Re-centering/Margins Residency
Surrey 2026
Artists:
BETCY MATHEW, MADELEINE CRUZ & MIA PELAYO, PUNEET SINGH
CULMINATING RESIDENCY SHOWINGS!
Betcy Matthew, Mia Pelayo & Madeleine Cruz, Puneet Singh
Saturday Oct 10 2026 at Clayton Community Centre
For reservations: https://purchase.surrey.ca/EventAvailability?EventId=23001
Meet the Artists
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Meet the Artists *
BETCY MATHEW
Founder & Artistic Director, B’s Dancing Roses
Betcy Mathew is an accomplished IT professional and passionate dancer who began her artistic journey at the age of five. With over 500 stage performances to her credit, she has earned numerous accolades for her creativity and captivating presence on stage.
A dedicated mother of three, Betcy continues to refine her craft through formal training in classical dance. She finds immense joy in teaching and has choreographed several performances for children and adults across the Lower Mainland.
As the founder of B’s Dancing Roses, a Bollywood dance school, Betcy offers classes for kids and ladies in styles such as Bollywood, folk, freestyle, contemporary, and hip-hop. Her choreography has also featured in wedding and corporate events, known for its energy and storytelling flair.
Betcy’s journey beautifully blends professionalism, artistry, and passion—reflecting her belief that dance is a joyful expression of culture and life.
photo: courtesy of the artist
Madeleine Cruz and Mia Pelayo met a decade ago at their local dance studio where they bonded over their excitement for the possibilities of contemporary dance. In the summer of 2020 they created their dance films Risk and Where To? which premiered at the Modus Operandi Sunset Screening. That summer of creating was the catalyst for their rich collaborative partnership. Their first duet, Two Girls Collide was presented at the 2022 MO Focus Group Showing and the 2024 Chalk it Up! Emerging Artist Showcase. In June of 2025, they premiered a new duet entitled Swing, Knots, and Premonitions at Boombox. They revitalized their characters from Two Girls Collide for the 2025 New Works Pop Up Dances, where they performed and hosted the event, improvising in character as they interacted with the public audience on Granville Island. Their practice is driven by illustrative and precise choreography, a love for pop culture and music, lightheartedness, friendship, text, and storytelling. They’re excited by dance as a way to animate living spirit within the body, creating raw and unfiltered performance.
Instagram profiles: @miapelayo @une.petite.madeleine
photo: courtesy of the artist
MADELEINE CRUZ & MIA PELAYO
PUNEET SINGH
Puneet Singh is a Kathak artist, community builder, and nutritionist based in Surrey, BC. Originally an immigrant to Canada, Puneet began studying Kathak at a very young age and has since cultivated over 15 years of experience in the form. He is a disciple of Mahua Shankar, who carries the esteemed lineage of the legendary Pandit Birju Maharaj. Find out more about Puneet here.
Now working with Fraser Health as a nutritionist, Puneet actively promotes Kathak within Surrey’s diverse cultural landscape. He has performed at notable events including the BC Arts Conference and is currently developing Tatkaar—a community-driven initiative that uses Kathak as a tool to build cultural connection and artistic expression. Puneet's work combines the precision and grace of traditional Kathak with a commitment to making classical dance relevant and accessible to new generations.
photo: courtesy of the artist
Mentors
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DIPIKA TALUKDER TULI
Mentor: Betcy Mathew
Dipika Talukder Tuli received extensive training in Kathak, a classical dance - studying under Partha Pratim Das of the Jaipur Gharana—as well as renowned instructors Munmun Ahmed and Kochi Rahman. She also completed formal training at both Shishu Academy and Shilpakala Academy. Her training spans several dance traditions, including Bengali Folk Dance, Kathak, and Manipuri Dance.
For more info, click HERE
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ERIKA MITSUHASHI
Mentor: Madeleine Cruz, Mia Pelayo
Erika Mitsuhashi is an interdisciplinary artist with a practice spanning performance, installation, film, scenography, and projection design. For more info, click HERE
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ARYO KHAKPOUR
Mentor: Madeleine Cruz, Mia Pelayo
Aryo Khakpour is an interdisciplinary actor, director, dramaturg and filmmaker. Born and raised in Tehran, he cofounded The Biting School in 2013, which was the company-in-residence at PuSh Festival and The Dance Centre 2018 – 2019.
For more info, click HERE
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ALVIN ERASGA TOLENTINO
Mentor: Puneet Singh
Alvin Erasga Tolentino is an active Asian/Canadian dance artist who continues to reveal, provoke, fascinate and bring a fresh voice to the national and international dance scene. For more info, click HERE
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HRIDAY BUDDHDEV
Mentor and collaborator: Puneet Singh
In the world of Indian classical music, Hriday is known for his soulful artistry on the sarod.
For more info, click HERE
Writers
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BENNY RAJAN
Writer: Betcy Mathew
Benny Rajan: I am an accomplished Enterprise Architect and seasoned Technical Writer. Guided by a passion for the performing arts—especially dance—I now apply these skills to creative writing for the stage.
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MAX HANIC
Writer: Madeleine Cruz, Mia Pelayo
Max Hanic is a queer actor, dancer, singer and instructor who graduated with distinction from the University of Alberta Fine Arts Acting program and studied contemporary dance at La Faktoria Choreographic Centre in Pamplona, Spain for the 2021/2022 period and at Modus Operandi in Vancouver from 2024-2025. He is currently based between Vancouver, Montréal and Edmonton. For more info, click HERE
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NINA BUDDHDEV
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CARMEN ALVIS
Writer: Puneet Singh
For more info, click HERE
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elika mojtabaei الیکا مجتبایی
Project Editor
Funded in part with the support of a City of Surrey Cultural Grant and hcma architecture + design