Safety Dance to get dancers moving… safely

A physically-distanced, joyful group dance outdoors is being planned to get people moving at Macaulay Heritage Park, Sept. 20 and 27, from 2-3 p.m.

The Department of Illumination presents Safety Dance will have participants lay claim to their own ‘safety circle’ on the lawn of Macaulay House, spaces carefully measured to keep participants physically distanced while getting their groove on.

Led by dancer and choreographer Arwyn Carpenter, participants will move to fun beats at this all-ages guided community dance. No experience or special skills required! The Safety Dance choreography will be done to the music of Men Without Hats; wear safety colours, helmets, masks, and other safety equipment is optional, but encouraged.

“COVID has put a real wrench in our regular events such as The Firelight Lantern Festival and ICE BOX,” said Artistic Director Krista Dalby. “It’s forced us to be creative and imagine new ways we can engage with the community while keeping our artists and participants safe.”

Innovative thinking produced The Department of Illumination’s spring project ‘Art in Isolation’, as well as moving the Art Kitchen meet-up group to Benson Park for the summer months.

“We’re currently developing plans for a different kind of lantern festival this year, so stay tuned for news about that,” says Dalby.

Cost to participate in Safety Dance is $10 or pay-what-you-can. Limit of 50 tickets available per event. Pre-registration through Eventbrite is mandatory, at www.deptofillumination.org