The OURO Collective is performing their full length dance work, Tangent, in Revelstoke tonight. Tangent is a unique show, a hybrid of dance styles thanks to the OURO Collective’s professional dancers having embraced multiple dance forms, including hip hop, contemporary, breaking and waacking.
“It’s really worth coming out to see the show,” says Revelstoke Art Council Program Assistant Celina Caputi. “Tangent has such diverse dance forms that not a lot of people see in Revelstoke. Being able to expose audiences to performances like this special because the show really demonstrates how many kinds of dance are out there.”
The groups members have actually been in Revelstoke all week, working with local youth who signed up for a spring break dance camp. Youth aged 7-12 and 13-18 have had the opportunity to work with the dancers for a couple of hours every day, learning the basics and experimenting with dance forms in a collaborative, fun environment.
“We’ve always liked working with youth,” OURO member Rina explains. “And we like to spread our artistry everywhere we go.”
Last year the OURO Collective went to Nelson, working with youth there before wowing audiences with their own performance. The OURO Collective works with Made In BC Dance on Tour to help facilitate getting to more rural locations outside of the lower mainland.
This is the OURO Collective’s fifth season together, and Revelstoke is the second community to take part in their youth workshops.
“We have all worked in different companies where we’ve worked with youth,” says Thaiyo of the OURO Collective.
The dancers had all previously worked together in other projects while dancing with other companies, and ultimately joined together to form their own.
“We figured we had a the same mindset and decided to start something,” says Rina.
The response to the groups creation has been incredible. Holly Bright, the Artistic Director of the Crimson Coast Dance Society notes that the members of the young company are talented and “rising stars.”
Something that makes tonight’s show extra special is the inclusion of the youth who have spent the week learning from the OURO Collective. They will be opening the evening with their own short performance.
“We believe that dance is a kind of release and that dancing in a group can offer a lot of different skills youth can hopefully use in their everyday social lives,” says OURO Collective member Antonio. “Ultimately, we hope to inspire a love of dance. We want to encourage kids to try things. We don’t have to be good at everything, but it’s great to try other things out there.”
Tickets for tonight, Friday March 22, performance can be purchased at the Revelstoke Visitor Centre, online at http://revelstokeartscouncil.com/tangent/, or at the door. Tickets are $10 adult and $5 for children. Small children who can sit on a parents lap are free.
Doors open at 7:00pm, show starts at 7:30pm at the Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre.
A snippet of the show can be viewed here.
Members Antonia, Rina and Thaiyo
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