Photo courtesy Daniel Paquet from newdancehorizons.ca/medicine-hat.--SUPPLIED PHOTO
reporter@medicinehatnews.com
About 900 students got to experience New Dance Horizons perform Wednesday in honour of Truth and Reconciliation. The News caught up with co-artistic directors Robin and Edward Poitras following the show.
“It was great I thought,” said Edward. “I was impressed that they controlled themselves. They weren’t screaming and throwing stuff.”
“It was fun to be in a room with that much energy,” added Robin. “There was lots of curiosity and questions about what was going on. It’s quite an abstract work. It’s not particularly narrative and there were other languages in some of the soundtracks.”
The performance was an hour, featuring three 20-minute works. The company has never performed in front of that many kids before and it was different to see them together rather than coming with their parents.
“They were giggling and laughing. Through some parts they were talking lots,” said Robin, “but they were just asking questions, I could hear them. Why are they doing that? Why are they wearing that? What is that red thing?”
Overall, the pair felt it was delightful to have the experience of performing to such a large age range of youth.
“They are very honest in their reaction, I find,” said Edward. “If you can inspire a few young artists, it’s all worth it. When I was young, I was lucky to be exposed to mature artists.”
Robin added that she hoped it sparked their curiosity.
“Kids are always creating and playing and there is lots of playfulness in these works. I wish we’d had some time before or after to have questions, but it was a choice of doing less work and having time to chat or filling the show by bringing several works. We started with the solo to give that singular focus, then a duet and a group work.”
Robin says the experience was deliberately constructed so this audience could identify patterns and resonances across the three works.
Edward currently has an exhibition, Revolution in the Rock Garden, on display in one of the galleries at the Esplanade until Sept. 30.
