o r e g o n c o u n t r y fa i r 2 0 1 6
FOL KS CUT A RUG AT THE
DANCE PAVILION
You should be
Dancing
New pavilion invites Fair-goers
to take off their shoes and shake it up
s you’re cruising around the
loops at the Oregon Country
Fair, be sure to stop by the
new Dance Pavilion, featuring
movement performances and
workshops for all.
“The dance space is for the
exploration of dance and the
movement arts,” says volunteer
site coordinator Shawn Kahl.
The Dance Pavilion stage and an adjacent outdoor
studio, the “WorkIt Shop,” have concurrent but separate
programming throughout the weekend. Both areas
welcome and encourage participation.
“We’ve adopted a unique format for many of our
performance times,” Kahl says, noting that the spaces
“fuse together an instruction-and-participation model,
A
which allows for learning as well as fun socialized dancing
opportunities.”
A committee, which reviewed the myriad applications,
has selected the performers and teachers for the Dance
Pavilion.
“We’ve intentionally featured many dance styles from
around the world in an effort to include international
communities,” Kahl says, “and things are structured in a
way that is inclusive to all participants.”
This year’s offerings include a variety of dance
styles and forms, including yoga, belly dance, contact
improvisation, African dance and Bhangra. There’s
something for everyone.
“We’re also co-programming the Dance Pavilion and
WorkIt Shop stages to have more cross-pollination,” Kahl
says.
The Connexus Dance Collective, for example — a
group that holds social partner dance lessons at the Dance
Pavilion — also offers workshops at the WorkIt stage on
“consent on and off the dance floor.”
“We have this type of relationship with several of
our performers, with the intent being to offer a smaller,
workshop-based opportunity to learn more about a
particular style related to a larger performance on the
Dance Pavilion,” Kahl says.
The Dance Pavilion (and the entire new area, formerly
known as Crafts Lot and now permanently named
Xavanadu) was developed over a period of years “and has
essentially been a vision of the Fair leadership for decades,”
Kahl asserts.
The Dance Pavilion construction came together last
year and is quite impressive, with a large metal frame
covered with tent, a bandstand for live music and a 2,600
square-foot hardwood dance floor surrounded by audience
seating. The WorkIt shop stage also has a tent covering and
serves as a smaller, more intimate venue for workshops and
classes.
“As the Dance Pavilion grows, I have a vision of making
the program a destination for dancers, not just a stop-off
for people who happen to wander by the Dance Pavilion
during their time at the Fair,” Kahl explains.
Wanna check it out? Instructors just ask that participants
show up on time and participate for the duration of the
themed session.
“We’ve broken up the program into short (50 minute)
sessions to allow for folks to have a full OCF experience
without being tied up at the Dance Pavilion, and also to
allow for a greater diversity of programming throughout
the weekend,” Kahl says.
“We are looking to get people on the dance floor,” he
adds, “connecting with each other as much as possible.” —
Rachael Carnes
eugeneweekly.com • July 7, 2016
15