If you want to step outside the box, a circle is a good place to start. Starting on June 4, the Roundhouse Community Centre is hosting Summer on the Turntable, a series of interactive events in the circular outdoor plaza where railway companies turned the train engines around at the end of their route.
“You expand your world by meeting new people and trying new things — getting out of your safe zone,” says Hanne Lene Dalgleish, communications coordinator for the Roundhouse.
As much as the Roundhouse is a place for people to gather to play sports, take a class or view an exhibition, it has also been a place that isn’t afraid to explore ideas or concepts outside the norm.
The summer programs reflect both the traditional ideas of community centre programming as well as a few new twists on favourite themes. Yes, there will be dancing lessons but have you ever heard of a slow dance booth? A riff on Lucy’s five-cent psychiatric booth in Peanuts cartoons, Caroline Liffman’s booth (Aug. 10) will tell you how to make the most of those times when the lights dim and the music becomes more up close and personal.
Belly dancing will fuse with contemporary songs for Ming Yeung’s Belly Fusion fitness-like program on July 23.
Summer on the Turntable begins on June 4 with Naomi Brand’s Ageless Dancers performance which invites everyone of “a certain age” to shake off society’s expectations of what getting older means.
Other programs include graffiti art with Gurl 23 (June 11), Dez Dunbar’s joyful catalyst dancing (July 2), chalk dancing with Roundhouse Community Dancers (July 6), all-ages art installation workshop with Tin Can Studio (July 9 and 16), rule-less core rhythm dancing (July 13), Karma yoga (July 20 and Aug. 9), Justin Gorrie Band (July 30 and Aug. 30), Outsider Art visual art workshop (Aug. 6), the Thursday Jazz Trio (Aug. 24) and the youth-based Artquake (Aug. 27).
All programming is free. If it rains, events will be held indoors.
For details go to Roundhouse.ca.
