Dr. Craig Jennex’s exhibition at The ArQuives: Liberation on the Dance Floor

Dance floors have always been more than spaces for celebration—they are sites of resistance, connection, and liberation. Liberation on the Dance Floor, an exhibit at The ArQuives, delves into how collective dance became a cornerstone of 2SLGBTQ+ liberation movements in Canada, showcasing the transformative power of music and movement in building queer communities.

Launched on November 7, 2024, the exhibition stems from a research project led by Toronto Metropolitan University. It highlights the work of Toronto’s Gay Community Dance Committee (GCDC), a volunteer-driven organization active from 1981 to 1992. GCDC’s massive dance parties weren’t just joyful—they were political, raising funds for 2SLGBTQ+ initiatives and fostering intergenerational collaboration.

“These events were huge queer dance parties with thousands of dancers and volunteers, and the funds raised would go back into the community groups based on the volunteer hours provided,” said Dr. Craig Jennex, Assistant Professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, in an interview with Pulse.

“A lot of my research and writing focuses on queer dance as a collective political formation that happens on the dance floor,” Jennex continued. “This exhibition is part of a larger project where we return to queer dance histories of the 1970s and 1980s to reflect on what was possible in those moments—and how that can become possible again.”

The exhibit’s centrepiece, Night Fever, is a video slideshow blending photographs and archival materials from the GCDC with insights from the research. It vividly illustrates the connection between queer dance culture and the ongoing fight for liberation.

Liberation on the Dance Floor is open at The ArQuives: Canada’s LGBTQ2+ Archives and runs until December 15, 2024. Visitors are encouraged to reflect on the past, present, and future of collective joy.