Wind in the Leaves Collective creates bold, multidisciplinary dance theatre rooted in the African diaspora. Since 2009, we've brought together poets, choreographers, dancers, and musicians to make work that takes artistic risks and pushes genre boundaries—while expanding access to the arts in high-needs communities.

The Collective was conceived in spring 2009 through conversations between poet charles c. smith and choreographers Olga Barrios and Kevin A. Ormsby. Together, they created performance works focusing on the African diaspora that would become the foundation of our artistic practice.

Our performances explore Black history, power, and resilience through the poetry of artistic director charles c. smith. Each work brings together artists from diverse backgrounds and practices to create rich, evocative dance theatre that engages audiences on multiple levels—visceral, intellectual, and emotional. This approach culminated in our full-length production Searching for Eastman, which premiered at Canadian Stage in the 2024/25 season.