I was commissioned to create a photo essay for the CBC on the topic of my choosing. The request was for local stories from the Calgary community - something I’m passionate about. As ‘the arts guy,’ I immediately looked to performing arts for inspiration.
There have been a lot of writings about theatres and studios being forced to remain shuttered during the pandemic, and I felt like I had already said my piece about it. Looking more broadly at the communities that have developed and supported me as an artist, I wanted to turn my attention towards individuals that were making a difference, and more specifically, focussing on mental health. One of the shining examples, in my opinion, is the work that dance instructor and my co-collaborator Emily Losier has been doing with her young students at Soul Connexion dance studio.
I spent the day with Emily, both at her home studio and in her online-and-in-person ‘hybrid’ dance class to gain better insight into how deep of an impact the heart of a teacher makes on their students.
Click to read the full essay on CBC.ca
