Radiant I

The last time I went to a dance performance was a few years back. It was performed by the Menaka Thakkar Dance Company at Harbourfront Centre's Premiere Dance Theatre (now Fleck Dance Theatre). My interest in dance was rekindled by some guests staying recently in the B&B, all of whom are working in the technical area of dance productions. Jean-Philippe and Pierre in lighting design, Lionel in videography and Mathieu in technical direction. Jean-Philippe was here earlier for Susie Burpee's dance piece In Tune, and the second team arrived after Jean-Philippe left, for Holly Small's contemporary dance work Radiant. One morning during breakfast I asked Lionel about the theatre where Radiant was performed. He told me the stage was considered quite large for the two hundred something seats. Later I goggled Betty Oliphant Theatre, a place I have never been to (like so many other places in Toronto) and found out some history. The theatre was designed by Canada's famous architect Jack Diamond. It was originally built as a stage training facility to assist students to make the transition from studio to stage.