Anyone who’s ever felt the energy on a club dance floor has gotten an inside peek at how dance can change the human psyche. A local event called the Art of Movements hopes to take that energy one step further by hosting a series of dance styles and activities in an effort to explore how dance connects to art and society.
“The intention behind the event was first to explore how dance can contribute to social movements,” explains organizer Laurel Collins, “how politics, activism, and social justice can bring richness to dance, and how these two kinds of movement can come together to contribute to our communities.”
Collins, also a hula-hoop dancer, has worked hard to bring together some of Victoria’s brightest talent in all styles of dance and performance art. Throughout the years, Collins has had dance touch her in very profound ways.
“I’ve had countless experiences while dancing where the whole world falls away and there’s nothing but the stillness of movement,” she says. “It sounds contradictory, but there is some kind of paradoxical thing that happens when you are so completely in your body that you become intimately connected with something transcendent and, in my opinion, sacred.”
The Art of Movements is a free, all-ages event including performances, workshops, and speakers. Some highlights include sessions on dance integrity, hoopdance, and dance fitness, and performances of gumboot dancing, bellydancing, and tap dancing. Also featured is an indoor burlesque show.
“Most of all I’m excited to see the Victoria community out enjoying the performances and getting engaged in the workshops,” says Collins. “We have a diverse lineup of performers and social-change activists.”
Collins hopes the event can become annual and eventually garner as much interest as local music and film festivals.
“It’s rare to have an event like this one that focuses specifically on dance. In general, people are accustomed to music and film festivals, but accessible events showcasing different types of dance are almost unheard of,” she says. “I’m not sure why we, as a culture, seem to have lost some of our connection to dance and to body movement, but I see clearly the need to get reconnected to these art forms, both as individuals and as communities.”
The Art of Movements
Sunday, July 22, 11 am-5 pm
234 Menzies St.
Free