Paris: The True Spirit of Dance
APRIL 2026
Love can build more than hate can ever tear down
I arrived in Paris afraid that something I had poured my heart into building was about to be taken from me.
On my way to Paris, I received an email from a former dance partner demanding that I remove every video we had collaborated on from my social media, threatening “further action” if I didn’t comply. At the time, that was nearly all of my content.
I had only recently started building my Instagram account. I had poured hours into choreographing, filming, editing, and learning the ins and outs of the Instagram algorithm. I was slowly finding my voice as a dancer and creator. And suddenly, it felt like one person could tear it all down.
That was the headspace I was in when I landed in Paris.
Then something completely unexpected happened.
After hearing the news, my friend from Vancouver offered, without me asking, to take videos of my dances. Then, I met a videographer from Paris who offered to film me throughout the weekend. And then I met a dancer from New York who was excited to collaborate and create videos together. And then another. And then another.
I was floored. But it wasn’t about the videos.
Throughout the weekend, I watched people show up for each other again and again. Not just on the dance floor, but everywhere in between. Time, energy, knowledge, even gear—shared freely. People learning together. Creating together. Collaborating and supporting each other with openness and generosity. Helping each other without keeping score. Dancers I barely knew offering their time and talent simply because they wanted to create something together.
It was openness instead of control. Generosity instead of scarcity. Collaboration instead of competition. And against the backdrop of what I had been dealing with at home, the contrast was impossible to miss.
The incredible people I met this weekend reminded me what dance is all about. What community is all about. It was a much-needed reminder that most of us are here to create and support each other, not tear each other down.
I had arrived consumed by what one person might be able to take away from me. I left overwhelmed by everything a community of people had given me instead. In one weekend, the harm caused by one person was replaced with the kindness of many.
Paris reminded me of the true spirit of dance. It isn’t just what happens during a three-minute song. It’s the environment we create around it—one where we can feel safe to learn, experiment, share, and grow. That’s what a safe creative space feels like. That’s the kind of dance community I want to be part of. And it’s the kind I want to help build.
I left Paris with my faith in humanity restored—and with a reminder I needed more than I realized:
Love can build more than hate can ever tear down.
Paris, thank you for filling my soul. ✨
