Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Blessyl was always curious and creative.

Blessyl Buan is a multidisciplinary dancer, choreographer, and Doctor of Chiropractic. She leverages her diverse expertise as a movement coach, clinician, and dancer to craft a training method that imparts advanced knowledge and embodiment of anatomy and kinesiology. Most importantly, she recognizes performers as spiritual, energetic beings with stories to share. Her philosophy underscores that movement proficiency and intention unlock creative expression.

Blessyl holds an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from McMaster University (2001) and a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (2005). During her clinical career, she was sought after as a chiropractor and consultant for the health of performing artists. This experience led her to initiate BIPOC Dance Health (2020), a resource dedicated to improving and dismantling the health inequities in dance medicine and allied dance health services for BIPOC dancers.

She is trained and certified in Stott Mat Pilates, Fletcher Pilates Barrework, Floorwork, and Towelwork, as well as Krasknow’s C-I Training Level 1 and Progressive Ballet Technique.

Buan has over four decades of experience in the dance world. Her foundational training includes ballet, tap, jazz, and hip hop, with subsequent training in contemporary, house, afro-fusion, Latin, and Filipino folk dance. Notably, she danced in films and on television for 17 years and served as a principal dancer from 2014 to 2016 with Hataw Performing Arts (featured on CBC Arts). She produced, performed, and choreographed “Fly in the 6” (2016), a short film paying homage to the “New Jack Swing” style of dance and the Fly Girls.

Her recent creative work draws inspiration from Philippine Indigenous traditions and the concept of “Kapwa,” which signifies the interconnectedness of Self with community, Land, and the Cosmos. Her research delves into themes of cultural preservation, identity, and ceremony through the interplay of natural materials and movement. Her short dance film, “Rara: Reweaving Diasporic Stories” (2022), was featured in Danceworks Summer Reel 2023. She served as an artist-in-residence at Toronto Dance Theatre, School of TDT, and National Ballet of Canada Open Space. Recently, she received a grant to develop a solo performance.

Blessyl is also an arts consultant and visual artist, having contributed as a member of the Nuit Blanche In View Peer Assessment team and regularly contributing to The Dance Current, Turnout Radio, and her video podcast series, “Momentum Live” (2019).

Blessyl is the creative force behind buankissed, a sustainable, handmade jewelry line that celebrates culture, shares stories, and empowers communities. A portion of net sales supports Philippine Indigenous weavers. Her collective body of work serves to nourish her spirit and influence future generations, including her four children, as they navigate the journey of transcending repression.