Propeller Dance is coming to the NAC

Propeller Dance Performance and Silent Auction June 3 and 4, 7:00pm to 9:00pm NAC Fourth Stage [53 Elgin St Ottawa, ON]

Innovative and inspirational Dance Performance by members of the Propeller Dance Performing Group and Students in Propeller Dance training programs.

Students in the Monday night class will perform on Tuesday June 3rd. One of those students has never performed dance in front of an audience and is somewhat nervous about it. This means that he is not going to explicitly tell people that he will be performing.

Propeller Dance provides dance training and performance opportunities to people with and without disabilities.

Tickets $20 available at the NAC Box Office, through Ticketmaster and from Propeller Dance members (like David Scrimshaw.) Links:

• propellerdance.com
• propellerdance.blogspot.com

View Finder - A performance creation in progress

I took many photos during Alan, Shara and Renata's performance last night. I love watching them dance together. You can kind of get that feeling with the slide show below. Click a few times and set the speed to 1 second to get the effect best.

My New Face Board

I had to give a talk this afternoon at a meeting of the future members of the soon to be established non-profit corporation, Propeller Dance. The topic of my talk: "The members and directors and what they will do." I was told I would have flip chart paper and markers if I wanted them, but I kept thinking I wanted something else.

What I wanted was something like a magnetic whiteboard and magnetic people to represent the different groups.

Naturally, I procrastinated all week and still had nothing when I woke up this morning.

Have I mentioned that I lead a charmed life?

I had to go to the 7-11 to get some milk for breakfast. On my way home, I noticed that someone had put a panel from an old appliance out with their garbage.

Even though I immediately recognized the panel would make an excellent magnetic whiteboard, I actually left it there and came home without it. Then at 3:30, with only an hour and a half until the meeting, I:

1. Went back and got the panel;
2. Cleaned it up with windex and paper towel;
3. Drew a bunch of faces with a felt-tip pen on a sheet of paper;
4. Scanned the pictures into my photo software;
5. Added hair colour and skin tones;
6. Copied some of the faces;
7. Printed out two pages on "magnet sheets"; and
8. Cut the faces out with scissors and stuck them on the panel.

I made it to the meeting with plenty of time to spare and because of my handy visual aids felt entirely comfortable describing interesting points like how the directors choose the members and then the members elect the directors.

p.s. Propeller Dance will be the new independant organization doing DanceAbility programming in Ottawa.

DanceAbility Show: Monday May 28

The School of Dance presents:

YOU, ME, US

DanceAbility Performer Dallacy Tukkiapik, Photo by Jake Hanna

DanceAbility Performing Group Co-Directed by Shara Weaver and Renata Soutter,

Music by Dominique Saint-Pierre

Special Guest Steve Wint Monday, May 28, 2007, 7:00pm Tickets $25 4th Stage, National Arts Centre 53 Elgin Street, Ottawa Ticket advance purchase only at The School of Dance 613-238-7838 theschoolofdance@magma.ca Celebrate DanceAbility’s Fifth Year Anniversary! Information: Shara 613.240.9775 sweaver[at]magma.ca or Renata 819.773.7523 soutter[at]magma.ca

DanceAbility - Community Day, April 1, 2PM

There will be dancing, demos from our community group, youth/adult classes and kids' wing and time to meet the PEOPLE that have made this project so successful.

Refreshments will be served.

Its going to be a party!!!

Sunday April 1st, 2007 2-4PM

Dovercourt Recreation Centre 411 Dovercourt Ave. (Westboro)

$5 (or pay what you can)

More Info: Shara Weaver (613)240-9775 or sweaver[at]magma.ca

Danceabiliity is run through The School of Dance. Thanks to Dovercourt Recreation Centre, Carlington Community & Health Services, Ottawa School of Speech and Drama and the Nepean Creative Arts Centre. Photos: Stephen Beaton, Eric Mercier. Dancers: Jennifer Lafontaine, Chris Wheeler, Denbeigh Bowes, Mark Mosielski, Robert Chartier, Benjamin Firth, Aaron Macleod, Lauren Macleod, Jessie Huggett.

DanceAbility - Works in Progress 2006 - Documentation

Because I am the new volunteer coordinator for DanceAbility, last week I was looking for people to help with the Works in Progress show. So many people want to help it is actually very easy to find someone to do just about anything you could imagine.

Shara and Renata had asked me to find people to help document the performance, and I wound up with three photographers, two video camera operators, and a writer with a laptop. Renata had thought it would also be great to have a visual artist there to sketch. Unfortunately nobody stepped forward.

The night before the show, I almost found someone at the Collective Gulp show, but on the performance day, she felt nervous because she hasn't drawn anything for a long time, and so she shot video when one of our camera guys had to cancel and then she sold baked goods.

You know what happens when you're the volunteer coordinator and you don't find someone to do a job?

You do it yourself, and hopefully, you do it in such a way that others realize that they could also do it, and in fact, do it better.

Mind you, that is not what the "I'm not doing it any more" is about. That's a quote from the performer in the flashy blue shirt with the stripey things. I suspect he'll be doing it more, just like I will be.

Update: Photos by Eric Mercier and Stephen Beaton now up on Webshots. Click here for the album, or here for a slide show.

DanceAbility Show: Works in Progress

The DanceAbility Performing Group; photo: Stephen Beaton

Works in Progress - Informal Showing Thursday, December 14th, 2006 Nepean Creative Arts Theatre 35 Stafford Rd., Nepean, ON [Map] 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm. Performance followed by feedback and hang out session. Pay what you can; $10 suggested

City of Moves (Outside) Dance Performance

As I predicted, City of Moves (Outside) was amazing.

Lots of energy, kids and parents everywhere.

Click the photo if you'd like to see other photos I took.

[CITY OF MOVES is a series of youth mentorship dance projects targeting Ottawa east end youth with disability.]

Thursday, Aug 3rd, 1pm

Overbrook Park 33 Quill St, Ottawa map

DanceAbility - Monday, May 29, 7PM

This event sold out last year. So although I've volunteered to help out with it, I'm not plugging it to increase sales.

I'm telling you about it because if you go, you'll be happy you did. (And perhaps feel some sort of gratitude that will result in you returning the favour or forgiving me the next time I do something stupid.)

You'll be happy because you'll be part of one of the most engaging performances you've ever seen and will learn something new about dancing. Something you didn't know there was to learn. If I could put it in words and tell you about it, I would. But you have to see it.

SPLASH! An evening of improvisational and choreographed dance by DanceAbility's Sunday community performing group. Co-directors of Sunday group: Renata Soutter and Shara Weaver Music: Dominique Saint-Pierre Special guest: Steve Wint

Come wearing beach wear (sun, swim or surf wear) for a chance to win prizes!

Tickets, $20 by pre-purchase only, will be mailed For payment by VISA call 613-238-7838 or contact theschoolofdance@magma.ca

For alternative ticket purchase arrangements call Renata 819-773-7523 or Shara 240-9775

Tickets will not be available at the door.

Appetizers compliments of Mekong Restaurant

CATCH THE WAVE AND BE MOVED!