The Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies is delighted to congratulate Professor Seika Boye, who recently travelled to Halifax, Nova Scotia to open her exhibition, It’s About Time: Dancing Black in Canada 1900–1970 and Now, at the Dalhousie Art Gallery. The exhibition runs until April 12, 2026.
The opening drew an extraordinary turnout, with over 170 people in attendance, and has already garnered notable media coverage, including features on CTV News and Global News. You can also watch a short highlight reel capturing moments from the event and providing a closer look at the exhibition.
A dream realized in Nova Scotia
Reflecting on the experience, Professor Boye described opening the exhibition at Dalhousie Art Gallery as “a dream come true.” She emphasized the profound history and cultural contributions of Nova Scotia’s Black communities and noted how working with local research assistants and artists helped renew and deepen her fifteen-year engagement with this research.
“The photos, stories, and responsive artworks all offer new understanding, perspectives, and questions,” she shared.
A celebration of community and creativity
The vibrant opening was shaped through a collaboration with Dalhousie Art Gallery’s curator and director, Pamela Edmonds, whom Boye called “one of our country’s finest contemporary art curators.” Together, they envisioned the reception as both a celebration and a platform for the rich literature, dance, music, and visual art emerging from Nova Scotia today.
“It was magical and deeply rewarding,” Boye said. Attendees spanned generations—children, students, faculty, arts patrons, community members, and leaders from Black, Dalhousie, and broader Halifax communities. Boye also expressed her joy for the artists featured in the exhibition: “Their impactful and broad-ranging responses to the archival materials contribute to a body of work with dancing and Blackness as its subject.”
Moments that will stay with her
Among the many meaningful conversations that took place, Boye noted how especially moving it was to hear stories from senior members of Halifax’s Black community who recognized their experiences reflected in the exhibition. Their excitement and generosity left a lasting impression.
“One person said, ‘I can’t believe this event was free—I’ve never been to anything like this.’ That has stuck with me,” Boye recalled. “It will all be with me for a long time to come.”
Congratulations once again to Professor Boye on this remarkable achievement and her significant contributions to advancing the understanding on the histories of dance within Canada's Black populations.
BRN Brilliance feature
Professor Boye was also featured on U of T's Black Research Network website in the the article, U of T researcher brings more than 70 years of Black dance history across Canada. In the article and BRN Brillance YouTube interview, she talks about how her exibit is uniting scholars, artists and communities to preserve Black performance histories in Canada.