A Festival of Independent Dance

By Elodie Adams

When poets compose, they make words dance. When dancers perform, they make visual poetry. What happens, then, when poet and dancer combine their talents together on stage?

You get PRESENT/TENSE, just one of the performances that may amuse or confuse the audience during ROMP!, Victoria's annual festival of independent dance.

This year was its 13^th edition, and the festival's organizer, Suddenly Dance Theatre Society, invited dancers and choreographers from Vancouver and Montreal to collaborate with local dancers.

Over a period of ten days, Sept. 25 - Oct. 7, the public had a chance to see a variety of performances that explored the art of contemporary dance.

In the performance of PRESENT/TENSE, a stellar line-up of many of Victoria's favourite poets read out their selected poems while one or more dancers improvised to each reading. The dancer would only hear the first and last line of the poem that he/she would be dancing to. While some of the improvisations never seemed to quite gel with the poem, others were a wonder to behold, such as the one by Victoria dancer Lisa Milloy, whose fluid movements were the perfect visual interpretation of Lauren Crux's poem, "Desert Notes."

A premiere performance of Montreal choreographer Lina Cruz's latest work gave festival goers a chance to see "Mindscapes/Soupe du Jour" before the Montreal premiere in November. The five dancers in Cruz's troop danced to an original score by Philippe Noireaut, who performed on stage. They were all mesmerizing to watch in their portrayal of extravagant characters who interact with each other; I never knew quite what to expect next on stage.

During the festival, a series of free mini shows were held every day at noon at the Martin Batchelor Gallery on Cormorant Street. These solo dance pieces were given by well-known local Victoria dancers, each one reflecting unique personality, little gems in themselves. 

"Body Language," a dance-themed visual art exhibit, opened during the run of the festival at the gallery, and included works by many local artists including the festival's co-artistic directors, Miles Lowry and David Ferguson.

Since its inception, Lowry and Ferguson have strived to create a vehicle whereby dancers and choreographers can explore new vistas by pushing the boundaries of dance.

Overall, ROMP! is a festival that sets itself apart from the traditional dance performances offered in Victoria. It gives local artists a chance to connect with other Canadian dancers and choreographers, and in previous years, included artists from outside of Canada. This year, with a Heritage and Culture grant of only $6,800, Suddenly Dance Theatre Society is operating on a shoestring budget to produce this festival.