Victoria Mata

Victoria is a Venezuelan-Canadian choreographer and dancer currently training for a parallel career in Expressive Arts Therapy at The Create Institute. She has worked with internationally renowned choreographers to showcase her repertoire throughout the Americas, and is co-founder of numerous community-arts based collectives.

The Dancer Transition Resource Centre has critically impacted my life in multiple ways. When I first graduated from York University with a Masters in Contemporary Dance, I turned to the DTRC for support and sought career counselling as I began to take charge of my professional dance career. Fast forward six years later and I fell in love with Expressive Arts Therapy and the idea of using the arts to transform our relationship to trauma. I turned to the DTRC to seek a Retraining Grant and Subsistence Grant in order to commence study towards a parallel career as an Expressive Arts Therapist. When I received the news that I had been accepted for the subsidy, I cried. I felt as though I belonged to a community that supported and believed in me. I am incredibly grateful to all the DTRC supporters, patrons, staff and volunteers who make it all happen.