FLEX AVE - The Calgary-New York Edge Effect
Yo-Yo Ma is famously cited for elevating the idea of The Edge Effect, a scientific term for when two ecosystems combine and, as a result, create an area of increased biodiversity. An example of this would be a coral reef, where land and sea come together as a unique, biodiverse habitat. Yo-Yo Ma posed the idea that The Edge Effect could pertain to the Arts as well, and that if you took two very different artforms and performed them side –by side, something new and more powerful than both would be born.
To illustrate this point, Yo-Yo Ma performed Camille Saint-Saens' The Swan with street dancer Charles Riley, aka Lil' Buck, at China's National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing.
With an upcoming virtual experience with Brooklyn-based dance collective FLEX AVE., Arts Commons audiences may see a similar phenomenon.
“As Calgary and New York come together through the common ground of FLEX AVE., what Edge Effect will we see?” asks Alex Sarian, President and CEO of Arts Commons. Prior to accepting leadership of Calgary’s downtown performing arts centre, Alex was responsible for all education and community engagement programs at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, where he first got to know FLEX AVE. and their unique dance form, Flexn. “There's something very exciting about having a group like FLEX AVE. who have spent their entire career pushing against boundaries and exploring the intersection of dance and activism come to work with us here in Calgary.”
On Thursday April 29, FLEX AVE. makes its Calgary premiere, albeit virtually, bringing their Jamaican dancehall, reggae, and Bruk-Up inspired style to a whole new audience with a demonstration, short film, and live Q&A with the creators. You may have heard of Flexn through the connection with The Shed, New York City’s newest performance venue, who invited Flexn artists to work in residence during its inaugural season. They were also a part of Beyonce’s famous 2018 Coachella performance, one of the newest street-dance styles to be celebrated by this monarch of contemporary culture. Or perhaps you’ve seen one of their videos flying around the internet. However, you may have heard of them or not, the reason that FLEX AVE. is so unique, according to Alex, is that they’re not just a dance group.
“It's rare to find what FLEX AVE. has,” says Alex. “Oftentimes you’ll see a theatre troop that has an education wing or a dance company that does matinees for students, but for a company like FLEX AVE. to have community building and social justice not just be an add-on to their artistry but be a part of their artistry - that to me is something else entirely.”
“The throughline is always a commitment to social impact, it's a commitment to community well-being, it's a commitment to equity. So, to be working with a company like FLEX AVE. whose art form already breaks down barriers, already talks about the intersection of dance and social justice and equity - those are the kinds of artists and arts companies that will start to align with who we are more deeply, and frankly can teach us a whole heck of a lot in terms of how to achieve that balance,” he says.
Bringing FLEX AVE. to Calgary has been complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made in-person gathering impossible, and cross-border travel a non-starter. But a local Calgary law firm believes strongly in the work that FLEX AVE. does, and is more than willing to help make it happen.
“The FLEX AVE. project is a unique sort of offering that resonates well with us given the intersection of social justice and dance, and there’s also an entrepreneurial flare to it that’s really compelling,” says Bruce Allford, Partner at Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP (BD&P). “Through our sponsorship [of the BD&P World Stage series] we’ve been able to help bring Calgary everything from Flamenco guitar to dance, to choirs from Africa. We think it's important to bring something that you might not normally see in our city otherwise. And I think FLEX AVE. is another example of that, so we’re really looking forward to be being part of it.”
For BD&P, the partnership started as a way to entertain and provide enrichment for their friends and clients, but over time it has evolved into a way to support the broader community, economy, and quality of life in our city.
“Calgary is an amazing place to live and having a vibrant arts and culture community is part of that,” says Bruce. “We feel that it's important to do our part to help support the arts and culture in Calgary and also to broadly help Calgary retain it's stature as a place to be that’s attractive for business and a destination for entrepreneurs.”
Through BD&P’s sponsorship, Arts Commons Presents is offering Calgarians the opportunity to engage with FLEX AVE. and learn what they’re all about up close. You can join Arts Commons Presents online for the free workshop which includes a short film, a Q&A with dance style founder Reggie “Regg Roc” Gray and local Calgary youth participants, and a live dance demonstration on Thursday, April 29 at 7 p.m. Visit artscommons.ca to register now.
