It's a dance performance involving anywhere from 40 to 70 people of all ages and abilities. It's a community event that will allow Coast residents to be part of the Winter Olympic Games fanfare by performing at Richmond's O Zone, where Coast artist Gordon Halloran will be showing his Ice Gate installation.
It's also organized chaos.
Energetic rehearsals for the team of dancers have been taking place since last September, co-ordinator Shelley Harrison Rae said at a weekly rehearsal last Sunday. About 40 people were gathered at the Seaside Centre to warm up with rehearsal director Maggie Guzzi, then they split up to practise with four experienced dancers/ choreographers from the Coast.
Jean Pierre Makosso led his group in vibrant African dance, Gerardo Avila walked his group through mime dance, Brit-tany Robertson led hers in hip hop, and Guzzi took her group of contemporary dancers outside to practise.
New dancers are still joining, even though there are only a few weeks to go.
"I hate to turn anyone away," Rae said. "If they come in to watch, we get them dancing."
Judie Myers has had experience as an adult tap student at Coast Academy of Dance.
"Every 10 years I need a new challenge," she said. "I saw a poster that asked, 'Do you want to dance on a world stage?' It was exactly what I wanted."
Some parents became involved after their kids joined. Others just wanted to try something new. All say they are loving it.
"I danced in public before - when I was six," laughs 63-year-old David Kipling.
Though inexperienced, he said he enjoys dancing.
"Kids are natural dancers, but it gives us permission to jump and leap, too," he said.
Kipling also likes that the community is involved. In fact, the group's first appearance will be in their own neighbourhood, during the torch relay celebration on Feb. 4 in Sechelt, and at a kind of dress rehearsal in Gibsons at Sunnycrest Mall on Jan. 31.
The merging of choreographic talents is a huge undertaking.
"It took many, many meetings," Guzzi said. "The dance society supported the process and held a workshop to bring us all together."
Each choreographer worked out his or her own piece, and rehearsals were held separately. Then the results were woven together with brief turns from all four groups.
Tammy Hansen, who got involved after taking one of Makosso's classes, explained how it will work. The group will not wear costumes or be on stage - they will be part of the audience looking like street people - and each dance team will break loose for a brief show encouraging others to join them. At the finale, the entire group comes together to freeze as immobile as Olympic ice. Pausing for the briefest of beats, they will rise as one to conjure the image of a glacier in all its solidity. It is this final defining moment that makes all the frenzied activity worthwhile.
"Work on that last move," urged Makosso. "Finish that move. Get it right."
The dancers returned to work with vigour. The final performance of Dance for Ice Gate will be on Tuesday, Feb. 9, in Richmond - before the world. Only three more weeks
