Have I told you my alternate secret occupation yet? Not being a midwife, the other one?
It’s to dance…You might think this is just a figment on my “imaginary occupation” landscape but in truth, I actually took a modern dance class in university. For real!
Now I don’t wish to be an iconic pop star or anything (although I’d be her backup dancer in a heartbeat). Simple, modern dance. The kind that makes you marvel at the human body and all of its beauty and strength.
I got to see that again, vividly, thanks to One Giant Leap. It was performed at the London Fringe Festival a couple of weeks back. Now modern dance, for me, is really hit and miss. I’ve seen some thrilling performances and some real duds. I’ve taken my husband which in hindsight, was a serious mistake. So I normally just go on my own because I would hate to bring a friend and have them waste money on something that ended up being frightful, or slow, or both. So I bought myself a ticket and went to this performance, and man, do I ever wish I had taken someone along.
Choreographer Ashley Morrow (I have GOT to look her up and see what she’s done) did a superb job using the dancers from The Dance Movement’s company. They are young (so ever so slightly unpolished) but man, are they good. The soundtrack was really unusual – with monologue’s from Carl Sagan and Jim Carrey, but also some great, uplifting stuff. Somehow they made it all work and it was a fantastic performance.
After having amazing access to affordable theatre and art in Ottawa for so long, I’ve never really given the London area a chance since coming here (apart from one show at the Port Stanley Theatre). But that will no longer be the case. My taste for great performance and dance has been reawakened, and I’m hoping this time I can take my daughter along for the ride!!
[photos courtesy of the Dance Movement’s Facebook page]
Graphic designer. Daughter. Ex-engineer. Sister. Wife. Mom to three. Obsessed with colour. 
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