RESUME
Bio
Chenise Mitchell is a Jazzer; a performing artist driven by rhythm and social and ancestral connection. With a BFA and 20 years of experience, Chenise has toured North America, and has performed in commercials, festivals, and music videos and has created and collaborated for festivals, musicals and plays. Chenise is the founder and director of Spinal Rhythm Jazz, which offers classes, lecture demos, choreography and dramaturgy in Toronto and welcomes supporters of Black & Indigenous arts. Its mission is to create a safer space for BIPOC folks to become aware of the intelligence that innately lives within them.
As founder and director of Spinal Rhythm Jazz, Chenise offers classes and collaborations for creatives. Its mission is to create a safer space for the exploration of the origins of Jazz dance and music and its influence on the world today. Spinal Rhythm Jazz is focused on supporting people in understanding that the knowledge carried in their bodies is intelligent and valuable.
Experience​
2025
WonderVerse - Performer/Host
Candlelight Concert: Night of Soul & Funk - Dancer for FeverUp
Does That Make Me Crazy - Actor
2024
R.A.V.E. Institute - Dance Captain & Performer
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2023
Know Your Thang - Creator & performer for International Alliance of Blacks in Dance through Dance Immersion
YENSA Festival - Workshop Facilitator/Teacher, accompaniment by Eric West and Julian Anderson-Bowes
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2022
You, Meet Us - Assistant/dramaturge, creation by Rodney Diverlus for TMU Dances
Margarita - Holla Jazz for Fall For Dance North
Ballet Jorgen Summer showcase - Choreographer
Provocation Festival - Solo performer
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2021
Dancing in the Park ONLINE - Toy Guns Dance Theatre
Curator and Performer
burn, burned - SummerWorks 2021
Performer/Collaborator - Created by Rodney Diverlus & Syrus Marcus Ware in collaboration with the artists and various Toronto based artists - Raven Davis, Jaz Fairy J & more
Makda - Witch Prophet music video
Performer
The Capilano Review - Looking For A Way To Dance - Winter 2021 magazine & launch
Writer/Contributor/Performer
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2020
It Ain't No Thing - EveryBODY On Stage
Tapper
Detangling - Dance Matters [A Woman’s Work - Series A (Online)]
Contemporary Jazz performance created and performed by Chenise Mitchell
A Revolution of Love - Awakenings [Toronto History Museums]
Dancer - Choreographed by Esie Mensah, Directed by Weyni Mengesha and Lucious Dechausay
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2019
Halcyon - Nuit Blanche 2019
Improviser - site specific & durational performance- created by Francesca Chudnoff
burn, burned - SummerWorks 2019
Dancer/Performer/Collaborator - Created by Rodney Diverlus & Syrus Marcus Ware
Worldly Women - Dance Fachin
Dancer/Performer - Ottawa Fringe & PEI Island Fringe
Nunsense! The Musical - JMP Productions
Sister Hubert - directed by Julien Murilo
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2018
BOTANICA - Ignite! Festival 2018
Dancer - Choreography by Sabrina Naz
Kept Progression - Particle + Wave Festival
Dancer/Improvisor - Choreography by Sabrina Naz, Media by Aran Wilkinson-Blanc
Re:research - Adelheid Dance
Dancer/Improvisor - Collaboration with Alyssa Martin (Rock Bottom Movement)
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2017
inVISIBLE - Handsome Alice Theatre
Performer/Creator/Collaborator
Century - short film (VIFF 2018)
Actor - Created/Directed by Left Side Pictures
In&Out of Love - One Yellow Rabbit
Interdisciplinary performance - Choreographed & directed by Denise Clarke
Calgary International Children’s Festival
Dancer/Character Actor (Sleepy Bear) - created by Bach Tots
Yapping Ladies - MADbeatz
Tap & Character piece, created and performed by Chenise Mitchell and Alicia Ward
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2016
A Streetcar Named Desire - Spirit Fire Theatre
Actor - Neighbour, Nurse - Directed by Paul Welch
Wait! - Fluid Festival 2016
Dance theatre piece - choreographed, written and performed by Chenise Mitchell
Cool - Ignite! Festival 2016
site-specific theatre created and performed by Chenise Mitchell
Yapping Ladies - SoulSteps Festival
Tap & character piece, choreographed and performed by Chenise Mitchell and Alicia Ward
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2015
Not Now, Maybe Later - Annual Alberta Dance Festival
Dancer - Choreographed by Rodney Diverlus
The I in stare - Ignite! Festival 2015
site-specific dance piece and monologue created and performed by Chenise Mitchell
Soteria - Mount Royal Artio Choir
Dancer - choreographed by Paul Anthony Chambers
Chenise is creator, director teacher
Chenise has taught with:​
Etobicoke School
of the Arts
Education
Queer ASL
Continuous ASL education from deaf instructors.
Chenise takes various course with Queer ASL.
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Wildseed Black Arts Fellowship
​2020 - 2022
13 Toronto based Black artists work with the founders of Wildseed Centre for Art and Activism to change the world around us for the better.
Faculty include: Rodney Diverlus, Ravyn Wings, Syrus Marcus Ware, Jaz Fairy J, and more.
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Decidedly Jazz Danceworks
​2014 - 2016
As part of the Professional Training Program Chenise was able to develop her artistry and continue to find her voice with weekly classes and mentorship.
Classes included: West African dance, Jazz dance, Jazz music theory, Tap, Ballet.
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Ryerson University
​2010 - 2014
She got her BFA in Theatre Performance - Dance!
Faculty included: Nadia Potts, Vicky St. Denys, Karen Duplisea, Linda Garneau, Arsenio Andrade, Marianne McIssac, David Warrack
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Joanne Chapman School of Dance
1999-2008
RAD Certificate Grade 1 - Advanced 2