Dancing into Communities Canada Virtual Conference Proceedings July 10 – 15, 2022: 15th conference of Dance and the Child International

Permanent URI for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/10315/42081

It is said that there is nothing so consistent as change. This is particularly true of the daCi 2022 Conference, which was originally planned to occur in July 2021 at York University in Toronto, Canada. When the COVID pandemic created a world health crisis, we postponed the conference for one year. However, due to the continued precarity of gathering together, we ultimately made the decision to offer the conference virtually. While the preparations leading up to the daCi 2022 Conference were extremely challenging, we were very pleased that the responses during and after the conference were very positive.

The content was a carefully calculated blend of pre-recorded students’ dance performances, papers, posters, and workshops with live presentations by most keynote speakers, along with many panels, workshops, papers, and research discussions. Every session concluded with a live ‘Question and Answer’ period so that delegates could chat, and discussion rooms were available for casual visits among colleagues. Each day began at 7 am Eastern time and concluded by 10 pm Eastern time with large breaks throughout the day. This facilitated registrants across all time zones to participate throughout their day at convenient times for them.

In large part our ‘virtual’ success was due to the tremendous commitment and expertise of the technology experts at York University, for which we are very grateful. Technology rehearsals were available and smoothed the way for all speakers, leaders, and moderators.

The Opening Ceremony presented inspiring young dancers from 7 performing groups from across Canada. We were welcomed by Susan Koff, outgoing daCi Chair from the USA, and Jeff Meiners, the then-incoming Chair from Australia. During the conference, 130 young people participated in Creative Gatherings and Exploring our Futures sessions that were led by a total of 16 facilitators. Each group included dancers from different countries, with young people from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Uganda, Jamaica, the USA, South Africa and Barbados having the opportunity to create dances and talk with one another.

Exploring our Futures was a new initiative that focused on the importance of Good Health and Well-being, one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The discussions around mental health were greatly appreciated by everyone.

Another new initiative was the Indigenous Forum, which offered a panel of Indigenous dance educators from Canada, Australia, Uganda, and Brazil who addressed issues and questions regarding appropriate inclusion of Indigenous dance in the curriculum. We hope to continue this discussion in the future.

We thank everyone who gave presentations and who participated in the 2022 virtual conference.

Nancy Francis and Norma Sue Fisher-Stitt
daCi Conference Co-Chairs, Canada, 2022

Land Acknowledgement and Context

Introduction to proceedings
By Sue Cheesman, Norma Sue Fisher-Stitt and Ann Kipling Brown

Keynotes

No excuses no limits!
By Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli

Luca “Lazylegz” Canadian B-Boy artist talked and demonstrated from his lived experience about his dance journey. He introduced us to his personal motto NO EXCUSES NO LIMITS which underpins all he does with the belief that anything is possible striving towards the limitless possibilities each person has. Combining his passion for dance with his knowledge of engaging the masses, he has become a strong advocate for inclusion and integration as he aims to bring people of all abilities together through the power of dance. He created ILL-Abilities, an international B-boy crew comprised of some of the world’s best differently abled dancers. He champions how persistence and an open mind to find creative solutions allows people to overcome any obstacle and is testament to where he is today.

Retrospection and Evolution
By Ann Kipling Brown

Ann Kipling Brown, made a trip down memory lane with the thoughts and ideas of the participants, using their own words and visual media to underline the journey and significant role of daCi. The keynote panel presentation celebrates and reflects upon Dance and the Child International (daCi), the one organization that focuses on all aspects of dance for young children and youth.

It seemed appropriate in the 40th anniversary year of the organization that we consider daCi’s journey from its inception to the present day. To do this I explored the daCi and Boorman archives, talked and interviewed people who have worked so diligently to maintain the goals of daCi, and, of course, considered my own involvement with the organization. My recent conversations with Joyce revealed her continued passion and commitment to dance education through her reflections about her teaching, publications, workshops, connections with public schools and the children’s theatre.