Dances for a Small Stage (Program A): from subtle to sassy
I'll admit it. I sometimes dance in my kitchen. At times my arms hit the countertops, I stub my toe on the oven and in the process I curse the housing market for keeping me out of places with actual space to move around in. Then I saw *Dances for a Small Stage* and while I still may have Vancouver housing woes, watching these eight dance pieces performed on a stage no larger than my kitchen made it clear that size does not always matter.
*Dances for a Small Stage*, celebrating its 20th run in seven years, is an immensely popular dance feature in Vancouver. With good reason: a fantastic concept, talented and creative performers and accessible to people who may not otherwise get to watch dance. The Legion on Commercial Drive has been turned into a cabaret bar and the audience, many of whom had stood in line for over an hour to get tickets, was crowded, chatty and excited. This was opening night with Program A. *Dances for a Small Stage*, presented by "MovEnt":http://www.movent.ca/ and the "PuSh Festival":http://pushfestival.ca/index.php?mpage=home, runs two programs, with each program running for two nights.
Each dance performance was short – less than 10 minutes in length – which was a good length of time for what were often experimental, edgy pieces. As would be expected, some pieces resonated with me, while others did not. It is part of the appeal of a dance show such as *Dances for a Small Stage* – with 8 performance pieces, there is something for everyone. I found myself attracted to the dances that used the space and focused on small concentrated movements. Day Helesic in _Before I Sleep_, swung her long hair around violently and with emphasis, giving the illusion of large movements. Similarly, Bill Coleman used accessories such as his dance shoes and costume for dramatic flair while keeping movement limited. It was only when he started tapping did I realize that his feet had barely moved up until that point. I remember thinking, "ah, these are masters of space."
The small size of the stage, and the implication of that upon choreographed dance, really hit me with Erica Trivett's untitled piece. There was a moment near the end of the performance where she stood with her back towards the audience, shifting her weight slowly from foot to foot. With each breath, her black scooped shirt moved to reveal part of her back. The black contrasted against her white skin. Inhale, exhale. It was a small, purposeful and beautiful sequence that made me see that dance is movement, however small and subtle.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there was no subtlety with Tara Cheyenne Friendberg's piece entitled _Melissa: your new youth leader_, or with Meredith Kalaman and Amanda Sheather in _This One's for You, Dad_. The stage may have been small, but these dancers fit jumps, turns and even cartwheels into their performances. These energetic sassy dances weren't what I was expecting at *Dances for a Small Stage*, but they definitely did entertain. So much so that I'm tempted to go back to see the other eight dances that will be showcased through program B this weekend.
_Program A, seen on 22 January 2009. Dances for a Small Stage is produced by MovEnt, presented through the PuSh Festival. Artistic Producers: Day Helesic and Julie-anne Saroyan. Performers: Alvin Erasga Tolentino, Steve Bagnell, Carol Sawyer, Day Helesic, Noam Gagnon, Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg, Peggy Baker, Erica Trivett, Bill Coleman, Claire Butterfield, Meredith Kalaman and Amanda Sheather. Squeeze yourself in "here":http://pushfestival.ca/index.php?mpage=shows&spage=main&id=61#show for more information._