March 24, 2020
Dear members of the Citadel + Compagnie community,
I write this message today with the hopes that it finds each and every one of you healthy and safe. Though it is with sadness that we see theatres shutting their doors, and much uncertainty lies ahead, it is heartening to see such a community effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. It also has been incredible to witness the amount of support and resource sharing that has occurred within the sector, and it is inspiring to see how artists have taken to digital platforms to continue to engage and uplift their communities, uplift their friends and families.
Like so many Canadians, we are now confined into isolation, which leads us into reflection and introspection. My hope is that out of this will emerge a bright and shining image of how important our human connections are. How important our connections to our family and friends are, and how important it is to cherish them every day. Like everyone else, I have a lot of concerns about many things right now. I worry about my family, I worry about the wellbeing of my Regent Park community, I worry about our dancers, collaborators, patrons, donors, friends, students and parents. I also worry about our healthcare workers. And even if my worries, at times seem to overcome me, I take comfort knowing that our collective resilience, will get us through this.
Just like Jimmy & Juliette in this picture of Les Paradis Perdus, we are taking a pause. The Citadel is taking a pause. Yes, it is sad to see a lot of performances cancelled, but we are all in this together, we are all in this to save lives. So, let’s do this!
As a result, The Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance will remain closed for an undetermined period, which means that our April presentation of Four Old Legs has been cancelled. We would also like to announce at this time that The Citadel Dance Program will not reopen until next season. We sincerely appreciate the generosity and support that we have received as we work to communicate these cancellations with our artists, patrons, renters and CDP families.
In the coming weeks, we hope to be able to share with you some of the wonderful works that have taken place at The Citadel over the years, as a way to step outside of this crisis and enjoy the grace, beauty and humanity that dance can offer.
Stay well. Stay safe. Stay strong.
With much love,
Laurence Lemieux, Artistic Director