AT THE FRINGE Oakville dancer Jaclyn Smith is performing in The End, which she also choreographed.

The historic Distillery District is the site of the first annual Toronto International Dance Festival (TIDF), and Oakville's Jaclyn Smith is among the show's contributors.

Presented by the Fringe Festival of Independent Artists (fFIDA), the TIDF opened yesterday (Aug. 8) and features two weeks of dances choreographed and performed by dancers from all over the world.

Smith, 22, will be performing her choreographed show, The End, along with her boyfriend, Daniel Chapman-Smith.

"It's about dealing with being obsessed with someone," said Smith, who began her dance training at the Oakville School of Dance. "The idea that you know it's sort of unhealthy and you should get out of it, but you're still obsessed with each other."

Smith, who has attended dance training programs with schools like The Kirov Academy of Ballet, The American Ballet Theatre and Toronto Dance Theatre, has performed in fFIDA productions the past two years.

This is the first time she's dancing in a show she choreographed herself.

"I was pretty serious about ballet for a while, and I realized what I loved about it was the stories and the characters," she said. "The reason I use my boyfriend in the piece is because he's an actor, and that's what I like to bring out in the dance, I like it to be a story. The dancing is no different than text on a page, the movements are just like words."

In addition to dance, Smith is also a singer, artist and actor, and recently turned her focus to acting, which she's been pursuing professionally for the past two years.

"I decided I would keep dancing for myself as a creative outlet, and because it's where my love for the arts began," she said. "I've done all four of the arts since I was little, my heart is just trying to decide which one is taking the forefront, and right now it's acting."

She recently wrapped up the filming of her biggest part yet, a principal role in American Pie 5: The Naked Mile. Smith plays Jill, one of the lead character's best friend's girlfriends.

"It's my first big American feature, so it's really exciting," she said.

Smith is also on the Space Network as 'Joan of Arx' and recently finished a film called Tight Rope for Brove.

"I'd like to do some more diverse roles, and continue to do work that stretches me," she said of her acting. "In terms of dancing, I'd like to continue developing my style with the choreography."

She's still working with and making changes to The End, which she'll be performing on an outdoor stage in the Distillery District.

"It's a really lovely setting because people are kind of walking in and out of different shows," she said. "If they're even caught by your dance they're going to stop and watch. You end up getting a nice crowd."

The Historic Distillery District will feature more than 350 dancers over the course of the two week-long Toronto International Dance Festival.

Smith will be performing The End from Aug. 11 - 19 at Trinity Square in the Distillery District, 55 Mill St.

For a full schedule of shows and times, visit www.ffida.org

-- Krissie Rutherford can be reached at krutherford@oakvillebeaver.com.