Hip Hop!

First Hip Hop rehearsal with Brittany Robertson, October 25th.


This coming Sunday Gerardo's MIME group will have their first rehearsal, while Maggie's group does a brush-up rehearsal upstairs.


On November 8th at 1 PM, everybody - dancers from all four groups - will dance the complete dance as we put all the choreography together. Duane Burnett may be by to film his bid to be on the Ellen De Generes show - as the Olympic stringer on the west coast. And, we've had interest from the Cable TV station for a behind-the-scenes look at Performance for Ice Gate. Top photo, Duane Burnett, others, courtesy of Shelley Harrison Rae.

Maggie's Group rehearsal - fun!

Sunday's rehearsal was a big thrill for me,

Maggie reported

I was blown away about how beautiful it was, and after 8 run throughs, I was able to sit out for the last one, my heart was busting with joy, i am so lucky to work with such an amazing group.

NEXT WEEK IS BRITTANY'S first Hip Hop rehearsal. SUNDAY @ 1 PM at The Seaside Center, with a brush up session for Jean Pierre Makosso's dancers. I think the plan is: Jean Pierre's group will warm up upstairs and once they're confident, they will dance their segment for Brittany's group. And then Brittany's group will show the new steps they've just learned.

CHANGE OF VENUE & rehearsal time for November 15th: It's now at The Legion for 4pm-6pm. This is an 'all hands on deck' rehearsal - everyone should be there as we'll be putting the entire dance together.

115 days left until the Olympics. Check out the Ice Gate structure going up at Allan May's: www.theicegate.blogspot.com

Jean Pierre's choreography

Last week we gathered in that bright Seaside Center and Jean Pierre put us through our paces with his 55 seconds of choreography - and somehow managed to show us the entire five minutes of dance. It's going to be really exciting!


As in Africa, we will dance in three groups: the children in the front, the women in the middle and the men at the back. Here we are doing the melting and freezing - the one element that all the dancers will do.


This is all of us - the photo made it into the Coast Reporter this week! Pass the word: we're still looking for more dancers for the Mime Dance section.

1st group rehearsal

We had our first rehearsal last Sunday, gathering in Frank West Hall in Gibsons.


Five minutes of music has more or less been chosen and strung together, and the choreographers meet weekly to begin their process.


At Frank West Hall, we signed up some new dancers.


Jean Pierre opened up all our hearts with his warm and vibrant opening dance.




and Maggie expertly moved us all through the exploration and suddenly the freezing and melting gestures - which is the heart of our performance - - appeared.


Brittany and Gerardo gave us physical language for the gestures we were going to have to do -- in unison.


We watched as the first steps of the dance began to take shape.





REHEARSAL SCHEDULE FOR OCTOBER:

OCTOBER 11 AFRICAN DANCE GROUP ONLY at Seaside Centre, Sechelt -with Jean Pierre

OCTOBER 18 CONTEMPORARY GROUP ONLY at Seaside Centre, Sechelt - with Maggie

OCTOBER 25 HIP HOP GROUP ONLY at Seaside Centre, Sechlet - with Brittany

2nd Audition

2nd Call for Participation for Performance for Ice Gate at the Seaside Center in Sechelt.


A glorious day with tons of sunshine.



Jean Pierre Makosso opened the audition with a rousing five minutes of new choreography and that great African music for the hot sun outside.


I tried my best with the camera, but ran out of juice after Maggie’s dance.


Gerardo got the most laughs and Brittany the largest number of sign-ups for Hip Hop. We added 41 dancers!


Thanks to The Coast Reporter for getting the word out.


Still, we need more for African Dance and Mime Dance – and we need guys. Where are those strong guys from the volunteer fire departments?


The RCMP? The municipal teams? Real Estate? The Band? Local shops? Where are our teams from IGA and Wheatberries?


Duane put his camera down to dance and I got a few shots from his when mine ran out.

These are the faces of our community!

Audition!

Saturday, September 12th. Gibsons.

A large rehearsal hall at St. Mary's church. Sun outside like summer, but it’s fall and there’s promise in the middle of this hot day. We’ve gathered to see and be seen at The Call for Participation: Performance for Ice Gate.


Duane shows up, tall, with camera and that everlasting smile.

We gather. He shoots. Maggie shows a poster of the fabulous artwork and I do a short intro (Google “T-Mobile dance, London’ to see our initial inspiration for the dance). Now it's time for the choreographers.


Jean Pierre opens the dance with his infectious grin and a great beat. We’re taking a shower and swimming, (?) and the next thing - we’re all dancing.

Then, it’s Maggi, walking us through her routine; kicks and pivot turns to Move it, Move it! ending with our arms in the air as if we had just gotten a medal.




Brittany is next, looking cutting edge in her kakhi green hat; of course her dance is Hip Hop and I can’t keep up, but by the end of this process, by February, by the time we’re a community of well-rehearsed dancers strutting our stuff for The Olympics, I will have mastered it.

Gerardo makes us giggle with the next-hottest-trend, Mime Dance. We climb a ladder, pull on a rope, end with laughter and applause. We’re hooked.

Next Sunday we’ll meet at The Seaside Center at 1 PM to meet more dancers - from our community. That means you - be there.

Follow the fun on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/event.php?eid=121493900887&ref=ts

HERE'S THE ARTICLE IN THE COAST REPORTER THIS WEEKEND:

The Ice Painting Project Society hosted the first Call for Participation for Performance for Ice Gate, Saturday, September 12th at St. Mary’s Catholic Church auditorium in Gibsons. About twenty five members of the public attended, with more than fifteen signing up. Several took away forms to attract team and family teams, which are available at a discount. Others vowed to return with friends and recruits in tow to the next meeting: Sunday September 20th at 1 PM at Seaside Centre in Sechelt.

Four featured choreographers introduced their routines to an audience of all ages: parents, teens, youngsters and single dancers. Caitlin Hicks made a short welcome and introduction, and Jean Pierre Makosso began the demonstration with five minutes of warm-up, African dance-style. Next Maggi Guzzi danced her choreographed steps to Move it! Move it!, leading experienced and novice dancers alike in a simple, contemporary-style dance. Brittany Robertson followed with basic hip-hop moves and Gerardo Avila taught Mime Dance. Enthusiastic applause followed every segment.

Between now and the opening of The Olympic Torch Relay on February 4th, each choreographer will teach their group of dancers one short dance. All four dances will be orchestrated together into one seamless piece, punctuated by melting and freezing gestures. An opening and closing section will be performed by all participants.

Rehearsals begin in October on Sunday afternoons and continue through November, when the dance will be performed for the Sechelt Torch Relay committee. No rehearsals will be held for the month of December, with a schedule to be announced in January, 2010.

The Ice Painting Project Society is a non-profit society hosting the event, and encourages everyone -- even if you’ve never danced before -- to join the fun. Google “Ice Gate 2010 Facebook” to be connected to the Facebook page, and follow the blog at www.theicegate.blogspot.com