Curation Photo/Statement

Ten years ago, at 22, alongside mentors Lisa Gelley, Josh Martin, and Kristina Lemieux, we set out to envision something niche and experimental. At the time, my peers and I were dancing with cameras and making films, but what was missing was a physical space to watch them together — on a large screen, alongside community. Never did I imagine that what began as a small seed of an idea would grow into a decade-long celebration of movement-on-screen.

Reflecting on this milestone has been overwhelming and joyous. FORM has become more than a festival: it’s become an extended family, a community, and a space to watch, learn, play, dance, film, and experiment. It is a place to connect with others who share a curiosity for embodied expression, and to witness each other through our processes and through unconventional storytelling. A place to feel, together, through the power of this medium that hasn’t always had its own place in the spotlight.

Leadership has also grown with FORM. For the past four years, Artistic Direction has been in the care of youth leaders. From 2021-2024, Tamar Tabori led us with her passion and creativity, and her generosity has forever strengthened FORM’s foundations. This year, the torch is passed to Erin Lum and danielle Makenzie Long, whose bold and thoughtful vision reimagines how we celebrate and reflect on this art form, giving new life to FORM’s 10th anniversary.

To every artist, audience member, staff, volunteer, consultant, advisor, and friend: you have made reaching 10 years possible. You have kept us going and are what keep us going. You have made a significant difference in giving voice to young leaders and young artists who are expanding and evolving this medium. It has been my honor to be a part of this journey, and I am excited to continue nourishing this community and following the evolution of movement-on-screen for years to come.

Welcome to the 10th annual FORM (Festival of Recorded Movement)! Thank you for celebrating 10 years with us 🎉

Sophia Mai Wolfe 

In the early stages of dreaming up FORM 2025, our team collectively established specific intentions and principles that have guided us in bringing this year’s collection of programs to life. Along with our continual desire to explore the vast possibilities of what movement can be,  another motif emerged through our discussions—our relationship to the past, present, and future. We invite you, the audience, to join us in reflecting on the impact and resonance movements can provide over time, just as we have been doing throughout the year.

Returns to the Past — Responses to the Present— Reimaginings of the Future

Returns — By embracing the nostalgia of beginnings, what emerges is an appreciation for the vulnerable, imperfect, and fearless. The seed of an idea. An initial undertaking. A first experimentation. A new connection. These beginnings evolve into milestones as time passes. Histories are built from the recorded (the seen) and the felt (the unseen). In this merging to create an embodied visual archive, we are reminded of where we began, where we will return to, and how we will begin again.

Responses — Our relations deepen as we listen to the ripples of connections forged over the years. An extension beyond our familiar to attentively learn from the communities we are graciously surrounded by occurs. These moments inspire a present to be created — one that contains multitudes of wisdom and specificity.

Reimaginings  — Documenting and interpreting the movements around us is a living breathing process. This process provides a vital opportunity for undermined artistic perspectives to resist repetitions of the past. To honour the boundless voices of Youth artists, we continue evolving towards the future they are defining.

danielle and Erin
Co-Artistic Directors