Tara Luz Danse Returns to Guelph for CSA Nooner

Tara Luz Danse will be performing in Guelph next week as Guelph Dance and the Central Student Association (CSA) partner to present another CSA Nooner at the University of Guelph's University Centre Courtyard. Join us for this free performance-workshop combination at 12pm on Wednesday, March 5th.

Anik Bouvrette, celebrated choreographer, talks here about the excitement of returning to Guelph as part of the company's first-ever tour of Ontario.

Anik: We have performed En studio avec nous in the studio where we rehearse as a public event for our community, and this has been a huge success. We have been the resident dance company at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans, Ottawa since its opening in 2009, and have been working at building an audience for dance in that part of town.

En studio avec nous includes excerpts of our professional work in a more informal context, as well as an element of participation, to get the audience moving. A frequent comment from the audience is now that they've seen us work and moved with us, they will not look at dance the same way. We love that we are able to demystify dance and break down some of the barriers that keep people from participating.

Tara Luz Danse performing Les billes. Photo by Jeremy Mimnagh.

Anik: Our tour includes three other stops - Sudbury, Oshawa, and Kingston - all in partnership with multidisciplinary Francophone presenters. So Guelph will be a bit more familiar territory for us. We are excited to see how the event works in a university setting, where people are passing by. Will they stop and get involved? I hope so!

Tara Luz Danse performing Les billes at the 2011 Guelph Dance Festival. Photo by James MacDonald.

Anik: Guelph has a special place in my heart. I have so much respect for all that Catrina and Janet have done in Guelph, as they built an audience for dance from the ground up. There is so much leadership coming from Guelph, and I am grateful for Catrina and Janet's advice on creating a demand for dance in a region outside of a larger dance centre, as I am trying to do now.

When I was teaching at Guelph Dance's March Break Camp last year, I could tell that the parents were an informed audience. They were attentive and thoughtful. I thought to myself, that is 15 years of work and it has paid off! There is something about Guelph, a vibe, an awareness. I am always happy to come back there.

Anik Bouvrette with Guelph Dance Co-Artistic Director, Janet Johnson, and musician Adam Bowman. On the right, Anik and her assistant Amelia working with the Dance Focus Group at the 2013 March Break Camp.

Join us on March 5th at noon in the University Centre Courtyard, where you'll feast your eyes on excerpts from two pieces by Tara Luz Danse and be inspired to get in on the action with Anik and her dancers!

Teaching at the Arts Explosion March Break Camp

We talked to Amelia Griffin and Anik Bouvrette of Tara Luz Danse after their inspiring workshops at the Guelph Dance March Break Arts Explosion Camp. Amelia describes the experience from the educators’ perspective.

Amelia: It has been almost two weeks since Tara Luz Danse visited Guelph for the March Break camp and it’s still on my mind. Both Anik (artistic director of Tara Luz Danse) and I agree that our time in Guelph was truly special for us. We worked with each group (Green, Blue and Red), sharing the principles of creation and movement that we teach in workshops in Franco-Ontarian high schools in the Ottawa area with adults, as well Anik’s creative process with the company. It confirmed for us that, regardless of your age, within each person lays a wealth of creativity and unique movement. It was exciting to see that the principles we work with in our daily lives can also bring joy, movement, and connection to another city!

 

Amelia Griffin at our March Break Arts Explosion Camp. Photo: Randy Sutherland.

The Dance Focus (Green) group was a real treat for us. We rarely have the opportunity to teach class to youth, let alone in our own company! I, personally, was very impressed with how the group adapted their way of moving to Anik’s very fluid and organic movement, which can switch quickly to static or precise movement. Bravo, guys!! Our piece was very full of movement and included so much of what we worked on, and the results exceeded our expectations. I applaud everyone in this group for taking on our collective creation with a fun spirit and wonderful level of maturity. Beautiful work all round!

The Blue group was just as exciting to work with. So much positivity and openness to ideas in one room! We felt like there was no end to the possibilities of choreography, and ended up with a very interesting (including flashlights and voice dubbing!) piece. We were reminded that lots of crazy giggles gave way to endless possibilities of creation. Great work, Blue group!

The last, but very much not the least (29 of you!), was the very energetic Red group. We were very curious to see how our work could translate to a much younger group. All I can say is—success! I found so many new ways of approaching these concepts by working with young kids, as they see the world with such amazement, simplicity and fearlessness. Each child had the opportunity to dance in their own way, as well as copying other people’s way of moving in the Rainbow choreography. It’s rare that I consistently laugh so hard. Thank you Red group for bringing us your joyful energy!

With each group both Anik and I learned that there are still no ends to possibilities within the work that we do. We truly believe that, given the chance, each person has a wealth of creativity and movement to share with the world and it’s worth exploring. Thank you to all the campers for your generosity and openness with us, to all the volunteers for your help, to Adam for the beautiful music, to Janet and Catrina and Guelph Dance for inviting us, to the Case family for giving us a home away from home, and to Guelph in general for being so generous. You all inspired us and filled our hearts with joy. Un grand MERCI!!

Amelia Griffin

(dancer with Tara Luz Danse)

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Tickets for our Arts Explosion Summer Camps are now available.