Canada’s National Ballet School organized a flashmob in downtown Toronto for International Dance Day on April 29.
Under the direction of Matjash Mrozewski, rehearsals started in February with
Joel Plaskett’s
Penny for Your Thoughts as our music. I was excited (and nervous) to see what it would be like to perform in a flashmob.
As I made my way down to the location, I felt drops of rain on my head. I was hoping the rain would hold off for at least 20 minutes. Fifteen minutes before the scheduled flashmob, I took a stroll around Metro Hall Square.
I could already see people standing in the square, sitting on park benches –one was even practicing the moves behind a building. I paced back and forth in my designated area and soon, the music blared from the sound system. Taking a deep breath and putting on a big grin, I joined other individuals to wait for my cue.
Running in, we performed section B which went off without a hitch, but I didn’t have much time to enjoy the sidelines because soon everyone was running in to perform the chorus. When the last section was up, I realized these four minutes was going by way too quickly.
You could feel the energy –thanks to all the hard work that was put into it. The three months of work flew by and on our makeshift stage, a sense of pride and accomplishment surrounded us with dancers and non-dancers united to celebrate dance as an art form.
Heck, the sun even peaked through as we lifted our hands in unison, like our own personal spotlight. And like any flashmob, we emptied the area as quickly as we filled it. With the big event complete, it was bittersweet. We made new friends, stepped out of our comfort zones (even if it was just for the day) and had a blast. It was sad to see it go by so quickly. What else is there to look forward to?
Check out the official
International Dance Day Flashmob blog to hear from the choreographer and other members. For now, enjoy the final product:
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