In-person festival returns after 3 years: Performing Arts BC
For the first time since 2019, the Performing Arts BC Provincial Festival will be an in-person provincial festival, complete with classes and performances by all the delegates, alternates and merited participants. Taking place in Penticton, BC from May 28 to June 1, performers chosen at regional festivals all over British Columbia will at last have the true provincial experience that’s been missing for three years.
The last two years, where organisers created a virtual provincial festival, had been quite a learning experience for all involved, according to Margaret May, President of Performing Arts BC. Trying to keep to a regular festival schedule, while everything was on line and both adjudicators and performers were at home, proved challenging at times. Unlike at an in-person festival, there were no classes with their peers for the attendees. But each performer sent in a video, or in the case of choir performances, an audio file.
Now, this year, not only is the provincial festival back, but the experience of putting on a virtual festival has allowed organisers to expand the Festival somewhat. That expansion, taking a page from the opportunities choirs have had for years, is including dance groups.
Like the choirs, the dance groups don’t actually attend the Festival in person, but rather submit a video of their performance, as soloists did during the past two years.
“We’ve expanded the opportunities for dance, but we can’t make the Festival any longer,” said May.
The dance entries have been divided up into four sections; Grace, which includes all forms of ballet; Essence, which is modern, contemporary and lyrical; Power, which is hiphop, jazz, acro and street dance; and Performance, which includes tap, song & dance, and theatrical dance. Each festival is allowed to choose two groups from each section to send in a video.
May, who is also President of the Peace River North Festival Association, said that the full compliment of groups allowed were chosen from the local festival. Five groups from Alchemy Dance Collective and three from Studio 2 Stage Dance Academy. The groups chosen are:
Grace
The Journey: Alchemy large group ballet 12 & under
Classical Crossover: Alchemy large group ballet 16 & under
Essence
I Will Always Love You: Studio 2 Stage Small group lyrical 18 & under
New York New York: Alchemy Large Group Contemporary 6 & under
Power
Hung Up: Alchemy Jazz large group 14 & under
Drake: Alchemy Hip Hop Large group 12 & under
Performance
Sun Will Rise: Studio 2 Stage Tap large group 14 & under
March of the Executives: Studio 2 Stage Theatrical Dance Large group 14 & under
Of the local Festival, May said that everyone involved was happy to be back. “Last year’s Festival was worrisome, not knowing what to expect regarding Covid or what would be required,” she said. In spite of the concerns, last year’s Honour Concert – the Best of the Fest – was packed, as was this year’s.
It is wonderful to see things getting back to normal, May said. The online version of the local festival was not as well attended by participants as the in-person events are.
“We had the Fort Nelson bands back this year, and we haven’t had them since before Covid. It’s also nice to see the choirs coming back.”
Not to be outdone by the dance groups, the Alleluia Children’s Choir was also chosen to represent Fort St. John at the Provincial Festival, and will be sending in an audio file, as choirs have done for many years.
“The numbers for dance (entries) are back to normal, and the numbers for strings are coming back,” said May. “We used to have one and a half days for string, this year we had one day. Guitar and speech arts haven’t come back yet.”
Shauna Milne, owner and creative director at Studio 2 Stage Dance Academy echoed May’s thoughts about the provincial festival. “It’s exciting to be back after three years,” she said. “The kids are looking forward to travelling to Provincials.”
Of the new opportunities for dance groups at the Provincial level, Milne said it’s exciting to be able to see what other studios across the province are doing. “Being this far north, we don’t get a lot of opportunities to see what dancers are doing in the Lower Mainland,” she said. “It will be great to see how we fare across the province.”
In addition to the new categories at the provincial festival, the Peace River North Festival Association added two new awards this year, in honour of two ladies who were very involved in the Arts in Fort St. John.
The Rhonda Scott Love of Music & Piano Award honours the contributions of Rhonda Scott who played a big part in music and the festival, said May. Rhonda Scott was the music director for the PRNFA before she passed away.
The second new award is the Teena Danshin Rise Up Award. The idea for an award honouring Teena Danshin and her contribution to the arts, was brought up by the Northern Dance Theatre Society, where she was an active member prior to her recent passing.
It’s nice to be able to do something for them, May said.