Akimbo: History in the Making

History in the Making...

	Akimbo Dance came alive in 1993 as a joint project of Kamloops dancers Kim Harris and Bonnie McLean. Their vision was to create awareness of and appreciation for modern dance in Kamloops. This vision has been realized in the form of annual productions, each of which has presented a lively mixture of traditional and experimental dances, and provided a forum for local dancers to learn and perform. In 1995, Akimbo incorporated as a non-profit society with education and entertainment as its twin mandates. Committed to the community, Akimbo has, in addition to its own annual show, showcased modern dance in other community events.
	Art in Motion (By Lissa Millar. From Mosaic, May/June 1998. reprinted by permission) A dancer's body is her medium. Lines are drawn where her form meets the air, colour and shading added by her movements. Music provides inspiration and mood, but the interpretation is in the human form. Akimbo Dance Society was founded in 1993 by dancers Kim Harris and Bonnie MacLean. Their vision was to create awareness for and appreciation of modern dance in the city. And it appears they've achieved a measure of their goal. Earlier this year, the City's arts commission awarded Akimbo a $2,200 Community Arts Grant to facilitate the development of a modern dance production for the fall of 1998. "It was satisfying in that we had finally received some recognition for what we'd done - not only from our peers and friends and supporters, but from the City. It kind of put us on the map," says Harris, who teaches dance at the Academy of Performing Arts. The nature of dance in Kamloops is that young dancers move on to attend professional schools in larger centres, leaving Akimbo with just a core group of dedicated members. The unique thing about Akimbo is that dancers have a chance to be involved right from the beginning, not only in a single production, but in the company's future, Harris says. "In the future, I anticipate having an annual show and tour and other smaller, experimental pieces in between, as appetizers." Once the auditions are completed, the creative minds gather to brainstorm ideas for the production. Then begins the process of choosing music, doing the choreography, conducting rehearsals and dealing with the myriad of details that make for a smooth production. Since it's inception, Akimbo has produced yearly performances, presenting a lively mixture of traditional and experimental dances. Last year's production, Vivid Three, utilized three colours - white, red and blue - representing innocence, passion and wisdom, to trace the process of growth and maturity. The performance was enhanced by a narrative composed by Kevin Enns, who also serves as the company's stage manager and graphic designer. While past productions were composed of several unrelated dances, this was the first that was integrated, with a central theme, or story. "It was a lot more work but a lot more satisfying, from the creative point of view, anyway." The company took Vivid Three on tour this spring, stepping off home turf to try stages in Kelowna and Penticton - another first that addressed their goal of making their presence known throughout the Interior.
	Elementary school students respond positively to dance By Sheila Keenan Kamloops Daily News Monday, January 25, 1999 The first segment of a program that immerses school children in the arts finished Friday to the enthusiastic reception of all involved. The ArtSmarts Artitsts in Residency Project brought Kim Harris and Kirsten Kearnes from the Akimbo Dance Company to Ralph Bell elementary school for a week to teach students the basics of contemporary dance. The dancers worked with all grades, from kindergarten to Grade 7 last week. The week ended with a performance by the students and Kearnes and Harris. "We really wanted not necessarily to teach, because we wanted them to find out on their own how wonderful movement can be," said Harris. Harris said they could sense some reluctance in some of the students at the beginning of the week, but that changed. "Over the week we really saw some changes in them. We saw something spark. They started to realize anyone can be a choreographer," said Harris. The students were taught about different elements of dance, including direction and tempo, but were free to use those elements to create their own dances. "You really wanted to give the kids the liberty to make it their own," said Kearnes. "We wanted them all to be little choreographers." The students said they enjoyed the experience, despite some initial hesitance. "We weren't sure if we were going to like it to start," said Taylor James Stuart, 11. He said he most enjoyed performing the steps the students choreographed themselves. Bryan Richard, 12, said he's "never really enjoyed school dances," but did enjoy this form of dance. "At first I was a little bit nervous, but then when you get up there you have to perform," he said. "It's exciting." For school principal DeDe DeRose the experience was also positive. "Some of the students you saw performing, on Monday you wouldn't have ever imagined seeing them on a stage doing what they were doing," she said. "They were proud to be up there. It was pretty amazing." One parent said her daughter is already taking lessons outside of school, but said the experience would be valuable for students who had not had that chance. "This way without being enrolled in it they can find out if they really like it," said Judy Marchese, parent of Grade 2 student Sarah.
	It's not all serious stuff. In 1996 and 1994, we choreographed and danced a few numbers for the International Loggers' Association annual convention. In 1995, we were involved in the opening ceremonies of the BC Festival of the Performing Arts Provincials. From Intercon '96, a science fiction convention, to the Kamloops Fire Prevention Seminar, to the serious business of Art, Akimbo is part of the community of Kamloops.