Esie Mensah

Biography

Esie Mensah (she/her) is an artist whose creative footprint extends into many genres, disciplines and regions. As a dancer, choreographer, director, educator and public speaker, Esie’s talent for of storytelling is as diverse as her experience. She has worked with megastars like Rihanna, Drake and Arcade Fire and iconic brands like Coca-Cola, TIFF and the Toronto Raptors and was a featured speaker at TEDxToronto 2019, where she spoke about her experience as a dark-skinned dancer and the process of creating her Dora-nominated production Shades. Her short film, A Revolution of Love, opened Toronto History Museum’s ongoing Awakenings initiative to decolonize historic spaces. More recently, Esie announced the world premiere of her newest short film, TESSEL, co-commissioned by Fall For Dance North and Harbourfront Centre. TESSEL is a national call of healing supported by 21 dance organizations from across Canada, streaming online at www.tessel.film.

Mensah previously worked with The National Ballet of Canada through Sharing the Stage at Harbourfront Centre in August 2021 and is now on the advisory committee for CreativAction’s Open Space programme.