Top Portland dance group BodyVox performs in Kodiak Thursday

 

BodyVox performs at Gerald C. Wilson Auditorium Thursday.

See video of performance at bottom of story.

 

BodyVox performs Thursday evening as part of the Kodiak Arts Council’s Performing Arts Series, but it’s Wednesday’s non-stage event that might bring the chills.

Katie Oliver, the executive director of the Kodiak Arts Council, says Kodiak is the first performance on the dance group’s eight community tour of Alaska.

“They’ll be here for a big public performance on Thursday, Nov. 1 at the Auditorium. But before that they’re going to also lead a dance workshop at Next Step Dance Studios. It’s a free workshop. It’s for ages 12 and up, so teens and adults. And so it’s going to be at 7 p.m. on Halloween, the night before their concert. So folks can come and dance with the company members. There’s nine dancers in BodyVox and then come and enjoy the public performance on Thursday night.”

 

Oliver says the stage performance is a compilation of BodyVox’s greatest hits, dances performed over several decades.

But the fun really kicks off Thursday afternoon in a little park between the buildings downtown, during the annual Chamber of Commerce trick or treating event.

The Next Step Dance Studio has a tradition of performing a mob dance of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” for the trick or treaters.

Since BodyVox is known for its wit and humor in performances, and they will be in town during the Next Step’s “Thrill the World,” event an invitation was sent.

“And we wrote to BodyVox and we said: There’s the really cool opportunity. Do your dancers know the choreography for Thriller, would they be willing to come and dance outside downtown during our trick or treat event. And they said, Yeah, we’re up for it. Let’s do it. And so this year, Thrill the World, as part of downtown trick or treating, will feature the professional dancers from BodyVox Dance Company. And that’s going to be at 4 p.m. just outside the Sunaq Tribal Building, the bingo hall there near the pocket park downtown.”

 

 

Urban Meadow from BodyVox on Vimeo.