Sixteen young women aged 10 to 18 from the DSdanse Youth Dance Company put on a “majestic” performance at the Heritage Playhouse last weekend. The Majestic Project portrayed in dance and visuals the damage to our oceans that threatens sea life. “It’s a conversation we should be having,” artistic director Dominique Hutchinson told the audience. It was made more powerful by the fact that the dancers were obviously committed to the message and also that they had choreographed most of it themselves. This is a presentation worth working on and should be tweaked and mounted again to gain wider exposure.
Earth Day
Walk, bicycle or car pool your way to Roberts Creek for Earth Day on April 22. Saturday morning at 10 a.m., join your neighbours for an Earth Day ceremony led by Rev. Raymond Niebergall at the Roberts Creek Hall with an open meditation using sound, music and heart to connect spiritually. Then walk down to the main event at the Roberts Creek pier park, starting at noon and ending at 5 p.m. There will be live music, food, singers, speakers, a raffle, fun activities and workshops for kids and families. Learn about the amazing initiatives in our community to support sustainability. Events are free; donations are welcome.
Fundraiser
Taurean Tunez is a fundraising, all ages dance being put on for a couple who lost their home to fire, Carrie Lee and Jerry (Scully) Stanway from Roberts Creek. The event is on Saturday, April 22 at the Roberts Creek Hall. The line-up of DJs is hot and sure to keep the dance floor hopping. It’s $20 at the door from eight ‘til late. Donations of clothing and food are also welcomed.
Steve Hinton
Bring your dancing shoes to the Gibsons Legion on Saturday, April 22, for a Blues Dance Party. A fixture for years in the Vancouver blues community, Roberts Creek resident Steve Hinton is known for his smooth vocals and powerful harmonica playing. He is backed by top Coast musicians Al Alford, guitar, Sully Antonyk, bass, and Tim Rannard on drums.
Potters present
On Saturday, April 22, Ray Niebergall, one of the potters of Heat Changes Everything, the current show at the Gibsons Public Art Gallery, offers a presentation – Spirit of Clay – from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Admission is by donation. The exhibit runs to April 30.
Piano Encore
The Sunshine Coast Festival of the Performing Arts opened April 10 with piano performances and adjudication. The Piano Encore concert, highlights of performances, will be held on Sunday, April 23 at 2 p.m. at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre on Medusa Street in Sechelt. Donations at the door are appreciated. The vocal and choral segments of the Festival continue on Monday and Tuesday, April 24 and 25. See www.coastfestival.com for more information.
Paradise revisited
Sechelt author Andrew Scott will present his latest book – an expanded new edition of The Promise of Paradise: Utopian Communities in British Columbia (Harbour Publishing) – at the Gibsons Public Library on Wednesday, April 26 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The event is free and refreshments will be available. The book explores the successes and failures of the many idealistic intentional communities that have appeared across B.C. over the past 150 years, from the “model” Christian villages of the missionaries, through the Doukhobors, the Brother XII cult and the counterculture communes, to today’s sophisticated co-housing projects. With careful research and engaging first-person accounts, the author sifts through the wreckage of the utopia-seekers’ dreams to lay bare the practices and philosophies of today’s intentional communities.
Met at the Raven’s Cry
The Met Opera can be watched live via HD satellite on Saturday, April 22 at 10 a.m. at the Raven’s Cry Theatre in Sechelt. Anna Netrebko reprises one of her most acclaimed roles as Tatiana, the naïve heroine of Tchaikovsky’s opera, Eugene Onegin, adapted from Pushkin’s classic novel. Peter Mattei stars as the title character who rejects Tatiana’s love until it’s too late. Robin Ticciati, music director of Glyndebourne Festival Opera, conducts the revival of Deborah Warner’s staging, which opened the Met’s 2013-14 season. Run time is almost four hours. For ticket information see www.ravenscrytheatre.com
Glass Slipper
Driftwood Theatre School presents The Glass Slipper, on April 28 and 29 at 7:30 p.m. and April 30 at 1 p.m. at the Heritage Playhouse in Gibsons. It runs again on May 5, 6 and 7. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students, available at Laedeli, Giggle ‘n Bloom, The Blackberry Shop, Sechelt Visitor Centre and www.share-there.com.
Poetry finale
The finale at the Sechelt Library to National Poetry Month will be on Thursday, April 27 at 7 p.m. in a presentation called Eclectic Electric Eye, a spoken word event with poets John Pass and Philip Jagger. Registration is recommended at [email protected].
Coffee House
The monthly Artesia Coffee House at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre is being held Friday, April 28 with music starting at 8 p.m. The grand piano will be on stage with Anna Lumiere, joined by her son Noah on violin. Val and Julie Rutter of Gemini will entertain with four hands, one piano and skilled style. After the break, for poetry month, will be poet Danika Dinsmore accompanied by Barry Taylor on percussion. To close the show is the Lynne Urquhart Band with Lynne on piano and vocals, Sacha Fassaert, guitar, Michael Munro, drums, and Gordie Birtch, bass. Tickets are $10 at the door, which opens at 7 p.m.
Hawaiian hula
Join in the spirit and power of Hawaiian hula. A new beginners group is starting Wednesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Gibsons, taught by Dhyana Kalalea Bartkow of Keia Papa Kaua, a traditional Hawaiian hula dance and performing group. She has been dancing and training in Kauai since 1999 with Puna Kalama Dawson, a kumu hula of ancient lineage and royalty who has given permission to share these teachings and also honours us with her inspirational presence in Gibsons yearly. Hula is a way of life based on aloha (unconditional love and gratitude) and ohana (family and community). In this spirit, all are welcome; no dance experience is necessary. In this four-week series ($60) you will learn basic foot, hip and hand movements as well as a chant and a hula. Classes are at Inner Moves Studio, 625 Glen Rd. in Gibsons. To register, contact Dhyana at 604-886-9737 or email [email protected].
Keep me posted
Please continue to send me your arts announcements, but note that they will run in the newspaper one day to one week ahead only. My deadline is Tuesday at noon for next Friday’s paper. Email [email protected] or phone 604-886-4692.
