Join MOCA this Free First Friday Night for a performance rooted in response and dialogue, set within the vivid and surreal atmosphere of Alex Da Corte’s exhibition, Ear Worm.
Toronto-based dance artists, Rakeem Hardy and Sully Malaeb Proulx, will perform an hour-long improvisation in conversation with Da Corte’s video installation Rubber Pencil Devil.
Hardy and Proulx’s movements respond to both the audio as well as Da Corte’s gestures within the film, which features Da Corte morphing into a range of pop culture figures including Mister Rogers, Marcel Duchamp, and the Wicked Witch of the West. The pair’s performance unfolds within this shifting terrain, housed by the exhibition’s glowing projection cubes and evolving washes of colour. Their improvised gestures offer a live, physical counterpart to Da Corte’s exploration of identity, artifice, and the cultural symbols that shape how we see ourselves and the world around us.
This performance is part of MOCA’s Free First Friday Nights. Free tickets can be obtained ahead of time or at the door. Book in advance to reserve your spot!
About the Artists
Rakeem Hardy (they/them) is a black, queer, agender dance artist originally from Toronto, Canada. They received their BFA and the Thayer Fellowship Award from the State University of New York at Purchase College.
They have performed works by Ohad Naharin, Doug Varone, Sidra Bell, Norbert De La Cruz III, and Roderick George. They received additional training at the Taipei National University of the Arts, as well at Springboard Danse Montreal where they performed pieces by Crystal Pite, Alejandro Cerrudo, and Aszure Barton. Rakeem has collaborated and performed with A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, Collectif LA TRESSE, Loni Landon Dance Projects, and Gallim Dance. Hardy is a current member of the Vancouver-based company, Kidd Pivot.
Sully Malaeb Proulx (he/they) is a Québécois-Lebanese freelance dance artist based in Tkaronto. After training at the Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre, they earned a BFA in dance from The State University of New York at Purchase College (2020). They received additional training at the London Contemporary Dance School and Springboard Danse Montréal.
Sully has performed works by, and with, artists from near and far, performing across Canada, New York, Spain, and India. They were part of the Dora Award-winning ensemble of James Kudelka’s The Man in Black with Citadel + Compagnie (2024).
In addition to performing, Sully is a dance educator in Tkaronto, where they incorporate the Limón modern dance technique into their teaching, focusing on progressive Western technical training.
June Community Weekend Schedule
Friday
5–9 pm: Free First Friday Night
7–8 pm: Performance: Rakeem Hardy
Saturday
12 pm and 2 pm: Drop-in Tour
1–4 pm: Artist-led Workshop*
Handbuilt Ceramics with Parkdale Pottery
*There is a fee of $100 per person. General Admission to the museum is included. MOCA Members at the Individual level and above are eligible for workshop discounts.
Sunday
10 am–5 pm: Free Museum Admission
10 am–4 pm: Drop-in Workshop: Seed Paper Craft
