On the evening of July 11th, at Withrow Park, performance artist Madame Beaucoup sped down the hill on her bike, heading towards the audience gathered for the Dusk Dances Festival. Announcing that five dance performances were about to take place at five secret locations in the park, she declared that she would lead the way.

With the sound of a horn everyone was up off the ground and following Madame Beaucoup to the first performance of the evening………..

Dusk Dances, an outdoor dance festival, offers its audiences a unique "art in the park" experience. The festival has been presented in many Toronto parks including Dufferin Grove Park and Firgrove Park at Jane/Finch.

This summer, from July 10th to 15th, they performed in Withrow Park, located just south of the Danforth.

Dusk Dances 2007 - Withrow Park: Shift Dissolution photo by Jim Bachalo

On Wednesday, July 11th, I was one of the festival-goers who gathered just before 7pm. Dusk was announced with the beating of drums; a performance by the Raging Asian Women Taiko Drummers. The crowd grew quickly; doubling by the time the band was finished. As this is an all ages event, families gathered on blankets, while others sat on the grass or nearby park benches. Just when the audience was wondering what might come next, a flamboyantly dressed host/performance artist named Madame Beaucoup sped down the hill on her bike, heading towards the audience. With her theatrical voice, masked face and sparkling red outfit she announced that five dance performances were going to take place, at five secret locations in the park, and that she would lead the way. With the sound of a horn everyone was up off the ground and following Madame Beaucoup to the first performance of the evening.

Dusk Dances commissions five choreographers to each create a 10-minute, site-specific traditional or contemporary dance piece for every festival. The evening's first performance, entitled Shift Dissolution, choreographed by Lydia Wagerer, is inspired by an area of the park beside the park’s storage facility (see photo). This contemporary dance piece depicted a conversation between three women.

The following piece, entitled Tenterhooks, explored the trials and tribulations of two men trying to impress a woman during a camping trip. Set to the music of "The Essential Alfred Hitchcock," a tent, situated between two trees, set the stage for this performance. Camping activities such as playing Frisbee, canoeing, fishing and showering were interpreted through dance. The comical elements of this performance had a wide audience appeal.

Moving from secret location to secret location in Withrow Park created a sense of excitement for the children in the audience and a unique art experience for all. Dusk Dances depends on their dedicated and organized team of volunteers to usher the festival goers from site to site. On this particular evening an audience of almost 500 was in their hands.

Arriving at the next site there were no props or dancers to be seen. Suddenly there was a flash of colour at the bottom of the hill. Then, as the drumming began, two First Nations dancers made their way up the hill performing a traditional grass dance. During their performance, a number of children mimicked the dancers with a dance of their own. The movement, music and colourful outfits of the dancers captivated children and adults alike.

As we arrived at the next performance, props and young dancers were in waiting. Every Dusk Dances Festival includes one piece performed by youth giving young dancers exposure to professional dancers. The Hat, performed by a group of 10 young performers and musicians, proved to be another audience favourite.

The evening ended with a performance entitled Generations. For this piece the audience was led to a distant part of the park where a circle of trees set the stage for a performance by five female dancers dressed in outfits representing five generations.

As the evening came to a close, one audience member, who's never been to a dance event before, said he enjoyed the variety of dance performances remarking that, "there has been something for everyone."

Dusk Dances' mandate is to "bring dance to the community by making it accessible physically (via a public space venue), financially (through pay-what-you-can admission), and artistically (through diverse programming, for all tastes and ages)." At the same time they strive “to give choreographers a unique opportunity to showcase their work in a non-traditional dance venue, in front of a large and mostly new audience."

Dusk Dances celebrates their 13th season this year. For more information about upcoming Dusk Dances festivals go to: www.duskdances.ca

- Kim Ashby

Toronto Arts Council has been supporting Dusk Dances since 1997.