Valentine’s Day with Dances for a Small Stage

Stacey Tookey performs as part of Dances for a Small Stage 30. Photo courtesy MovEnt.

Dances for a Small Stage is a Vancouver tradition. Now going into its 30th incarnation, the show brings together the city’s top dance talent in an informal setting.

Dances for a Small Stage 30, which runs Feb. 13-15, 2014 at the Ukrainian Centre (154 E. 10th at Main), will include solo performances from Ballet B.C.’s Stacey Tookey and U.S. choreographer Peter Chu. Both have choreographed for the hit TV series So You Think You Can Dance. But MovEnt, Dances for a Small Stage’s producer, has much more in store for the Valentine’s Day-themed dance spectacular.

This show will have a twist – actor John Murphy emceeing as the Wizard of Oz’s Tin Man. Plus, there’ll be tango, tap-dancing – and perogies.

What there won’t be much of is what MovEnt Artistic Director Julie-anne Saroyan calls “gushy sentiment.”

Instead, Dances for a Small Stage 30′s tribute to the day will include Murphy’s “politically incorrect, rather scandalous script,” Saroyan says in a press release.

The rest of the lineup includes aforementioned choreographers/dancers Chu and Tookey. Between them, their credits include Celine Dion’s A New Day at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, both the U.S. and Canadian versions of the hit TV series So You Think You Can Dance, and tours with artists including Justin Timberlake, Michael Bublé, and Bette Midler. They have also performed with companies such as Ballet Jazz de Montreal and Kidd Pivot.

Additional pieces include actors Patti Allan and James Fagan Tait performing original Noam Gagnon choreography, tango from Grupo Americano, tap dancing from Jim Hibbard, and works by Rob Kitsos, Karissa Barry, Kirsten Wicklund, Lina Fitzner, Corbin Murdoch, and Vanessa Goodman.

Kirsten Wicklund.

This latest Dances for a Small Stage marks the series’ second engagement at the Ukrainian Centre. Bring your appetite – the venue’s locally renowned perogies and sausages will be served.

Advance tickets are $20 at eventbrite.ca.

Article source: http://www.insidevancouver.ca/2014/02/03/dances-for-a-small-stage-30/