Black Lives Matter - Please Read.

Hello everyone,

At the forefront of my to-do list right now, is to be an active ally to my colleagues who are guiding the way through the 2020 Civil Rights movement. I have been opting to limit my online presence lately, so as to not contribute to the white noise. I am signing petitions including this one. I am supporting Black-owned organizations such as Black Lives Matter. As a leader in the Toronto Dance Community I feel a responsibility to act, and I encourage you to do the same.

I want to take this time, to formally acknowledge that Kylie Thompson Dance as an organization warmly welcomes members of the BIPOC community into any space we create. We also warmly welcome all walks of life, including but not limited to members of the LGBTQ+ community. I also acknowledge the history, and the work that I personally need to do surrounding the very land that I stand and dance on, and operate my company on. Please read my Land Acknowledgement.

One area where I am hoping to contribute to this movement, is in the Dance spaces of rural Ontario where I have taught youth over the past several years. A large part of my resume consists of giving guest workshops, as well periodically teaching in regular weekly time slots at various studios. I have begun work to liaise these contacts (studio owners) with contacts of mine from various Black cultural groups (mainly dance artists) in the GTA. My goal is to help educate, and in the process be further educated myself.

If you are a studio owner in Rural Ontario (or anywhere, for that matter) and recognize your responsibility as a leader, to educate your clients on the subject of Anti-racism - please contact me as soon as possible.

If you are a Black artist, interested in hosting an educational seminar on the topic of Anti-racism, please contact me as soon as possible. This would be a paid opportunity.

Thank you so much for reading. We have so much work to do.

In Solidarity,

Kylie Thompson