Imagine a society—a world—that enables and ensures each person can live and create without money. I hope and dream about this. It will be an equalizing time when every individual is fully supported so that they can be housed, nourished, clothed, with all needs met. In this time, there’s an abundance of wellness centers that are as plentiful as creative spaces where we’re invited to dance, listen to music, watch performances and read.
We have full and easy access to services in every space, and we continue to connect with now free services online, where each request is met with an enthusiastic “yes, we can get that for you”. All education is free, and this creates opportunities to share breakthroughs in every area of human study. A collective exhale takes place around the globe. The world knows deep comfort and ecstatic joy. Othering is no longer needed. We freely share and learn from those we encounter because money and the accumulation of wealth is no longer valued, needed.
I hope and I dream about this. It’s like when as a kid I read comic books that made supercomputers, self driving cars, and watches we could communicate on come to life. And now these long-ago imagined devices, and many more, are part of our everyday experience. It’s an essential part of our journey to believe in the potential of the unknown, believe that there’s a future that’s truly equitable for everyone, and continue to believe in, and, when needed, fight for what is true and needed.
Each day these hopes, dreams and desires impact how I think about my ongoing work to bring visibility and resources to those that make and want to see dance.
In this first issue of 2020—a date that seems born out of my science fiction loving childhood—there are uber-themes in each article that I am sure will resonate, and they are:
Ask for help
Ask for help often and then ask for help again, and then ask for help another time because now you know you deserve it
Be open to encounters
Imagine seeing and participating in dance that is not the dance you imagined
Take a seat at the table
Take time, find time, to participate and be in conversations that reflect the future you want
Bring back dances (recycle)
Let’s make this the decade to re-invest in what’s been created
Word
Create combinations of words—and movement—that are true to you
Nurture creativity, especially in children
Through this act, boundless rewards are reaped for future generations
Celebrate
And acknowledge the breadth of artistry created in the Bay Area
Imagine it red, Imagine it blue, Imagine it freely, while Imagining in every which way you want to.
Enjoy the creative moments and the work ahead—our moment is now.
This article appeared in the Jan/Feb 2020 issue of In Dance.
