Brandy Leary
Brandy Leary creates contemporary performances through the body. She holds a BA Honours in Theatre with a specialization in Direction and Asian Theatre from York University's Theatre Program. Brandy has lived between Canada and India for the past seventeen years, training, collaborating, and creating in the traditional Indian performing languages of Seraikella and Mayurbhanj Chhau (dance), Kalarippayattu (martial art) and Rope Mallakhamb (aerial rope). In addition to founding and leading Anandam Dancetheatre, Brandy is a Founder and Co-Director of Collective Space (an alternative performance and rehearsal venue in Toronto’s west end) and a Founder and Co-Artistic Director of CCAFT (Contemporary Circus Arts Festival of Toronto). Brandy is a triple Shastri Indo Canadian Fellow, a Chalmers Professional Development Awardee, a visiting artist at the MFA program, Shiv Nadar University (India), has been shortlisted for the KM Hunter Award in Dance (2009 and 2011), and is a Multi-Disciplinary Dance Artist Nominee (2013) for the Soulpepper Dance Awards. Her work has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Hal Jackman Foundation, CreatiVenture Collective, Bata Shoe Museum, Summerworks, Rhubarb Festival, Fringe NYC, City Leaks Urban Arts, Infecting the City Public Arts Festival, Theatre Passe Muraille, Dance Made In/Fait au Canada Festival, CCAFT, Circus NOW, Metcalf Foundation, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Foundation, Toronto Arts Council, and Nuit Blanche.