"Bringing Artists Together " Press release from Linda Arkelian:

Can dancers, artists and musicians inspire each other? Linda Arkelian has literally been "Bringing Artists Together" this summer in her ballet classes at Dance on the Drive. Throughout the summer she has invited artists, photographers and musicians to collaborate and co-exist while practicing the disciplines they love in the same space.

Linda's multi disciplinary project, "Bringing Artists Together" lives up to its title. As dancers arabesque to live musicians, artists wander freely amongst them to observe, photograph and paint the interaction. The inspiration has flow both ways: from the dancers to the artists and then back again to the dancers. Yvonne Chew, a local photographer, muses "at Ballet on the Drive I hope to capture a bit of the energy of dancers in motion...in space and time...in and out of chaos." I personally have a fascination with human movement as an artist and a kinesiologist--movement frozen in a photo or painting is still dynamic in its beauty. It was amazing to experience the energy of the class: to photograph the dancers responding to the music and Linda's passionate and entertaining presence. All I wanted to do was paint canvases of physical expressionism when I got home. This project also has allowed for artists, musicians and dancers to share the creative wealth. At Drive Dance Studio, I met Masha Levene, an artist who melds traditional illustration with digital media such as the iPad, and Laura Baiani, a dancer, who gamely volunteered to model/dance in a photoshoot for me.

Mixed media artist Joy Ann Kirkwood took the words "Bring Artists Together" to heart and used her guest appearance to draw inspiration for her upcoming exhibition at Place des Arts.
"I seek to bring something of [the dancers'] energy, passion and grace to the sketches that I’ll be making." She plans to "create mixed media, figurative pieces to symbolize the qualities distilled from the experience" to exhibit in two upcoming shows. Linda Arkelian is a former professional dancer who has danced with internationally recognized companies such as the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Company. She is the resident ballet instructor of a weekly drop in class, "Ballet on the Drive", at Vancouver’s Drive Dance Centre on Commercial Drive. Linda is also a visual artist: she tours an innovative creative artists in schools focusing on endangered species. (UNSURE what this sentence means??)
Hundreds of banners with her salmon design hang from the light poles throughout Port Moody.

Together with David Cooper, an acclaimed dance photographer and arts advocate, Linda initiated the series, "Bringing Artists Together." There are not enough opportunities for like-minded creative people to inspire each other. Why cannot artists learn from dancers, or even scientists? David is known for his images that capture the inner strength of dancers, be it in action or through an impressionistic glass. They have seen how this event inspires and fosters chances to share, and they are committed to continue to pursue other artists.

Other guest artists throughout the summer have included:

Afro Cuban percussionist, Russell Shumsky who guest accompanied her contemporary class. He shares 24 years of professional expertise playing marimba, djembé, dunduns, bodhran, and congas.

Yvonne Chew, Vancouver dance photographer captured an event featuring guest artist Andrea Taylor, painter and prolific printmaker from Dundarave Print Workshop on Granville Island. She also documented a collaboration between photographer and artist Josan Pinon and Ballet on the Drive dancers where the dancers were immersed underwater.

Karen Chan and Jon Snow photographed a contemporary class featuring SFU's Ron Stelting on percussion whilst digital artist Masha Levine sketched the dancers on her iPad.

Coming this fall to Drive Dance Studio are Redgy Blackout Band members Scott Perrie and Jeremy Breaks. They plan to introduce the class to music from their recently launched CD "The Leap".

I am very thankful to Arkelian and Cooper for the chance to fulfill my goal of capturing the grace and strength of dance in art and envision a collective exhibit to show the fruits of the collaboration of creative minds from this summer. "Bringing Artists Together" at Drive Dance Studio, is a wonderful concept that breaks down barriers separating individuals in different disciplines. I was surprised myself when I told Linda that I would love to try one of her classes. Who knows, perhaps we will have dancers borrow our photographers camera's and artist's brushes next!


Article by Linda Arkelian and Karen Chan for the Vancouver Observer