I originally dismissed {stairs}, a dance piece by MaryGrace Phillips, simply because it was to be staged at the B Complex, which has a concrete floor. I really feel that we should all avoid patronizing artists and organizations that produce dance works on hard surfaces: it’s terrible for the dancers but, even if they’ve managed to receive that rare education on dance safety, they often are not in a position to turn down the opportunity. Earlier this week, however, I realized that she is a Work Room resident and, thus, would almost definitely have access to the Lucky Penny’s portable dance floor and so I felt much more comfortable attending. I really wish that an organization would form around the issue of dancer safety that can certify performances as meeting basic safety criteria: I’d feel a lot better about going to alternative venue performances if such a thing existed.
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