dear glow getters…

Dear staff, students, and supporters of Luminesque —

I am - and have always been, since my first free class - deeply honoured to be part of this community. Vanessa and I have been dreaming, growing, and dancing together for years, and I am overjoyed to be her partner in this journey as the new CEO of Luminesque Dance. I can’t wait to see her shine even brighter in her genius zone as Founder and Artistic Director, serving as the creative soul of our community by charting our collective vision and crafting meaningful stories and program journeys.

My goal as CEO is for everyone to feel the joy, connection, and transformation I’ve experienced dancing with this company, and I’m so excited to work tirelessly to achieve it every day. 

In case we haven’t yet had the chance to connect, I’d like to introduce myself, share some of my own journey with Luminesque, and speak to how Vanessa and I will work together to lead the creation of empowering programs that celebrate expressions of self and sexuality in 2021 and beyond.

I grew up adoring dance. But when my body transformed from a tiny teen into a woman with curves that distorted the lines I’d drilled for a decade, I felt like I didn’t fit in the dance world anymore. I watched from afar as my peers kept performing, silently devastated by my belief that I no longer deserved to be beside them. Losing dance also meant losing my community, and I found it challenging to make new friends. Out of anger for my body betraying me, I actively abandoned it and escaped into my mind instead.

My degree at Simon Fraser University in Communications, with a heavy dose of Gender Studies, helped me understand why the pillars of our society (media, culture, education, law, government, etc.) had led me and so many others to the same self-destructive conclusions. Even still, I rejected my body for taking away dance, which had been the source of my confidence, my creative outlet, and my community.

Six years ago, I attended one of Vanessa’s shows. For the first time, I saw people with bodies like mine dancing on stage. My heart practically burst with hope that maybe dance wasn’t impossible for me. That said, the confidence and candid sexuality of the dancers felt so far from my own experience of insecurity. Nonetheless, I was intrigued and closely followed everything Vanessa produced from that day on.

For an entire year, I sat in the audience too afraid to join, as more and more of my friends claimed their place in the spotlight. I watched three shows in awe before I had the courage to commit to a course.

I remember stepping into my first class in a sweater and bootcut leggings - a suit of armour designed to prevent myself from seeing my shape in the mirror. I joined under the pretence that I wasn’t performing - I hadn’t worn shorts in five years, and the thought of wearing a bra and bottoms onstage in front of hundreds of people seemed impossible. 

But little by little with each class, I stood taller, I moved closer to the mirror, I watched myself for longer, and shed layer after layer of the baggy clothes I’d dressed myself in for almost a decade.

Beyond my own personal growth, I also came to know, trust, and befriend my fellow classmates of different ages and backgrounds. Suddenly the opportunity to be in the show wasn’t just about me (and my insecurity) - it was about standing beside my dear friends on that stage, and celebrating our hard work, progression, and (re)discovered connection with our powerful yet wonderfully different bodies.

Once the curtain closed on that first show, I knew I was hooked for life. But although I was so proud to be dancing again, I was terrified of what others would think of my new passion. I didn’t tell a soul that I was involved in Vanessa’s program for almost a year. I was worried that by embracing my femininity, I would compromise the reputation I’d built in the male-dominated tech industry as a professional worthy of executive roles and keynote speaker invitations. I was struggling with shame that came from having a (now ex) partner who was uncomfortable with me publicly embracing my sexuality. I was afraid of being judged by my family and friends.

It took an unexpected opportunity to collaborate with Vanessa on a script for me to break my silence. The show that inspired me to finally go public with my experiences was a stunningly progressive, powerful, and political story that subverted the problematic narrative of a wildly popular book. Seeing how Luminesque shows could rewrite societal scripts and influence public perception - beyond the impact we were making with the students in-studio - inspired me to speak freely about dancing with the company to tech colleagues at national conferences and to my loved ones closer to home.

Every time I shared my story, I confronted prejudice and watched it dissolve into new, nuanced understanding. I realized in these moments just how revolutionary this program could be. 

That project was the catalyst for what would become years of life-changing collaboration with Vanessa and the rest of the incredible Luminesque team. Since then, we’ve been building teams, developing brands, learning important lessons, penning policy, and charting our future. We’ve been growing and challenging each other to become better for our staff, students, and community. We’ve been deeply listening to feedback from diverse perspectives, and continually evolving with each new insight. And with every magical win and devastating loss, I’ve become more certain that standing beside her and dedicating my all to this company is my calling.

I’m excited to apply what I learned in my last career - working with Spotify, LiveNation and the world's biggest music festivals - to making the Luminesque experience the best it can be. I see a clear path to expanding our global impact and community - just like how I helped Tradable Bits evolve from a tiny Vancouver startup into an international industry leader. I will continue to draw on my executive experience to support and expand our team to include even more diverse expertise and perspectives.

Finally, I will channel my meticulous work ethic and commitment to lifelong learning into developing spaces, programs, and shows that will continue to empower dancers to build confidence, creativity, and community. I’m thrilled to be starting strong in January with our new home studio in Vancouver and a stacked lineup of courses for Spring 2021 term.

For years, I’ve watched Luminesque help people discover their power: the power to shed insecurities and accept yourself just the way you are, the power to leave a toxic partner and demand true love, the power to quit unfulfilling jobs and pursue passions, the power to overcome preconception and make genuine connections despite differences. 

I believe everyone deserves to feel the joy, pride, and love I felt when I performed alongside my friends in my first show. I believe everybody can and should feel good, be seen, and be celebrated. I believe that by providing opportunities for adult dancers to step into the spotlight again, or for the first time - no matter their age, gender, race, class, shape, beliefs, or background - we make the world a better place for everyone.

This company changes lives. I know this because it changed mine. And I am beyond ready to work tirelessly every day with Vanessa, and the rest of the Luminesque Dance dream team - so as many people as possible can experience this glow.

I hope you’ll join us (finally, or once again) in 2021. I can’t wait to see you all shine.

With so much love,
Emily Taylor
CEO, Luminesque Dance