BIOGRAPHY - Collette 'Coco' Murray
Collette 'Coco" Murray is a multi-award-winning artist-scholar, cultural arts programmer, dance educator and arts consultant with published works in dance media and academic journals. With over 20 years in the Canadian arts sector, she specializes in Afro-diasporic dance forms from the West African region, Caribbean Folk, and carnival arts. Coco Moko Jumbie is part of her stiltwalking/dance explorations to connect with Caribbean and Western Afrikan cosmologies.
Born in Toronto with South American heritage, she studied with master teachers from West Africa, the Caribbean, and the USA and performed with several Toronto-based dance companies. As an advocate for equity in the arts, her artistry extends beyond performance to teaching, arts education, mentoring, curation, community arts engagement and publications. Miss Coco Murray is her mobile dance education business, informed by her research and praxis in advancing cultural dance education, anti-racism in dance and inclusion of African diasporic arts knowledge. She is the artistic director of Coco Collective, an intergenerational team of artists offering culturally relevant and responsive projects to connect participants to African and Caribbean arts. Murray received international recognition by the National Dance Education Organization's 2023 Outstanding Leadership in Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Dance Education. Murray's dedication to the dance sector extends to significant contributions of collaboratively working with culturally diverse communities and creating access to arts and culture in Toronto.
Miss Coco's journey began when she performed, apprenticed, and taught recreational dance classes in her childhood neighbourhood with the City of Toronto, Parks and Recreation division. This was a social response to insert cultural dance where it was egregiously absent and bridge a disconnection she had with her multi-ethnic heritage. Murray discussed her entry into dance in Toronto Arts Foundation's impact story for International Dance Day 2021. Murray trained for a few years in COBA's professional apprenticeship training program and performed in their 19th season, Les Rhymes de la Forêt, while serving as an understudy. Murray studies dance forms with master teachers from West Africa, Caribbean, and USA such as M'Bemba Bangoura, Youssouf Koumbassa and Delton Frank. Murray performed for several years among a few Toronto-based dance companies and continues to collaborate with intergenerational artists. Previous affiliations include Caribbean Folk Performers, Ijo Vudu, Caribbean Dance Theatre, Alpha Rhythm Roots, Baro Dunumba, Kobena Aquaa-Harrison, Ronald Taylor Dance and Black Stars Entertainment. Past highlights are working with choreographers Chester Whitmore (LA) and Paulette Brockington in a swing dance performance in the 2012 International Association of Blacks in Dance conference (Toronto); and two performances in the NBA Toronto Raptors half-time show as part of Esie Mensah Creations for Giants of Africa (2015) and the NBA Celebrates Black History Month in 2017.
After 13 years teaching her programs with the City of Toronto, she transitioned to teach in schools and arts organizations such as dance Immersion, Kaleidoscope’s program in Scarbourough Arts and East End Arts. She was sought out for workshops and arts programming by existing performance groups. She previously served as dance faculty of Children's Youth & Dance Theatre and taught dance classes in the Durham region for four years. Predominately, her artistic work was with young Black girls and women but also with hundreds of students across the GTA. In December 2021, Coco experimented in RBC Episodes for choreographic research and taught classes in a residency at Toronto Dance Theatre, bringing live percussion and Mandinka music-dance systems to train the company's dancers. Coco mentored several young, black emerging artists through her dance mentorship and as an established artist/mentor for Vibe Arts. While presenting research at international conferences and panels, Coco occasionally performs, curates, provides DEI expertise and guest teaches for organizations such as the National Ballet School of Canada.
ADVOCACY/ LEADERSHIP
Murray's advocacy includes equity and diversity in the arts within the dance and education sectors. Currently, Murray leads as Chair of Dance Umbrella of Ontario (DUO) Board of Directors and the National Council member for Canadian Dance Assembly to support provincial and national services for the professional dance sector. For six years, Murray was pivotal in guiding Arts Etobicoke's strategic and equity planning to diversify artistic programming, engagement within North Etobicoke (Rexdale), and to work with equity frameworks throughout their organization.
EDUCATION
Murray pursues a PhD in Dance Studies with the School of Arts, Media, Performance and Design at York University. Murray holds a Master of Education, Specialized Honours BA in Race, Ethnicity & Indigeneity (Summa Cum Laude) and a Certificate in Anti-Racist Research and Practice from York University. Her BA in Sociology was from University of Toronto.
AWARDS
Murray is the 2023 National Award recipient for Outstanding Leadership in Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion from the US-based National Dance Education Organization, given to an individual who has demonstrated excellence in creating ideas for programs, curriculums, and/or projects that have had a significant impact on their specific field of dance education and who has demonstrated leadership on a national level. Unbeknownst to Murray, she was nominated and awarded by Urban Alliance for Race Relations with its 2022 Racial Justice Award for Creative Arts for being a changemaker for anti-racism efforts in dance in the province of Ontario. Collette received a 2022 Women Who Rock Award for continued work to centralize the importance of cultural arts in dance and education sectors. In 2021, Collette's Griots in Sight was part of Art's Etobicoke's augmented reality project where her dance narratives was overlay of new cultural narratives on pre-historical commissioned murals in Islington Village. This project was selected as a finalist in the inaugural Toronto Artscape Foundation/UrbanLand Institute's Tim Jones Creative Placemaking Award within the Greater Golden Horseshoe region for addressing the anti-Black racism and lack of people of color on commissioned public murals. Toronto Arts Foundation’s Neighbourhood Arts Network recognized her as the 2019 Community Arts Award recipient for her significant contributions in transforming local communities through art and making arts accessible. Additional recognition includes being one of 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women honorees in 2020 and the Canadian Dance Assembly's 2013 recipient of their "I love Community" dance Award. In 2014, she was named a Role Model in the inaugural Black Canadian Awards. With support from the Canada, Ontario, and Toronto Arts Councils, Murray is grateful for the funding her dance development and the arts-based projects she designs.
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