By Ryan Flaherty for Sask Lotteries
Artistic inspiration comes in many forms. It could be a beautiful sunset, the sound of rush hour traffic, maybe a pearl of wisdom from a grandparent. It can even come from other artistic works.
Every summer, members of the Free Flow Dance Theatre Company draw their inspiration from the Saskatoon cityscape for an annual performance series known as Back Alley Antics, which brings contemporary dance into unconventional outdoor spaces. This year, to mark the company’s 30th anniversary, the series returned to the Broadway area in Nutana where it first began.
“We try to create acts that are location specific and directly inspired by the environment that they will be performed in,” Free Flow artistic director and choreographer Jackie Latendresse explained.
The creative process began with performers exploring the alleyways of the Broadway district on foot, taking photographs of various sections to use for reference. Each performer then chose a specific location that inspired them and designed an act centered on that location.
Latendresse and fellow artist Karla Kloeble collaborated on a piece that made use of a staircase attached to the back of a building.
“We both enjoyed the challenge of creating movement designed around the specific architecture of the staircase, and the result was quite original,” Latendresse said.
The Back Alley Antics program not only challenges traditional ideas of what may or may not be a performance space, it gives performers the opportunity to get outside and try something different.
“Generally, the artists really appreciate getting out of the studio during summer months and working in unique spaces where it opens up the possibility for movement and choreography,” Latendresse said.
The program has been going strong for more than two decades thanks in part to support from the Sask Lotteries Community Grant, which helps to cover the artists’ fees. The outdoor performances, in turn, strengthen the ties between company and community as the artists work with local businesses and property owners.
“It is a great way to insert yourself into a neighbourhood and to continue to develop local interest in professional contemporary dance,” Latendresse said.
And the next time you go down a back alley, you might look at it a bit differently. After all, inspiration can come from anywhere.
