Those reticent to shell out big bucks for a contemporary dance performance they may not "get" may be more inclined to check out brief numbers and get their drink on in a more laid back locale. At least that's what the woman who started Dances for a Small Stage has found over the last 10 years.
"A lot of the audiences don't really know dance, so this is a good entry point to them. There's a wide range of things going on, so they're bound to like something," said Julie-Anne Saroyan, artistic producer of the charitable, non-profit dance society Movent. "The environment doesn't scare people. They're not going into a theatre. They're going into a Legion."
Dances for a Small Stage celebrates its 10th year and 25th installment Feb. 1 to 3 as part of the Push International Performing Arts Festival.
Two of the contemporary dancers and choreographers who appeared at the first Small Stage event, Noam Gagnon and Cori Caulfield, are participating in the anniversary event.
"That's really exciting for me that they're still going strong and came back to the Small Stage," Saroyan said.
Their pieces will grace the teensy 10 by-13-foot stage in the upstairs hall at the Legion on Commercial Drive alongside a sure-to-be passionate performance by Karen (Flamenco) Pitkelthly, sisters Yeva and Thoenn Glover, who will experiment with light, and hip hop artist Kim Sato, among others.
The dancers and choreographers have been charged with creating their five-to seven-minute-long works around the theme of Grimm's Fairy Tales, which include Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel-dark and twisted stories in their original iterations.
"[Artists] love it because they can experiment on so many different levels on this stage," Saroyan said. "The time restraint is good for them because they can experiment with something small and the proximity to the audience is also something they can experiment with and get immediate feedback for their work. And just performing to a lot of people-it's fun."
Past highlights have included internationally renowned Crystal Pite presenting alien tap dancing showgirls and Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg's many quirky characters, including a Christian cheerleader.
Patrick Pennefather, local composer, poet and performance artist, will host the February shows, guiding audiences from one snippet to the next. His personas that incorporate music and performance have earned him acclaim at jazz and comedy festivals around the world.
The small stage series originated in Toronto in the 1990s, where it only lasted a few years. But in Vancouver, Dance for a Small Stage has become a local institution, filling a gap between large-scale performances at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre and the Playhouse and smaller scale shows at the Firehall Arts Centre. Many of the short pieces premiered at the Legion are developed for Dancing on the Edge and Chutzpah! festivals, Saroyan says.
"There's a strong connection between what they do on the Small Stage and developing their work," she added. "It's a little investment."
Tickets for Dances for a Small Stage are only available at the door at 2205 Commercial Dr. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Admission is $20, cash only.
For more information, see movent.ca.
[email protected] Twitter: @Cheryl_Rossi
