MANITOWANING—The first Body Stories Dance end of season performance played to a packed house at the Assiginack Arena in Manitowaning, showcasing the talented footwork of young dancers from communities across Manitoulin Island.
“It has been my honour to get to dance with your children over the last year,” said studio director Candice Irwin. “They have all grown so much, especially in their confidence, compassion and creativity.”
Ms. Irwin said that it had been “a whirlwind month” in preparing for the recital. “Usually when creating a dance performance we would have a minimum of 12 weeks together,” she said. “We’ve only had four!”
But the young dancers buckled down hard to prepare for the evening, she said. “They should be very proud of their effort, I’m sure proud of them.”
The dance troupes included Sprouting Seeds featuring Mindemoya Creative Movement; Spring Tulips, featuring Manitowaning Ballet A; Forest Elves and Friends featuring Mindemoya Contemporary A and B; Pollinators, featuring Little Current Ballet A; Sleepy Bunnies, featuring Manitowaning Creative Movement; Big Bad Wolves featuring a joint effort of Mindemoya and Manitowaning Jazz A; Hatching Birds, featuring Little Current Creative Movement; Treetop Visitors, featuring Little Current Contemporary A and Ballet B; and Dancing Does, featuring Manitowaning Jazz B.
The creative team for the evening included creative director and choreographer Candice Irwin; event and venue support, Jackie White; sound technician, Arthur Ross and backstage volunteer Morgan M.
There will be a free five week summer dance creation and performance workshop with locations in Little Current and Manitowaning, Tuesdays and Thursdays from July 19 to August 18, with performances on August 19 and 20. Weekly and drop-in programming options are being offered, with transportation support available.
The workshops will lead participants through creative tasks that “help them develop confidence and comfort in their own body’s self-expression while learning about the process of creating new dance work.”
