Terpsichore! : Billings365.com

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Terpsichore!

August 31, 2012 @ 6:53 pm by jodie

Dancing.

Some say it can only happen after three or more drinks.

Others feel it is best experienced from the sidelines.

And then we have Terpsichore Dance Company.

A collection of talented ladies who purposely dance in public, sans imbibing, to inspire with and share the art of dance.

Lucky me, one of the talented ladies, Kate Blakeslee, invited me to take in a private rehearsal. They have a show coming up next week and they were furiously banging out the details in the YWCA’s gymnasium. I sort of writhed around on the floor, trying to stay as invisible as possible, while capturing their stunning movements. I say stunning because it was. To them it might have been a lot of stopping and starting as they worked hard to perfect the entirety of the show. To me it was little moments of explosive, beautiful energy and creatives feeding their own souls, risking injury and criticism, to share their love and talent with the community. I find this very brave and awesome. I might have even done a few leaps in my basement later that night…

Ricky Feely is Terp’s vibrant director, choreographer and creator of the troupe. Her vision includes such things as sharing the healing art of dance with those that are disabled and offering education and experience to dance students who want to go further. I watched her lead the dancers through practice in a thoughtful and nurturing way. I can hardly wait to see this show as one silky, energetic piece.

So, the show. Here is what Ricki has to say about it on Terpsichore’s site: “We have all new works. The show has a dreamy quality to it this year. Fantastical music and Zen-like movements. We have a piece about the ocean that is very satisfying in watching the dancers glide through a watery-world. There is a piece where the dancers enter into the spirit world of the Wild West. Another piece interprets an alien crash-landing. That’s all I will give away for now.”

I connected with dancer Krista L. Marshall and asked her why she submits her time and her body to Terpsichore. She gave me a very elegant and authentic response. “In the end, this is my life, it’s something my soul needs to survive. Without it, I’m dormant. It means everything to me to express my artistry and absorb and express the work of the choreographer or company I’m working for. I believe dance is an oral tradition that is passed down verbally, shared from one artist to another. It’s a human bond and a connection that isn’t shared in a lot of other artforms (that I can think of anyway). This is why i find it so valuable to teach dance. It’s about carving out the doubt and insecurities and sharing the raw nature of that expression in the human form – to reveal the artist, young or old.” This dedication also includes sealing up bleeding feet with super glue and running to the ER between rehearsal and performance to get her chin sewn up and making it back just in time for the curtain call!