Artists on Tour
Dance West Network supports five street dance artists - Sevrini Emancen-Boyd, Isaac Gasangwa/Izo Dreamchaser, Josh Ongol Simran Sachar- sharing their work with dance students and community members at local dance studios in Revelstoke and Nelson BC, Sept 2026.
Each culminating community cypher will open with Nikita Rain.
See details below ~
Street Dance is an umbrella term that encompasses a variety of dance forms that emerged from primarily African American and Latiné/x communities in the 1960's and onward. These dance forms often develop in urban and suburban spaces like clubs, block parties, and recreational areas. While each street dance form is characterized by its own unique history and movement vocabulary, a common trait among them is a strong emphasis on freestyling in response to the music. - The Artists
REVELSTOKE BC
Sept 11 & 12, 2026
Workshops, cypher and Q&A are FREE to attend
Location for all of the workshops and events: The Studio Dance & Wellness 302 1 St E, Revelstoke, BC V0E 2S0
Saturday Sep 12 WORKSHOPS, youth
3:00-4:00pm - W*acking Workshop with Simran Sachar (kids/youth/students)
4:00-5:00pm - Break Dance Workshop with Sevrin Emnacen-Boyd (kids/youth/students)
see info listed below for artist bios and workshop descriptions
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
Friday Sept 11 WORKSHOPS, adults
7:30-8:30pm - W*acking Workshop with Simran Sachar (adults/community)
8:30-9:30pm - Break Dance Workshop with Sevrin Emnacen-Boyd (adults/community)
COMMUNITY CYPHER
with special guest NIKITA RAIN
and featuring Revelstoke’s DJ "Double J”
Saturday Sept 12 5:30-8pm
open to all - snacks and beverages provided
includes Q&A with visiting artists
A cypher or dance circle is all about exchanging energy through the liberating movement of dance. It is practiced in all Street dance styles. It is a place where one can freely express themselves through movement and feel supported by those who surround us. Unlike a performance on stage where dance and audience is formally separated, the cypher makes everyone dancer and audience at once. The goal is to feel free, support others, and have fun.
- Sevrin Emnacen-Boyd and Simran Sachar
NIKITA RAIN - will open Saturday’s cypher
Nikita was born and raised in Nelson, BC. She is Secwépemc and a member of the Xat’sull First Nation. She also has Danish, Italian, Irish, French, and Scottish ancestry.
Nikita has been dancing Pow Wow since she was 8 years old. She first started as a Fancy Shawl dancer and has been a Jingle Dress dancer for the past six years. She is also a hip-hop dancer. Nikita is part of a dance group in Nelson called Wild Rose Dance.
The Jingle Dress Dance is a sacred healing dance that originated with the Ojibway people during the influenza pandemic over a century ago. It began with a vision in which a grandfather dreamt of a jingle dress that would heal his sick granddaughter. The cones are made from tobacco lids and create the beautiful jingle sound.
Each step of the Jingle Dress Dance is a healing prayer. The dancer keeps one foot connected to Mother Earth while moving to the heartbeat of the drum.
Nikita will be sharing a dance, teaching some of the steps, and then inviting everyone to join in for a dance together to the song “Sisters” by The Halluci Nation—that Nikita and Wild Rose Dance actually performed to and with on stage at the Nelson International Mural Festival!
Nikita_with Creeasion, 2oolman, The Halluci Nation
Simran teaching, photo Xavier Luciano
Sevrin Emnacen-Boyd
WORKSHOP: Breaking
Breaking is one of the 4 main elements of hip hop alongside deejaying, emceeing, and graffiti. Although renowned for its difficult athleticism, breaking is in fact a dance for everyone, a movement art form that celebrates free expression and creativity. It is not as insurmountable as one may think. This beginner-friendly workshop will introduce participants to some of the foundational steps of breaking, from up top to on the ground, and show participants how to freestyle/put moves together.
photo: Shawn Kim
ARTISTS:
Simran Sachar
WORKSHOP: W*acking
W*acking is a social dance pioneered from the Black, Latiné/x and Asian community that originated in the gay clubs of Los Angeles in the 70s. The underground nature of these dance spaces allowed for queer folx to express themselves without fear of discrimination. This dance can be categorized by: arm pathways, strikes, posing, musicality, intricacy, precision, fluidity and storytelling.
Simran's class will include musicality, posing, arm/roll pathways, floor work, storytelling, and history rooted in the foundation of W*acking. Simran’s class emphasizes the artist's unique self-expression in the dance.
photo: Karolina Turek
“We’re so excited to welcome Nikita, Simran and Sevrin to Revelstoke this September!
As a small rural community, we don’t often have opportunities to learn directly from professional street dance artists or connect with the culture and history behind these forms.
This is a fantastic chance for local dancers and the wider community to build skills and come together around a shared love of dance.
We hope folks can join us.
- Hailey Christie-Hoyle, Revelstoke-based artist, teacher and local organiser
NELSON BC
Sept 24-28, 2026
details TBA!
Sevrin Emnacen-Boyd
WORKSHOP: Breaking
Breaking is one of the 4 main elements of hip hop alongside deejaying, emceeing, and graffiti. Although renowned for its difficult athleticism, breaking is in fact a dance for everyone, a movement art form that celebrates free expression and creativity. It is not as insurmountable as one may think. This beginner-friendly workshop will introduce participants to some of the foundational steps of breaking, from up top to on the ground, and show participants how to freestyle/put moves together.
photo: Shawn Kim
Isaac Gasangwa/Izo Dreamchaser
WORKSHOP: AfroBeats (youth and general public)
Step into the heartbeat of African culture with IZO’s Afro Street dance workshop in Nelson. With each rhythmic step and dynamic way, participants will uncover the soul of African street dance—a celebration of heritage, resilience, and artistry. Guided by the pulse of both ancestral and modern music, the workshop is a journey into the spirit of the African diaspora, where every motion resonates with history and hope.
Joshua Ongcol
WORKSHOP: Beginner house
Join Joshee for a dynamic, heart-forward pop-up session rooted in house dance and freestyle practice. This class blends technical foundation with expressive movement, encouraging dancers to tap into groove, emotion, and presence. You’ll explore house vocabulary, coordination drills, floorwork, musicality, and creative freestyle tools—all while embodying the spirit of the cypher and connecting to yourself and others through movement. Expect high energy, deep intention, and a soulful jam to close it out.
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