A speech for a Gala

Chicago is the traditional homelands of the Council of the Three Fires: The Odawa (oʊˈdɑːwə), Ojibwe (Ojibway) and Potawatomi Nations. Many other Tribes like the Miami, Ho-Chunk, Menominee (muh·naa·muh·nee), Sac and Fox also called this area home.
Located at the intersection of several great waterways, the land naturally became a site of travel and healing for many Tribes.
We make this acknowledgement to bring awareness and understanding of the history of indigenous peoples and their territories, and as a call to rethink one’s own relationship with the city, the land and the environment.

I was thinking about this, I realized that all of my life I have lived by large bodies of water, an ocean, a river, a lake. And so too have I lived my whole life through dance – as I know many of you have –
And I think of dance and movement like water, we can cup it in our hands if only for a little while, hold it in containers to be used later, to satiate our thirst or wash ourselves clean. Water knows not about boarders, races, cultures, ethnicity, it is in all of us, it IS all of us. It gives itself to all things without distinction or judgement and settles into the smallest spaces with deliberation. It moves us by force, raising all, the cool stillness calms, and great waves carry us to where we never thought we would go.

This for me is dance, this for me is what we do, See Chicago Dance is the tide that rises all, we help you carry your audiences as if across oceans, or playfully across puddles. We fill your cup when needed through programs, services, advocacy and research.  - If the dance community are the ships we are the ocean that moves you forward.
We aim to fearlessly inspire this ever-growing inclusive community to share in, and spread the power of dance in Chicago. And our mission is to advocate for this field and strengthen the diverse range of dance organizations and artists By developing audiences while also creating a more cohesive dance community.  

We have had a year full of change and success with the 8^th annual Chicago Dance Month and the first ever Day of Dancer Heath, The third Summer Dance Village in Wrigley square and 2 Moving Dialog Events. Not forgetting to mention the many other programs and services we offer, like reviews, the dance floor, and online marketing assistance. For the coming year we hope to continue and expand these programs. 

Tonight we recognize two great people Amina and Lou who have given so much to our community, we celebrate them as we also celebrate this city’s vibrant dance ecosystem. I ask you all to help us nourish this waterway, and sustain the whole community.