Le pArty - Ottawa Art Gallery's Annual Art Auction

This week, it's the visual arts happening of the season. The Ottawa Art Gallery is hosting Le pArty, it's annual fundraising art auction. It showcases local artists, whether they are emerging, mid-career or established. It's a great opportunity for the community at large as well as art lovers to witness what artists are up to in our Nation's Capital. Proceeds go towards our public programming.

As the Gallery's communications and marketing manager, I'll be attending the event. While my purpose for attending is first due to my functions, I feel priviledged to discover many new artists, to learn about our local arts scene and to be part of a growing culture in Ottawa. And who wouldn't be excited about the bidding and networking? It's almost like being part of an episode of Sex and the City, you know, minus Manhattan as a backdrop. That said, stay tuned for the City's decisions regarding the Arts Court redevelopment plans and of course, how Ottawa plans to expand the Ottawa Art Gallery.

"You are invited to the ‘party’ of the year! An exciting annual art extravaganza which features over 60 original works of art from some of the region’s most talented visual and media artists. Cocktails and delicious appetizers are served by innovative local restaurants and caterers. The excitement in the room is palpable as the enthusiastic crowd of “le pArty-ers” bid on outstanding works of art. We guarantee an unforgettable evening of art, fun, and fierce bidding.


Funds raised are dedicated to Public Educational Programs, connecting children and families to the exciting world of modern and contemporary visual art."

Thursday 2 June 2011

6:00 to 8:30 pm

The Ottawa Art Gallery

2 Daly Avenue

Tickets $85

Balicious Westie Hopper

This past May long week-end, I attended the annual Canadian Swing Championships. I have not seen too many photos surface yet, but it was the event's 10th anniversary and there were definitely plenty of great dances to be had and Solomon Douglas played live!

Balboa back in the day

As this was my second year, I went to CSC with the intention of dancing more, or learning from experience. I also went to witness my contemporaries dance an 80 year old dance style as though it were still danced in clubs today. You'd never believe we're in 2011 based on the dancing, the clothes and the vintage hair-do's!



Myles & Tessa, Canadian West Coast Champions



I also aimed to compete more, and I did! I signed up for the Newcomer West Coast, Open Lindy and Open Balboa Jack and Jills and made finals in West Coast. I did not place, but I was very happy to make finals in a style I have not been dancing seriously for more than a month and with one workshop and one private as formal training. I was proud that I competed, knowing that I was sharing the floor with dancers I knew to be stronger than I was in Balboa, such as my coach, Natalia Rueda. I was a little disappointed in my lindy dances for the JJ competition, but that's just the way those roll; it's luck of the draw from the partner to the music to the mood you're in that day and the judges' panel and those few seconds they look at you. Oh well...

What I enjoyed most were my social dances. I even got a birthday jam with the pros. I had quite a few fun lindy hop dances to Solomon Douglas' band and I danced mostly to the Westie rhythms and learned plenty!

I may not have won any titles, but I left CSC feeling like a hybrid dancer, like a balicious westie hopper, or something like that. Anyhow, I had a blast!

Will Work For Food: Community Arts Project here in Ottawa!

The Ottawa Art Gallery has put together an exciting and compelling community arts project involving two artists, Operation Come Home and The Ottawa Mission. Will Work For Food is an initiative of the OAG and presents the works of Jennifer Cook and Alexis Williams.

Jennifer Cook is an artist inspired by culinary themes, colourful combinations and quilt patterns and with this in mind, she has pulled together many garden designs. Thanks to her creativity and involvement, the lawn at Arts Court will soon become an oasis of colourful edible goods. Alexis Williams is the artist who will build mushroom sculptures with recycled phone books in which will be grown actual mushrooms!

Will Work For Food web page

The idea is to learn and share knowledge about growing your own food and following the artist through the process. The best part? It's produce will be shared with the community and of course, the hands-on participants. In the Fall, a feast will be held to celebrate the harvest.

This Friday, May 27 is the Community Work Bee from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., rain or shine! Come lend a hand to this tasty project! You can also follow their adventures and read the blog here.

Because we know we can dance

Jacques Poulin Denis, Canada Dance Festival website

There is this unfortunate stigma that with summer comes a slump in the dance world. True, major programming is at its off season in order to prepare the next big productions. However, it's a fabulous time for dance labs, summer camps, festivals and social dancing.

This week...


TOUT DANSE

Contemporary Dance by DORSALE danse
May 19 and 20, 2011
Salle Jean-Depréz

Tickets are $25 for adults, $22 for seniors and $20 for students
Tickets may also be obtained by calling 819-243-8000.

A local dance project to encourage.
Excerpt from the press release:

City of Gatineau, in collaboration with DORSALE danse, presents an evening of contemporary dance entitled Tout Danse in which choreographers Peggy Baker, Lana Morton, Julie Anne Ryan and Sylvie Desrosiers invite audiences to follow the golden thread of their artistic vision on a journey through the realm of creative inspiration. (...)

These four choreographers, from Toronto, Ottawa and Gatineau respectively, will present three new dance creations back to back, looking at dance from three individual viewpoints.

Peggy Baker: Three Story House For Peggy Baker, who enjoys an international reputation as one of the most influential performers in contemporary dance of her generation, the spaces we inhabit reflect and shape who we are. She holds up a lens that allows us to observe objects in their miniaturized forms, destabilizing our perspective and leading us to greater self-awareness. (...)

The dramatic atmosphere created by these three poetic works is sure to provide audiences with a compelling and uplifting experience of what it means to be human.

Lana Morton and Sylvie Desrosiers are Ottawa based choreographers who are also behind the Ottawa Dance Directive (ODD) collective currently residing in Arts Court.

LALALA HUMAN STEPS



Lalala Human Steps, New Work, Photo from NAC website

I have been a fan of Edouard Lock's work for years, I have seen Amelia on dvd many a times, but now, always hoping I would get to see one of his choreographies live.  That dream will come true this week; Lalala Human Steps' New Work is performing (today and tomorrow) at the National Arts Centre (NAC) and I purchased a ticket for myself. I wasn't sure exactly how I wanted to treat myself this year, but this is quite a nice birthday present, I must say.



In June...



Helen Husak, Canada Dance Festival website

CANADA DANCE FESTIVAL:

June 15-18, 2011

Ottawa hosts a contemporary dance festival annually. The Festival is a collaboration betweent the organizing committee and the National Arts Centre (NAC). The event showcases canadian choreographers from coast to coast who are often emerging artists and even, rising stars of the dance world. This year, the Canada Dance Festival brings you Jacques Poulin Denis, Helen Husak, KasheDance, Lara Kramer, 605 Collective, Bboyizm.

 All summer long!



Acrobatic Lindy Hop

Swing Dynamite & Ottawa Swing Dance Society

These two swing dancing groups have at least one common goal: to make you dance! Swing Dynamite, as I've mentionned many times before, is "Ottawa's Swing Dancing School" and specializes in teaching all of the swing dance styles, and does so, with instructors that are both FUN as well as competent, accomplished dancers.

Swing Dynamite hosts social dances with two lounges (traditional lindy hop and west coast swing) every saturday. They are also behind Petit Chicago Swing, every first Tuesday of the month.

Ottawa Swing Dance Society (OSDS) has been around for a little more than a decade to bring swing dancing to the capital. As a not-for-profit, they manage to organize social dances for all ages and even set-up some pretty cool workshops. OSDS hosts social dances every friday.

Salsa on Friday Nights with Dancestudios.ca
Join us for Friday Night Salsa!!

Every Friday, 9 pm-1 am
151 Chapel st - parking lot entrance
FREE PARKING
Free 30 min beginner Salsa class at 8:30-9:00 pmCover $4, Dance Studios students only $2
http://www.dancestudios.ca/