Tuesday, May 12, 2015
I was involved with Dusk Dances for the 8 years that the show ran in Haliburton. I coordinated the 50+ volunteers that it took each year to make the event happen. To everyone who volunteered, thank you. Your enthusiasm, dedication and ability to be flexible and do what needed to be done made the event so enjoyable for the audiences and the dancers. We all have so many beautiful memories of all the different dances that happened during the 8 years. I still remember the very first one when the dancer was wrapped in the blue silk up in the tree, and proceeded to move like a butterfly emerging from a cacoon and then dance down the silk and end by diving into the water. I was captivated by the event from that moment. Anyone who saw the sheep when they were the opening act will remember how hard we laughed as the dancers, acting as sheep, engaged with the kids and adults. Audiences loved the Flock of Flyers. This very humorous dance told the story of 217th Canadian Flying Squadron that had been left without any planes due to cutbacks. Determined to fly at any cost, the flyers continue their regimented training in an imaginary terrestrial airfield. Another highlight was working with the Throwdown Collective ( Zhenya Cerneacov, Mairéad Filgate and Brodie Stevenson) who created the pieces including The Box, The Couch and the 1981 FM piece that they did in the car last summer. Of course the highlight for many people over the years, were the local pieces that local choreographers created with local kids. What an amazing opportunity for our kids not only to dance in the park at dusk to audiences of 600 people, but they also got to work with professional dancers. I loved the investment in our kids. Our park(s) are stunning and our natural beauty makes outdoor dance a perfect event to be offering in Haliburton County. Our committee met again this past week for the first time since the decision to not bring Dusk Dances back (the decision was based on finances). What we have come to realize is that we are totally dedicated to supporting dance across the county in beautiful outdoor settings. We have lots of ideas of ways that we can continue to work with local and professional dancers in a more affordable way. We have already started to work on some projects that will happen this summer in Haliburton and Minden so watch out for outdoor dance opportunities being offered in conjunction with other events. DH3 (Dance Happens Here, Haliburton) is a newly formed group and we are excited to be working on some new projects. We will be looking for volunteers and I will be calling! For these reasons, and many more this is why I love living in Haliburton. There is always a new possibility!