2020 presented us all with a whole lot of challenges. Free Flow Dance Theatre decided to adapt and innovate as they worked towards celebrating their 25th anniversary. It is a truly remarkable thing for a small contemporary dance co to survive and thrive for 25 years in Canada. During this past year we worked to constantly adapt and learn new skills while our art form stood at a precipice we had never encountered before. The face of the performing arts field has changed in the blink of an eye and will continue to do so with repercussions for perhaps years to come. We as a company are still learning to find ways to continue to hone our crafts and maintain our artistic practice amidst an environment that is less than encouraging and to overcome unusual elements such as physical distancing and closures of rehearsal and venue spaces. We as artists feel that this is a time to learn about our humanity and creative processes even as we mourn the loss of work that has been unable to come to fruition due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control.
Despite it all, we were so pleased to be able to provide much artistic content this season! Our online Community Dance Workshop Program provided 60 free movement workshops to individuals and community groups across SK. We engaged 14 top Canadian dance instructors to run 28 professional development workshop for the Brain Body Connection Series which were attended on zoom by theatre, circus and dance artists across North America. We presented special 3 online performances for International Dance week featuring live acts, pre-filmed works and original dance pieces created specifically for the celebrations by a variety of first nations, and other SK cultural dancers. Our live summertime Back Alley Antics program presented 3 intimate showings for small socially distanced live audiences and commissioned a film of it by local Metis Filmmaker Marcel Petit to be shared with everyone on our YouTube channel. We held a 25th-anniversary block party with a DJ and live performances created in our neighbors front yards, performed repertoire work at River Landing and ran live-streamed events around the city throughout the summer including our first International performance for La Libertad in Tlaxcala Mexico. Our year culminated in our first production of the Dis-Dances Program, a magical, outdoor, nighttime winter production focused on discovering choreography with social distancing and our drive to find connections with one another.
As 2020 finishes we all look back on our experiences this past year with a newfound sense of priorities. We have each individually come to understand what is really important to us in our lives. Friends, family, health, joy and gratitude. Free Flow Dance Theatre has come to realize that now, more than ever is an important time for us to continue to share our love of dance and creativity with you. We hope that during the darkest days and the lightest hours you have been able to find solace in the arts. It is our goal to bring joy to you and your family during a time when it is in short supply.
We would like to express our gratitude to the financial supporters, funders and sponsors for their continued faith in us as we adapt and innovate our way into 2021. We simply could not be here without you.
Want to show us some support? https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/free-flow-dance-theatre-inc/
