There’s a lot of movement going on inside the Vernon Performing Arts Centre as 35 participants in a dance workshop get ready to show what they’ve learned on stage tonight.
Rehearsing all this week in the centre’s Marie Flaming Hall as part of the Joe Ink Move It! workshop, participants have been getting back into their bodies, learning humankind’s first language: movement.
Whether it’s the sandbox or the cubicle, everyone needs to break out of the box once in a while. In cultures around the world, for all ages, dance is a major form of expression, said Joe Ink’s founding artistic director Joe Laughlin.
“Move It! is about affirming one’s creativity and finding one’s own movement style. It’s also a challenge, and it’s about commitment and discipline as well,” he said.
Community members of all abilities and ages — toddlers to grandmothers and everyone in between — have come together to be inspired, empowered and motivated to move their bodies through dance making.
This free workshop puts an emphasis on physical literacy, creative expansion, mental health, confidence and overall well being. Participants have the opportunity to experience the exhilaration of movement in a safe, non-judgmental environment.
The week-long workshop also helps participants in rediscovering the profound pleasure of movement, renewing energy and confidence, alleviating stress, tuning into their bodies, affirming creativity, building physical literacy, experiencing the joy of dance making, developing a sense of connection with fellow participants, and most importantly, having fun, said Laughlin.
The performance by local participants in the Joe Ink Move It! workshop takes place tonight, Friday, Jan. 25, at 7 p.m. in the Vernon Performing Arts Centre.
The performance is open to the public and admission is by donation.
