit.
The ideal performance space includes a professional sprung dance floor (marley preferred) or another safe, non-slip dance surface suitable for barefoot contemporary movement and ballet-based choreography. A minimum performance area of approximately 10 m x 10 m (33 ft x 33 ft) is preferred, although the choreography can be adapted to smaller spaces.
The production requires basic theatrical lighting capable of creating intimate and atmospheric environments, along with a professional sound system for music playback. A projector and screen are needed, as visual projections are incorporated to enhance the storytelling.
The work is intended for audiences of all ages and can be performed in intimate settings or larger presenting venues. The venue should be fully accessible for both artists and audience members, with barrier-free access wherever possible.
Because The Crossing centres on universal themes of resilience, migration, family, and hope, it is well suited for festivals, cultural celebrations, theatres, educational institutions, museums, and community events that foster dialogue, cultural understanding, and community engagement.
Yes. Community engagement is a central component of The Crossing and extends beyond performance and educational outreach. We are interested in collaborating with local communities to create meaningful artistic experiences that celebrate personal histories, cultural identity, and belonging.
We propose working with newcomer and immigrant communities, Vietnamese Canadian communities, Immigrant communities, youth organizations, schools, seniors, and local dance artists. Participants of all ages are welcome, with activities adapted to youth (12+), adults, and intergenerational groups.
Community engagement may begin with online planning sessions to connect with local organizations, discuss community interests, and gather personal stories that participants may wish to share.
The project can be delivered as a one-day intensive, a multi-day residency, or a week-long creation process, depending on the presenter's goals and the community's interests. Longer residencies allow for deeper collaboration and the creation of original movement material with participants.
Fees are flexible and based on the duration of the residency, the number of workshops, travel requirements, participant numbers, and the level of community collaboration. We ask a minimum of $50 each for our time. Additional preparation, including online meetings, research, and coordination with local organizations, may be incorporated depending on the scope of the project. Our goal is to create a lasting connection between communities through dance, storytelling, and shared human experiences while fostering empathy, cultural understanding, and a stronger sense of belonging. We want this project to start the conversation of how immigrants shape a part of Canada's history.
Outreach Activities
Alongside The Crossing, we are committed to creating meaningful opportunities for dialogue, education, and community engagement through movement and storytelling.
We offer ballet and contemporary masterclasses for dancers of all ages and levels, from youth students to pre-professional and professional artists. These classes explore technical excellence while encouraging artistic expression, musicality, and storytelling through movement.
We also offer lecture-demonstrations and community conversations that explore the inspiration behind The Crossing. These sessions invite participants to reflect on themes of migration, identity, resilience, family, and belonging. As artists, we will share our own experiences, including what it means for me to be a first-generation Vietnamese Canadian, how my parents' refugee journeys shaped my identity, and how those experiences influence my work as an artist and educator. We also encourage participants to share their own family histories and experiences as immigrants, children of immigrants, or members of diverse communities, creating space for meaningful cultural exchange.
These outreach activities are well suited for schools, universities, dance studios, newcomer organizations, museums, cultural centres, and community groups, and can be adapted for children, youth, adults, seniors, or intergenerational audiences.
Programs may range from a 60–90 minute masterclass or artist talk to half-day or full-day workshops that combine movement, creative exploration, discussion, and collaborative choreography. Fees are flexible depending on the length of the engagement, the number of participants, travel requirements, and any customized preparation requested by the presenting organization. Our goal is to leave communities with not only a deeper appreciation of dance, but also a greater understanding of the stories, sacrifices, and diverse identities that help shape Canada today.
Contact information
Instagram @miguelbidao and @talielman
https://www.instagram.com/miguelbidao/
https://www.instagram.com/talielman/