Yellowknife (Nov 24/06) - This weekend, Yellowknife's only full-time dance company is hoping to bridge the gap among movement, music, photography and, well... anything else you can think of.

"There's literally going to be something there for everyone," said Crazy Legs co-founder Karen Johnson.

Lorraine Seale is one of dozens of performers who will take the stage this week in three Crazy Legs Contemporary Dance performances at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre. - photo courtesy of Jeremy Childs

The show, which started yesterday and runs until Saturday at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre, is actually three performances, each with its own history and motives.

The first is Sound Affects, a piece that tries to capture "the relationship we have with sound and the effect it has on us," according to fellow co-founder, Darha Phillpot.

These includes the sounds of modern, industrial life.

"It explores how these things speak to us," she said.

Phillpot said many of these sounds will be produced live by a small army of percussionists (the "dump orchestra"), manipulating pieces of metal, old appliances, and other goodies you can find at the dump.

The second piece is Flesh and Stone, an older piece that is now in its fourth incarnation, after being revived at the September Art Equinox Festival in Whitehorse.

Phillpot (an admitted "rock hound"), said the piece is inspired by geology, and the relationship between geological formations and emotion.

"It's a fossil record, we can't get rid of it," Johnson said with a laugh.

The third piece, Jeanne D'Arc, meanwhile, is Johnson's interpretation of Joan D'Arc's journey - her visions, battles and eventual trial, accompanied by the sounds of the Yellowknife Choral Society.

Both Johnson and Phillpot said the production will involve a cast of 60 people and will include original music from Travis Mercredi and Chic Callas, original photography from Tracey Bryant, and 37 costumes designed by Keri-Lyn McLeod.

Despite the way things have come together in recent weeks, both Phillpot and Johnson said there were setbacks along the way.

"Rest in Peace mini-gym," Johnson said while shaking her head. ,

Crazy Legs was an unexpected casualty of the fire at Ecole St. Joseph this summer; the destroyed gym had been their rehearsal space for the last two years. "Rehearsal space is a large problem for us," Phillpot said. "Life just happens, you know," Johnson said. The three shows run Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre.