Director's Letter | A commitment to Toronto's dance community
What a wonderful year 2020 was.
That's right, you read it correctly.
As eventful as this year has been, we cannot help but thank you. And it's not just a regular thank you like the one you get from a stranger you kindly hold the door for. This is the OMG without you, we wouldn't have a reason to get out of bed kind of thank you.
This year has opened our eyes to the true levels of resilience, kindness and compassion that make humanity what it is. Now more than ever, we know how essential artists are for a life worth living. And that for most of us, what we truly miss aren't material things but the privilege to be around people and feed on their energy, recognize their creative geniuses and be astonished by the feelings their creations inspire within us. Heck, some of these incredible artists had made us feel all of this from a screen!
I'd like this to be a love letter to all artists and arts supporters alike. The Fifth as an institution has a strong but straightforward mission, to be a facilitator, a provider if you will. If there's something that this year has left us with is a newfound commitment to being of service to our dance community. We might be young in age and for some, perhaps our dreams of encouraging a non-toxic, all-inclusive community might be too utopian. Nonetheless, we will do everything within our power (and then some) to be a place where everyone can find a sense of belonging but at the same time that challenges us outside our comfort zones. A home where even when you don't see a clear sense of purpose you feel safe to take your time within the stillness of a pliΔ or a high release. And above all, a space where no one person fits the mould but rather creates it with their own expression of movement.
Here's to a new year full of challenges because how can we expect to grown without them? A new year powered by hope, dreams and wishes because what else would help us to keep pushing? And a new year filled with compassion because what are we without one another?
From all of us at The Fifth,
HAPPY NEW YEAR