Cindy Ansah is a storyteller—a vibrant embodiment of culture. A multidimensional creative, she moves fluidly between her roles as a dance artist, actress, filmmaker, writer, fashion visionary, and muse, dialoguing in Mohkínstsis (Calgary) and across Turtle Island. Since completing her BFA in Dance from the University of Calgary and rounding out her undergraduate career with a minor in English, Cindy has had the opportunity to engage as a dynamic member of the performing arts community in Mohkinstsis, collaborating with local organizations and institutions such as Arts Commons, Theatre Calgary, Ghost River Theatre, Woezo Africa Music & Dance Theatre Inc., Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, Village Girls, Aluma Studio, Carifest, Casa De Naz, kloetzel&co, Forcier Stage Works, the University of Calgary School of Creative and Performing Arts and Alberta University for the Arts.
Cindy’s choreography and dance film works have been presented in Not Another Political Playground Y’all (N.A.P.P.Y.), DanceWorks’ Moving Online Film Showcase (Tkaronto/Toronto), the MOVING BODY Festival (Bulgaria), Fluid Fest, Dancers’ Studio West’s Quick + Dirty Festival, WildDogs International Screendance Festival, and the IGNITE! Festival for Emerging Artists (Mohkinstsis/Calgary). In 2022, Cindy made her short film debut in Misha Maseka’s Not That Deep, a two-time award-winner at the Berlin Short Film Festival, prompting her return for the sequel, Sweeter Blue, for Telus Storyhive. Her literary ambitions have enabled her written body of work to be featured in The Dance Current, Springboard Performance, Alberta Dance Alliance, and the 4th iteration of Configurations in Motion: Performance Curation and Communities of Colour.
Since 2020, Cindy has been devoted to her role as Artistic Director of Not Another Political Playground Y’all (N.A.P.P.Y.), which has produced two acclaimed seasons. She co-founded the all-Black contemporary arts collective with collaborator Tiara Matusin, with the shared aspiration to champion Black artistry and Black collectivity in all their breadth, depth, and nuance. Additionally, she continues to deepen her creative roots by tending to the fertile intersections of her artistic expressions, forging a liberatory practice grounded in collaboration.