Artist Researcher In Residence

ashley “colours” perez new artist researcher in residence

Ashley’s research will focus on the popular dance style known as Waacking and its original name Punking. Her research aims to highlight alternative contributors, creators, and practitioners of the Punking/Whacking/Waacking dance form, including the last living Original Punker and dance artist Viktor Manoel. 

Ashley Perez is a teacher, dancer, and choreographer. She is the co-artistic director of Mix Mix Dance Collective. Mix Mix has showcased work at Toronto Fringe (2013/2017), Next Stage Theatre Festival (2014), Fall For Dance North (2017), Contemporaneity 3.0 (2019), and represented Canada at the Jeux de la Francophonie (2017) in Abidjan. Ashley was awarded the 2018 Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Performance, Ensemble in the Dance Division for Floor’d presented by Holla Jazz in 2018. Ashley has recently completed her MA in Dance at York University, and a co-collaboration with Toronto Dance Theatre’s Magic of Assembly (2023). 

Photo Credit: Wilmer Aburto