Curtis Mandeville
Northern News Services
Friday, May 18, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Dancing is an art form that expresses ones emotional state of being. The flow of movements combined with eclectic sounds humming through space work to present personal tales of life.

Dancers Dancing, a contemporary dance troupe based in Vancouver, B.C., performs at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre May 18 and 19 at 8 p.m.

"I'm thrilled to come to Yellowknife," said Judith Garay, Dancers Dancing's artistic director. "I'm looking forward to seeing the long daylight."

Garay, a former principal dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company, founded the company in 1999. Two of the five dancers have been with the company since its inception and the two most recent dancers came on board about two years ago.

Their weekend program will feature five dances - three are dances inspired by a collection of photographs from various magazines to reflect modern society. The fourth dance is a production choreographed by Santee Smith that was inspired by her Mohawk cultural background. The fifth dance, a newer production, examines themes of life and death, said Garay.

The group held a public workshop on Wednesday, which was focused on introducing creative forms of dance rather then technical aspects, to enable participants to learn how to make up their own movements.

They are also scheduled to perform a show for students as both an introduction to contemporary dance and a lecture providing information.

Also included is a talk back where students will have the opportunity to ask dancers questions.