Being a student in Toronto is a unique cultural privilege. At the same time, this special advantage serves as a constant excuse to procrastinate. Surrounding our collegiate hub is a bustling metropolis made up of distinctive neighbourhoods and filled with extraordinary opportunities worth putting off that philosophy paper for just a bit longer. No matter how hard one tries to hit the books and lock themselves up in Robarts, Toronto is always waiting — tempting and teasing, offering up what feels like a never-ending list of must-see events and venues waiting to be explored.
A couple of months ago, I was presented with a particularly tempting opportunity to further discover my city (and further ignore my readings), with an invitation to a Sharing Spaces production, “Light and Heavy.” The contemporary dance show took place in the ex-dotcom central turned industrial loft haven neighbourhood of Liberty Village for a small price (the oh-so-elusive pay what you can). What a lovely way to effectively procrastinate.
Growing up in Toronto, my experience with dance has ranged from pre-teen hip-hop classes and Martha Hicks recitals, to being asked to “quiet my breathing and stop fidgeting” at the National Ballet more times than I’d like to admit. I am no dance expert, nor do I claim to be. That being said, it doesn’t take an expert to appreciate the unparalleled experience that Sharing Spaces has to offer local audiences and dancers alike.
I begin at the beginning, with Barbara Frum: Toronto-born, Trinity College student, ex-competitive dancer and founder and president of Sharing Spaces. It was the combination of Frum’s love for her city and passion for dance that brought to fruition this revelatory dance production company. Frum trained at both the Interplay School of Ballet and the Sean Boutilier Academy of Dance, practicing six days a week at the competitive level. Once she was sure she wanted to pursue higher learning, she decided to dedicate her time and energy to the behind the scenes side of dance and try her hand at entrepreneurship. Ultimately, Frum wanted to introduce an independent dance movement to Toronto on a larger scale, with a company that could offer local audiences the opportunity to enjoy the art of dance at an affordable price.
Sharing Spaces is a uniquely Toronto initiative. It is Frum’s goal to expose audiences to both local talent and local spaces that Torontonians would have otherwise overlooked. While some of us may see this city as a boundless metropolis, local artists — especially dancers — aim to move to larger cities such as New York and Los Angeles in order to make it big. Sharing Spaces aims to hone local talent — showcasing dancers in alternative performance spaces and creating opportunities for them right here in Toronto.
The showcased artists originate from all over the Greater Toronto Area — bringing with them different artistic backgrounds, styles of dance, and creative influences. Most have had professional training and have performed competitively. Sharing Spaces’ artistic board is made up of a variety of artists all under the age of 22. Members’ artistic backgrounds range from classical ballet to spoken word poetry — University of Toronto’s own Lucas Regazzi is a member of the artistic board. All who work together to create an eclectic group of passionate youths.
Thus far, two of the three performances produced by Sharing Spaces have been improvised. I admit, I was initially thrown off by the somewhat chaotic nature of “Light and Heavy,” particularly during group performances where dancers would collide with one another. Yet, there were those moments, those unpredictable instances, where a dancer’s movement seamlessly coincided with the music—an exquisite consequence no rehearsed choreography could create. It was a rush to catch such a rare scene — I had never felt so invested in a performance as an audience member before. On the stylistic choice, Frum explained: “Improv is so interesting because you can really see the performer accessing something subconscious, almost like a dream. You can see what’s in the core of the person’s creative process… With improv, the dancers are forced to collaborate in front of a live audience — it’s risky, exciting.”
There really is something inherently exciting about it all. Sharing Spaces is not only taking advantage of what Toronto has to offer, but more importantly, sharing and celebrating it with others. As if that “Toronto-to-do list” wasn’t daunting enough.
Learn more about Sharing Spaces at sharingspaces.ca
