Magnetic celebration of dance as a revitalizing ritual
GUELPH, ON October 1, 2026 — Inspired, choreographed, and performed by women, Svāhā! by Nova Dance is a celebration of dance and its transformative powers. Connecting a diversity of dance forms and cultural backgrounds, Svāhā! asks, how can we be better together? Created by the award-winning choreographer and director Nova Bhattacharya, this vibrant spectacle of movement takes River Run Centre’s Main Stage on Thursday, October 29 at 7:30 p.m.
This performance of Svāhā! is co-presented with Guelph Dance as part of River Run’s Borealis Dance Series, which celebrates the powerful impact of storytelling through movement. The show is made possible by Series Sponsor Borealis Grille & Bar, as well as returning Season Sponsor Richardson Wealth, Canada Council for the Arts, and the Government of Canada.
Bhattacharya shares, “I am inspired by the eloquence of the human body and the intelligence of the senses. The potential for dance to stimulate people emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually drives my commitment to creating dances that exalt the human spirit and express ideas that words cannot.”
This inspiration comes to life through her compelling choreography combined with the show’s music, colours, and sensations. The performers in Svāhā! are trained in dance forms ranging from Bharatanatyam, Yorchha, and Keralanadanam, to hip hop, jazz, ballet, and tap. Bhattacharya wonderfully weaves these styles together into a cohesive language of movement.
Bhattacharya founded Nova Dance in 2008 on the principle that if you build for the margins, then everyone is included. She has always been a rebel, reinterpreting traditions and reinventing rituals, bringing a sense of festivity to all her creations.
An active artist, Bhattacharya is a writer, consultant, and a mentor, and a regular participant in seminars focused on dance, art, diversity, and inclusion. She has won multiple awards including the Dancing Damsels Inc. Women Achiever Award (2019), the Pink Attitude Game Changer Award (2018), and the Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement in Dance (2012), among others.
Tickets to Svāhā! by Nova Dance are $49 for adults, $47 for patrons over 60 years old, and $29 for those under 30, or Subscribe & Save 20% when you buy tickets to four or more shows. Sliding Scale tickets are also available to this show for $10 and $20. For more information or to purchase, call 519-763-3000, visit River Run’s Box Office at 35 Woolwich Street in Guelph, or purchase tickets online.
FOR INFORMATION
Kasia Rusiniak | Program Manager, Development and Marketing
River Run Centre
City of Guelph
519-837-5662 ext. 2589
[email protected]