Mpoe Mogale to work with Good Women Dance as inaugural dancer-in-residence (2024 pilot)

In 2024, the EAC put out a call for submissions for the Dance Residency pilot program as a direct result of one of the recommendations from the State of Dance report and focus groups with the dance community. Through the Dance Residency pilot, the EAC aimed to invest in the development and capacity of the Edmonton dance sector by fostering collaborations between artists (individual artists or a collective of artists) and organizations, providing time and space for artists to experiment, reflect, create and collaborate. 

From that process in 2024, Mpoe Mogale was selected as the first artist to participate in the Dance Residency pilot. A new version of the residency is also open now; visit our website for details and apply before September 2. 

Mpoe Mogale (they/​them) is from Lebowakgomo, South Africa and currently resides in amiskwaciy/​Edmonton. They hold a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Political Science, and a wealth of expertise in community-based research, facilitation, and arts administration. Mpoe’s primary art practice is dance, with a curiosity in the place of Blackness in spaces that deny it, as explored through several projects including ​“What (Black) Life Requires” (produced by Mile Zero Dance and Azimuth Theatre) and their ongoing project ​“Rediscovering our Place-Ancestors in the Prairies” (produced by Swallow-a-Bicycle Theatre). With over five years of teaching styles mainly created by Black folks, Mpoe is committed to going beyond the steps they teach, offering the knowledge, culture, and historical aspects that accompany dance forms such as Afrobeats, Jazz and Hip-Hop. 

In 2024 Mpoe was selected for Good Women Dance’s featured artist program to pursue a project of their choosing. Recalls Mpoe, ​“they encouraged me to dream up what that might look like and it resulted in me dreaming up a Black dance collective that’s rooted in abolitionist values. Deviani from Good Women recommended that we find funding so that all the dreams could come to fruition in an abundant way, and the dance residency pilot from EAC came up during that time.” 

“It’s beautiful how the [Dance Residency pilot] allows for intentionality; it’s not focused on a product. It means that this initial year is dedicated to training and cultivating a strong foundation. Included in that is dance training from various artists – local artists, some international artists. We will also be mentored by abolitionists, consultants and mentors.” 

“We’re excited to support Mpoe in their residency by offering insight into the inner workings of our organizational structure,” said Deviani Andrea, Good Women Collective member. ​“We’ll be sharing tools, strategies, and frameworks that have helped us sustain our practice — resources that can serve as a foundation as they build their own collective structure. This includes our approaches to care-centered policies, accountability practices, task management systems, collaborative decision-making, and fundraising. Our goal is to create a supportive environment where Mpoe can engage deeply, ask questions, and adapt what resonates for their own future work.” 

“What also resonated deeply with us was Mpoe’s commitment to abolitionist frameworks and justice-centered artmaking,” added Deviani. ​“This perspective challenges and expands our own understanding of collective work and community building, and we’re eager to learn through this collaboration. Supporting this project is not only about helping Mpoe realize their vision — it’s also about growing together, as artists and as people.” 

With the guidance of the Good Women Dance Collective, Mpoe hopes to build the strong foundation for a Black dance collective that will be able to continue on when they decide to one day pass the torch. According to Mpoe, ​“we want this not to be a hierarchical endeavor. The hope is that we’re all in this together so everybody has a stake in the collective.” 

There will be plenty of opportunities for the public to engage with the work of this new collective. ​“We will have open studio time for observation, sharing and participation,” added Mpoe. ​“It doesn’t make sense that only four or five dancers in the city have access to such brilliant artists that we’ll be bringing in, so we’ll also be opening some of these classes up for the public. Anybody who’s interested in these art forms will be invited to come in and learn from these esteemed artists alongside us, and to also learn about the collective itself. We’ll be opening these possibilities as much as possible as soon as we have our footing.” 

Interested in being part of this new Black dance collective? 

From October 2025 to May 2026, Good Women Dance Collective will offer mentorship and resources to Mpoe Mogale, Cherelle George, and three selected dancers during the collective’s foundational year. This phase will include extensive dance training, mentorship, creative exploration, and relationship-building among members — meeting three days a week.

Applications are welcome from artists who call amiskwaciy (Edmonton) home as well as those willing to relocate, provided they can commit to at least two consecutive seasons with the collective of building toward a Black dance institution in the Prairies grounded in care, anti-oppression, and collaboration.

APPLICATION FINAL SUBMISSION DATE: August 31, 2025 – midnight (PST)

Learn more about Good Women Dance Collective’s Call to Dancers here. 

Dance Residency 2025

Following feedback about the first iteration of the pilot program, the EAC has revised the guidelines and is now accepting applications for a second residency. 

The residency will support an individual artist in the creation, research, development, and revision of work, by financially supporting the artist to dedicate time to that work. This residency will also include access to the dance studio at The Orange Hub that has been negotiated and contracted by the EAC in partnership with Arts Habitat Edmonton. The selected artist will have six months of access to this studio space from the beginning of January to the end of June 2026. 

Applications for the second iteration of the Dance Residency will be accepted until September 2, 2025, at 11:59 AM (noon). Learn more about the Dance Residency on the EAC website.