In retrospect, we can see how the pandemic re-routed artists and organizations, for the better and worse. Common Ground Dance Festival was one of the silver linings of that dark cloud, that was precipitated through questions around the seeming impossibility of the continuation of dance; both practically due to Covid-19 restrictions that undermined the value of the art-form, and metaphorically - the opportunity to reset meant we could start anew and get more serious about our commitments to addressing issues of equity and access. CGDF was conceived through conversations that asked Why does dance matter? and What can dance do for us, that is both essential and irreplaceable?

The answer, as non-lingual and non-linear as dance itself, drew us back to our roots. TOES was originally an acronym for The Outreach and Exchange Strategy; naming the central tenants of our founders’ shared practice - building relationships and facilitating artistic conversations. Although we don’t use T.O.E.S. publicly as an acronym anymore, those values were calling us “home” as we reflected further on what was possible from the isolation of our homes. We landed on an outdoor community dance festival in public space; an idea that was made manifest through conversations with North York Arts that steered us towards the Toronto Arts Council’s Animating Toronto Parks grant program.

Rooted in the notion of “the commons” (a term to describe all that is collectively shared including nature and community spaces), Common Ground Dance Festival responds to social and arts sector issues by curating intercultural choreographic programming amidst everyday life. We bring dance into spaces that are frequented by local residents for daily enjoyment and function; closing the gap between artists and audiences to remove barriers from arts participation.

This year, we are enthusiastic about Tanveer Alam’s expanding role with TFD as Co-Curator/Festival Producer for CGDF; stemming from his ongoing relationship with TFD that has included leading a workshop at Ignite Movement Lab (2022), presenting a work-in-progress at CGDF,  participating in the CGDF 2024 selection committee, and being one of the inaugural artists of the Process+Practice Dance Residency (2023). His tenacity, care, and artistic rigour have already elevated the work of our organization. Expanding his role is in alignment with our organizational commitment to wholesomely nurturing the development of artists and arts workers relationally, while including his perspective as a Kathak artist on our leadership team means his important perspectives will help steer and inform TFD’s future of supporting artists working in non-dominant communities of practice.

-David Norsworthy and Chantelle Good (TFD Co-Directors)

First, thank you to David and Chantelle for extending this opportunity to me. As an emerging dancer and maker in Toronto, I’ve developed some DIY skills in production, primarily out of practical necessity to execute and resource my dance endeavors. These skills were further honed through opportunities to work with Collective Space Toronto and Rodney Diverlus in administrative capacities. I am excited to further acquire and deepen my skills in this field through my work at the Common Ground Dance Festival. I am eager to learn from the models set in place by the TOES FOR DANCE team and to introduce some of my own working methods. Curation has always been an area of interest for me, and I’ve had the chance to explore it through several key opportunities. I am thrilled to support David and Chantelle in the ongoing curatorial ideation of this festival, with a focused approach on interculturalism. This goal can only be achieved when mainstream organizations center artists of non-dominant practices, establishing relationships that extend beyond a single engagement. I strongly believe in the need for programming that is relational, showcasing a multiplicity of artistic expressions in dialogue with one another. I hope that my work with TOES FOR DANCE allows audiences to experience that there isn’t only one approach to dance, and emphasizes our collective responsibility to broaden our references and understanding.

-Tanveer Alam

Since Tanveer joined the TFD team as Artistic Associate in 2023, and thanks to his important questions, we’ve been unpacking what ‘intercultural’ could mean beyond multicultural representation. Together, we’re curious about the facilitation of public spaces that are creative, embodied, and intersectional. If culture is the way patterns of interaction are embedded into our lives, an intercultural dialogue welcomes and engages the historical, political, and social contexts that we carry. CGDF can be a space of gathering and sharing; acknowledging that although we don’t need to agree to create community between us, we must be respectful, curious, and willing to engage and learn – with cores values of reciprocity and solidarity to ground us. 

A microcosm of the festival, our intercultural collaboration as a team is already re-shaping the festival to reflect a shared vision; one that also includes the energy, ambition, and artistry of TFD’s Community Arts Coordinator Keira Marie Forde.