From June 5 to July 12, Kingston’s annual Ground UP Dance Festival offered chances for the third year in a row of collaboration among emerging and established artists, supporting local talent while making dance accessible for all members of the Kingston community.
Ground UP began as a pilot project in 2021 before officially launching in 2022, formed by members from the Movement Market Collective with the intention to expand performance opportunities for Kingston-based artists.
“Through Ground UP, we wanted to hone in on that emerging artist aspect: They are not only creating work, but they’re being paid to create work, and [they’re] given a performance platform”, Kay Kenney, Co-Founder and Director of the festival, said in an interview with The Journal.
She added that part of what inspired Ground UP are the difficulties dancers have faced establishing themselves professionally in Kingston. “People who wanted to pursue [dance] had to leave the city. We wanted to change that,” Kenney said.
This year, Ground Up’s programming began with an opening night party and line dancing event at The Buckle on June 25, which featured live performances from festival collaborators and Celtic-folk trio Foster, Shea, and Sudac.
Following the launch party was this year’s Second Stage Performance, after/ALWAYS. Performed on June 27 and 28 at the Baby Grand Theatre, after/ALWAYS is a multidisciplinary work performed by Kenney alongside Foster, Shea, and Sudac.
The performance was conceptualized after Kenney saw Foster, Shea, and Sudac perform live at The Women’s Art Festival, an annual gathering of women artists, vendors, and performers in Kingston’s City Park. Ground UP’s spirit of impassioned collaboration is clear in Kenney’s recollection that the trio “would rip [her] heart out, put it on the floor, sing a song, and heal [it] up again.”
“I approached the three of them and said, ‘Hey, I would love to create a multidisciplinary dance-inspired work with [you]’” Kenney said.
Over two years, the four artists developed AFTER/ALWAYS into a full-length production that incorporates live singing, dance, theatre, and storytelling in all aspects. Their work was supported by a residency through the Isabel Bader Centre’s IMAGINE Arts Incubator.
The piece’s indoor production gave it a more mature and intimate feel in comparison to the Main Stage Performances, which are family-friendly. The group drew inspiration from conversations about life, death, and ancestral memory. “We actually visited a spiritual medium,” Kenney explains. “A lot of imagery [from] those readings was integrated into the visuals of the performance.”
Ground UP continued to offer spaces for collaboration and learning to local artists throughout the festival. From July 7 to 12, Ground UP taught a unique movement workshop each day, including yoga, movement, and choreography sessions.
According to Kenney, workshops and classes are wonderful opportunities to network with artists. “It’s cool to have people who are more solidified in the industry and people who are hoping to get into it sharing adventures with each other,” Kenney said. “We want to expose Kingston to as many styles as possible, specifically ones that aren’t as commonly seen or [are examples of] strong professional dance.”
The 2025 festival closed on July 12, wrapping up nearly three weeks of performances, workshops, and community events.
Tags
Dance, First Year in Focus, Ground UP Dance Festival, Movement Market Collective, Performance
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