Bageshree Vaze is Artistic Director of Pratibha Arts, an organization that enhances the cultural fabric of Ontario through dance and music productions that often have influences from South Asian cultures. Bageshree is an award-winning Kathak dance artist (winner of the 2010 K.M. Hunter Award in Dance) and as a vocalist she has 5 CDs/albums to her credit. In 2004 she was named an MTV India ‘Ubbarta sitara’ (rising star) and she has performed in major festivals including the Canada Dance Festival. Her 2019 production ‘A Hidden Princess’ received three Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations (Dance Division) including one for Outstanding Performance by an Individual. Currently Bageshree is leading the Diversity Dance Initiative (DDI), a network of BIPOC dance artists; on June 9th, she is moderating a discussion as part of DDI’s Presenter Education/Outreach project about South Asian dance. Bageshree is a member of TAPA’s Equity and Inclusivity Committee.