A combination of different styles of art were on display at Lampman Lane Park this past weekend.
Get Out and Dance, a community dance event hosted by Simcoe Contemporary Dancers, featured free dance workshops, live music, as well as several different dance performances at the north end park, explained Chrissy Baxter, who is the organization’s executive director.
“Get Out and Dance is a community arts event where we are bringing different art forms together including visual art, dance and live music. We think this event is really important because we want to bring art to where people are,” she told BarrieToday on Sunday afternoon.
“People are here walking their dogs, at the splash pad and doing their thing … and they get to see art. Not only art in our community, but also art that is by our community," Baxter added.
While the art scene in Barrie is thriving, it also needs support, she said.
“Getting people to see us out here and to see the calibre or the work that is happening is really important to hopefully inspire people to maybe take up an instrument or dance lessons … but also hopefully also get out and support the arts in Barrie,” Baxter said.
“Artists are all cut from the same cloth. We all love to collaborate and we want to create an opportunity, as a not-for-profit organization, that if we have the support from funders, that we can create those opportunities that’s what we think is really important," she added.
The showcase featured six dance performances, including an Afro-Caribbean fan dance, contemporary and modern dances, tap dance, Chinese traditional dance and a dash of burlesque.
Shelly-Ann Skinner, who helped host the dancers showcase and performed the Afro-Caribbean fan dance, said she has enjoyed working with the organization to help bring local artists together
“It’s great to be invited to participate not only as a dancer, but as the MC,” Skinner said. “This is a show that's been around for a few years, but the organization has been around for 15 years. I have been able to work with them in different capacities and I love the work they do bringing contemporary dance to the community.
"The show is really great," Skinner added. "It's versatile and diverse. It’s a great opportunity for us to get outside and to introduce different types of dance forms to the public. It’s a very accessible way of engaging with some of these incredible artists.”
Skinner said dance is not typically showcased out in the community, so the weekend’s event served as an opportunity for people to bring their family to an outdoor, public and accessible space.
“It’s important to have that art form be uplifted in our community,” said Skinner.
