When I went to university, I was fully prepared to stop dancing. That was the usual narrative, right? Unless you are looking to pursue dance professionally, you stop dancing when you get to university. I don't know where this cliche came from, but for me, it was a combination of being away from my old studio and the new limitations on my time that caused me to stop dancing for a year. I still took classes every now and then, but all of them felt hollow, almost like a battered car coming to the shop for yearly maintenance

Barre Tales, Guest PostsBelinda KusumaSeptember 26, 2023dance community, adult dancers, adult ballerina, adult ballet, ballet world

Director's Letter | New home update!

It brings great joy to my heart to finally announce that The Fifth has found a place to call our own. The process has been long and sometimes felt like an impossible task but at long last!

Director's LetterSarahi CardenasNovember 14, 2022dance community, toronto dance community, toronto dance studio

One bruised tailbone, one life journey

Barre Tales is a compilation of short stories. These stories tell the tale of how our adult students found their way to the barre and what it means for them to keep exploring this wonderful movement practice.

Barre TalesMay FongSeptember 2, 2022dance training, dance community, dance, toronto dance community, adult dancers, beginner dancer, adult ballet, adult ballerina, beginner ballet, absolute beginner balletComment

Director's Letter | A new era

With the closure of so many community spaces like Dovercourt House, GMD and Dancemakers themselves, we believe that now more than ever we have to do whatever we can to keep our art form alive and most importantly, our community thriving (not just surviving). If you ever had a doubt, now is the time to fight for what you love the most.

Director's LetterSarahi CardenasApril 3, 2022dance training, dance community, dance anxiety, dance, The Fifth Dance, toronto dance studio, toronto dance communityComment

Is yoga the answer to becoming a better dancer?

Interestingly, hip internal rotation deficits have been correlated with low back and sacroiliac pain (4). Studies have shown its prevalence to be around 12% of all dance types of injuries and it can prevent you from performing the most basic positions. In other words, a healthy range of “turn-in” equals a better performing “turn-out” (5).

Sarahi CardenasFebruary 10, 2021The Fifth Dancedance, dance community, The Fifth Dance, yoga, yoga and dance, yoga benefits, becoming a better dancer, dance training, mindfulness, balance, cross-training, best dancer, yoga for dancers, better turnout, dance anxiety Comment

Director's Letter | A commitment to Toronto's dance community

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.

Sarahi CardenasJanuary 4, 2021The Fifth Dancedance community, toronto dance community, The Fifth Dance, toronto dance studioComment