Still With Us: Stories of HIV/AIDS and Dance in Canada

Still With Us is a groundbreaking publication reflecting on the devastating impacts of HIV/AIDS on Canada's dance world. Edited by Christopher House, it is as once an archive and a memorial, a celebration and a catalyst for contemplation. At the heart of this book are the many dancers, choreographers and others lost to the disease; it gathers stories and images of those who died; friends, family, lovers and other caregivers; dance artists living with HIV today; courageous actions of support and choreographic works created in response to the pandemic. It also features commissioned essays, poetry and a roundtable of young choreographers. Still With Us is both a moving tribute to the fallen and a call to action.

"I was deeply moved by Still With Us: Stories of HIV/AIDS and Dance in Canada, a landmark work of collective memory which brings together an invaluable trove of personal stories and images related to the lives and work of over seventy individuals in the world of Canadian dance who died from complications related to AIDS. It will surely stand as an essential resource for future generations of readers and researchers." ~ Jordan Tannahill, novelist, playwright and director

Published by Dance Collection Danse Press
Editor: Christopher House
Assistant Editor: Jon Davies
Designed by Lisa Kiss Design

DCD will also be launching a digital exhibition in 2026, with a video by Nico Stagias and further writings, images and biographical information coming this spring at stillwithus.dcd.ca

Still With Us: Stories of HIV/AIDS and Dance in Canada is part of a multi-year research project of the same name curated by Christopher House and produced by Dance Collection Danse in partnership with The ArQuives (Canada’s LGBTQ2+ Archives) and the University of Waterloo, with support from the Social Sciences Humanities Research Council and private donors. All research materials will be housed in the archives of Dance Collection Danse for future use of researchers, writers and scholars.

Coming March 16, 2026 from Dance Collection Danse Press

Please email questions or comments about this project to christopher@dcd.ca