Pittsburgh Dance Council, a programing division of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust brought a unique outdoor dance experience to PPG Plaza on a chilly night with Le Patin Libre from Montreal. Since 2005, this group has reached the pinnacle of inventiveness by developing their own art form - contemporary skating. They combine modern dance with the ability to glide which brings a new kind of visual experience that sure is not Disney on Ice.
Pittsburgh Dance Council brings new dance experiences to Pittsburgh (see Day 263 and Day 352 ). A cold Pittsburgh night could not keep many adventurous
patrons way from this dance on ice. These
six skaters, or should I say dancers, transformed PPG Plaza into a magical world of
storytelling by combining movement, music and skating. Their
name, Le Patin Libre (French for “Free Skate”) is fitting. They were not confined
to any particular style of skating. They moved with intense speed, slow
grace and enough control to be motionless.
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| tap skating |
They called the second part of the show “pure glide.” The motion was freeing like watching the murmuration of birds in the sky with coordinated
patterns or the changing configurations of a school of fish in the ocean. At other times it was eerie when the music clamored and creaked like a sinking ship as they moved forward and back resembling a wave.
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| motion resembling a wave |
Le Patin Libre pushes the limits of dance with contemporary
skating. The excitement in seeing
something so different yet so beautiful made this "not Disney on Ice experience" super cool on a cold night (pun intended).
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| Braving the cold for Le Patin Libre |
( For more information on upcoming events from the Pittsburgh Dance Counsel go to trustarts.org or here. The next show is Alvin Ailey on May 9, 2023, see Day 376.)
Other Sources
https://trustarts.org/production/81904/le-patin-libre
https://trustarts.org/pct_home/events/series/pittsburgh-dance-council
