They’ll be dancing in the streets
Event brings performances to front porches
KITCHENER — They’ll be pirouetting and prancing on the porches and front yards this weekend, as the King East neighbourhood takes part in a travelling dance performance that has ordinary residents — most with absolutely no dance training — dancing before an audience.
It’s called Porch View Dances, and it’s an event like no other in the city.
Spectators will wander through the King East neighbourhood, stopping to see a number of original dances developed and performed with the help of professional choreographers, as well as three shorter dances to live music by members of the Contemporary School of Dance before ending at the plaza outside the Kitchener Market.
“The idea is that an audience travels from one point to the next, watching these dances put on by real people, in real places,” said Carin Lowerison, whose family will be performing the first dance on the front porch of their Betzner Avenue home.
“It’s neat to see your neighbours in a different way,” she said. Rather than simply chatting over the back fence or while walking the kids to school, “you get to gather on a weekend at watch neighbours who are creating art in their front yard.”
It’s the second year the unusual event is taking place in Kitche-
ner — last year it drew about 100 people. It’s the brainchild of professional choreographers Karen and Allen Kaeja, who have organized a similar event in their Toronto neighbourhood for years.
They worked with the Registry Theatre, which was keen to get involved in a project that makes modern dance more accessible. “You have young families, you have little kids, and you see their faces light up when they see someone they know dance on a front porch,” said organizer Sam Varteniuk at the Registry. “That’s a truly wonderful thing.”
Lowerison has a theatre background and some dance training, but her husband Matt “has never done a dance lesson in his life, other than wedding dance ops,” and has the stiff muscles to prove it.
The pair and their three daughters, ages two to eight, have been rehearsing for weeks on a nine-minute performance.
Coaxing their three young girls to rehearsals was also a minor challenge, but as showtime approaches, the enthusiasm is growing, Lowerison said. “Weeks ago, my middle child was favouring which cartoons to watch over choreography, but now she’s like, ‘What am I going to wear? How should I do my hair? How many people are going to be there?’”
Lowerison said the experience has been a lot of fun, not least because it has given her the chance to dance with her husband. But she said the opportunity to encourage creativity, to try something new, and to animate the neighbourhood was a big part of why she’s so excited about the event.
“It’s not about the quality of the art, it’s more about seeing people do brave things and allowing people to be creative,” Lowerison said.
“I just hope a lot of people come, and find it whimsical, and ridiculous and enjoyable.”
Porch View Dances takes place Saturday, Sept. 16, and Sunday, Sept. 17. The dancing starts at 12:30 p.m. at 53 Betzner Ave. N. in Kitchener, and ends up at Kitchener Market about an hour and a half later. The event is free/pay what you can.
It’s more about seeing people do brave things and allowing people to be creative.
CARIN LOWERISON