BUOYANCY of LIGHT

JOIN US: December 19 - 21, 2025

Buoyancy (/ ˈ b ɔɪ ə n s i, ˈ b uː j ə n s i /) or upthrust, is an upward force exerted by a fluid that opposes the weight of a partially or fully immersed object. In a column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a result of the weight of the overlying fluid. Thus the pressure at the bottom of a column of fluid is greater than at the top of the column.

The opening performance of iconic dance theatre company Pounds Per Square Inch’s 30th anniversary season, Buoyancy of Light is an immersive collision of dance, theatre, party and film, created by Artistic Director Gerry Trentham, with performers Aria Evans, Calder White, Tia Kushniruk, and Michael Mortley, with lighting design by Gabriel Cropley and Emerson Kafarowski, music & sound design by John Mark Sherlock, woven together with films by William Yong and Alexander Bolt.

In Buoyancy of Light, a powerhouse quartet of interdisciplinary performer/dancer/actors take us on an ecstatic romp through their personal queer histories- through massive and miniscule moments and movements, from the studio to the street, from the gay club to the sky, and back into the studio. As these dancers/dreamers/lovers/screamers/breathers/(un)believers uncover the urgency we all feel as we “lose the light”, they invite the audience into the breadth and depth of our own queerness. They invite us, in spite of our non-negotiable descent towards decay, loss and immobility, into the buoyant joy of what we have today.

Buoyancy of Light is a celebration of queer rebellion and care, knowing that together we will brave change, excel sustainably and live buoyant and free.

Join us for the winter solstice weekend when light flies in our premiere of BUOYANCY of LIGHT.

December 19 - 21, 2025

509 Parliament St. in Toronto

Closed

The Program

Buoyancy of Light Credits

Conceived, Choreographed and Written by Gerry Trentham

Created with and Performed by Aria Evans, Tia Ashley Kushniruk, Michael Mortley & Calder White

Lighting Design by Gabriel Cropley & Emerson Kafarowski

Music & Sound Composition by John Mark Sherlock

Buenos Aires Music Recordings by Federico Siksnys & Pablo Echaniz

Costume Design by Malcolm LeBlanc with the creation team

Stage Management by Taylor Zalik-Young

Technical Direction by Gabriel Cropley & James Kendal

Rehearsal Direction by Oriana Pagnotta

Meet the Choreographer

Buoyancy (/ ˈ b ɔɪ ə n s i, ˈ b uː j ə n s i /) or upthrust,

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Gerry Trentham

Gerry Trentham (he/they) life-long dedication to the art of performance has directed the company he founded pounds per square inch performance through three decades of production, created and presented over 50 original works for stage and screen, garnered international performance acclaim and film awards, numerous Toronto Dora awards/ nominations and invited international directing, producing, choreographic, teaching and mentoring opportunities on four continents including within major performance training institutions across Turtle Island.

Their MFA and Voice Teaching Diploma from York University lead to a faculty/producer role at the acclaimed Canada’s National Voice Intensive (now the Moving Voice Institute), with Denise Fujiwara in creating Butoh/Voice and with Diane Roberts and her Arrivals Legacy Voice practice. Originating roles in their own creation as well as with renowned choreographers (Seven-years with Serge Bennathan’s Dancemakers, years with Claudia Moore’s MoonHorse, as cast/voice director in Denise Fujiwara's hit EUNOIA, Tedd Robinson and Zab Maboungou) has sustained a performance career still fluid into a fifth decade.

Meet the Performers

A powerhouse quartet of interdisciplinary performer/dancer/actors.

Aria Evans

Aria Evans is a queer, award winning interdisciplinary artist whose practice spans dance, theatre and film. As a public speaker, activist and creative leader, Aria draws on their experiences of being mixed race. Aria is a certified Intimacy Coordinator and with a large-scale vision, collaboration is the departure point to the choreographic work that Aria creates under their company POLITICAL MOVEMENT. Advocating for inclusion and the representation of diversity, Aria uses their artistic practice to question the ways we can coexist together. Aria is an Assistant Professor at the University of Winnipeg teaching in the Theatre and Film Department. Learn more at: www.ariaevans.ca.

Tia Ashley Kushniruk

Tia Ashley Kushniruk (亚女弟) is a dance performance artist based in Amiskwacîwâskahikan or Edmonton AB. She has performed the works of Jocelyn Mah, Antony Hamilton, Benjamin Kamino, Heidi Strauss, Christopher House, Shay Kuebler, Alyssa Martin, Celia J. Green, Susannah Haight and Christianne Ullmark touring Nationally and Internationally since 2013.

Kushniruk creates performative fantasies grounded in theories of interculturalism, new-materialism, digital futures and individual myths by weaving dance, performance art, and text with collaborative engagements based in devised methodologies. Her work has been presented by Festival Internacional Nomada, the Beijing International Dance Festival, Dancing on the Edge, Fluid Festival, commonGround Arts Festival, Found Festival, Expanse Festival, Mile Zero and the New Dance Arts Institute with upcoming premieres at Tangente and OFFTA in 2026.

She holds an MA in Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies from the University of Toronto (2025) and is a PROUD mentee of Toronto-based Performance Artist Bridget Moser.

Michael Mortley

Michael Mortley graduated from the university of Trinidad and Tobago in 2015 with a BFA.

He graduated from Beijing Dance Academy in 2016 with a master’s Certificate in Chinese

Contemporary. Michael has trained in Trinidad and Tobago folk, Ballet, Contemporary,

Chinese Contemporary, Modern, Horton, Kathak, Soca/ Calypso Dance and Hip Hop.

He has worked with companies and Individuals in Canada like: KasheDance, Ronald Taylor

Dance Inc., Fujiwara Dance Invention, Shannon Litzenberger, Mayumi Lashbrook, Bakari I.

Lindsay, Sylvie Bouchard, Dusk Dances, Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts, Theater

Aquarius, Dances at the Bay, Mafa Dance Village, Pulga Dance. As well as other

companies in Trinidad and Tobago to name a few. Michael is an educator, movement artist, storyteller, costume designer, choreographer and photographer.

Michael is also a photographer and videographer for companies such as: Ronald Taylor

Dance Inc., Dance Immersion, Bakari I. Lindsay, Pulga Muchochoma.

Calder White

Calder White (he/him) is a freelance dance artist based on the unceded lands of the

Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations. He is an alumnus of Tkaronto’s

Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre and holds a BFA in Dance from the Ohio State

University. He has originated roles in work by Shay Kuebler, Joshua Beamish, Wen Wei

Wang, Ziyian Kwan, and Rachel Meyer, amongst others. His own choreography has

been presented by institutions across North America, including Ohio Dance Festival,

Dancing on the Edge (Vancouver), Danceworks Toronto, and Odd Meridian Arts. Calder

is also a floorwork teacher, regularly sharing his workshops in cities and towns across

North America. He is the proud recipient of the 2022 Hnatyshyn Foundation’s Ukraine -

Heritage, Spirit, and Future award for Exceptional Talent in Contemporary Dance.

Meet the Design Team

Gabriel Cropley

Gabriel Cropley is a Toronto based lighting+projections designer and four-time Dora Mavor Moore award nominee.

Recent collaborations include Mighty Dances for VideoCabaret with choreographer Peggy Baker, Alchemy for Ali Flamenco, HMS Pinafore for Opera York, Around the Fire for NAfro Dance (Winnipeg), and Avenue of Avarice for University of Toronto Opera.

Gabriel has had the privilege of collaborating with the Ballet Creole, Ottawa Dance Directive, blueceiling dance, Toronto Dance Theatre, TMU Performance Dance, Peggy Baker Dance Projects, Aluna Theatre, Coal Mine Theatre, Toronto Dance, Theatre, dance: made in canada | fait au canada, CanAsian Dance, RAW Taiko, The Chimera Project, Sampradaya Dance Creations, Dancemakers, Humber Theatre, BoucharDanse, Avinoam Silverman Dance, Little Pear Garden Dance Company, City of Toronto/Nuit Blanche, Toronto Heritage Dance, Capitol Theatre Port Hope, Newton Moraes Dance Theatre, York Dance Ensemble, TOES for Dance, Danny Grossman, Sook-Yin Lee & Jennifer Goodwin, Hamilton Children's Choir, Dance Arts Institute, and Art of Time Ensemble, and more.

Gabriel is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada. gabrielcropley.ca

Emerson Kafarowski

Emerson Kafarowski (she/they) is a Lighting Designer and multidisciplinary artist based in Tkaronto, Canada. A graduate of the Toronto Metropolitan University Performance Production + Design program, and an associate member of ADC659, they’ve worked on performances and workshops in a variety of genres, including dance, theatre, opera, and live music.

In addition to lighting design, Emerson is a skilled ETC lighting programmer, as well as a Touring Technical Director, Travelling with companies across Canada, THe U.S.A, and Europe.

Emerson’s Other projects include EMRSN x EOS, an open-source project designed to bring unique, financially accessible, portable lighting control devices to emerging artists, companies, and site-specific performances.

Outside of the Theatre/Dance world, Emerson is the Production & Logistics Director for The Interprovincial Music Camp (IMC), a two-week overnight summer camp that offers young musicians the unique opportunity to participate in a variety of music education and performance programs, in Parry Sound Ontario.

in her spare time, Emerson enjoys thrifting and curb shopping to find old, broken or discarded items that She can take apart, repair, Or repurpose into something new. https://www.ekafarowski.com/

John Mark Sherlock

John Mark Sherlock studied composition at the University of Western Ontario with Jack Behrens, Arsenio Girón and David Myska. His works have been played by many of Canada’s finest performers and ensembles including Arraymusic, the Burdocks, Critical Band, The Ergo Ensemble, Eve Egoyan, Linda Catlin Smith, the NUMUS Ensemble featuring the Penderecki String Quartet, Richard Sacks , Stephen Clarke and Ensemble KORE. Also, he has written original music for dance or had works used for choreography by Marie-Josée Chartier, Heidi Strauss, Darryl Tracy, Allen Kaeja, Sylvain Émard, Gerry Trentham, Jessica Runge, Meagan O’Shea and Shannon Cooney for Dancemakers.

Taylor Zalik-Young

Taylor Zalik-Young is a Toronto-based Stage Manager, originally from Calgary, AB. He holds a BFA from TMU in Performance Production. He is currently the Arts Encounters Producer at dance: made in canada

Some of his recent credits include: Production Stage Manager, 2025 Fall Season,

ProArteDanza; Stage/Tour Manager, les Moutons, BoucharDanse at DIG Festivaler, 2025; Stage Manager, Iris Says Goodbye, Mixtape Projects at Toronto Fringe, 2025; Stage Manager, Firehorse & Shadow, Dreamwalker Dance Company & Citadel + Compagnie, 2025; Stage Manager, Reina, Buddies in Bad Times & Pencil Kit Productions, 2025; Stage Manager, Adizokan, Red Sky Performance & Toronto Symphony Orchestra, 2025; Production Stage Manager, I Love the Smell of Gasoline, Pencil Kit Productions presented at the Expanse Festival, 2025; Production Stage Manager, The 9th!, ProArteDanza, Ontario Tour 2025.