By David F. Rooney
I had never seen the Mutos O Dance Theatre before so I didn’t know what to expect as I walked through the Performing Arts Centre’s doors on Saturday evening; I could have stayed at home watching reruns of The Walking Dead. Wow! Am I glad I didn’t! The Toronto-based dance troupe’s performance was absolutely amazing!
The two-hour show started off with seven short dance numbers from previous shows and then, after a brief intermission launched into a visually arresting and very funny interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s immortal novel, Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.
Both acts used visually evocative video backgrounds to enhance the show and the active participation of 30 local school children: Tristan Herle, Nich Serrpuya, Ruby Serrouya, Annabelle Thomas, Arden David, Rebecca Nelson, Danielle Dugay, Emma Mair, Mika Scott, Emily Hunt, Taylor Jarvis, Madeline Hunt, Loren Morabito, Lia Morrow, Hailey Christies-Hoyle, Kaidynce Vigue, Frankie Howe, Jade Davies, Alexi Mostert, Thomas MacDonald, Ruby Zebroff, Junter Stewardson, Violet Zebroff, Suri Stewards, Isobel Bray, Aidan Lawrence, Natalie Morrone and Leila Daigle. The kids’ roles were simple, energetic and very, very effective whether they were dancing in the background during some of the five dances from previ0us shows or acting as the Queen of Heart’s minions during Alice. In a word they were terrific.
As a final note I’d like to point out that there4 were about 150 people at the show. Many of them were parents and grandparents ho wanted to see their families’ kids in action. There’s nothing wrong with that but I am willing to bet, judging by the adults’ reaction to Mutos O Dance Theatre, they’ll happily pony up a few bucks to see them again, with or without local kids. This was that good. (Please click hre to l;earn more about Mutos.)
I could go on and on but I think seeing is believing. And although I didn’t shoot any video of the show, I did take 319 photos, 56 of which are reproduced as combo images below. Some of the largest ones are assembled from individual photos that capture the individual steps and movements professional dancers Jack Langenhuizen, Alan McIntosh, Natalie Radford, Sarah Felschow, Laura Day, and Jack and Cynthia Croker. I hope you enjoy them:
![This presentation from a show called Giddy Whirl featured dancers Jack Langenhuizen, Natalie Radford, and James Croker dancing to a song called Tied Up by Yello. David F. Rooney combo images](https://legacy.revelstokecurrent.com//wp-content/uploads/2016/02/online-mutos-o-dance-01.gif)
![This is Suasion from 1997 set to How How by Yello. David F. Rooney combo photo](https://legacy.revelstokecurrent.com//wp-content/uploads/2016/02/online-mutos-o-dance-02.gif)
![These moves are from the 2005 production of Utopia set to Alanis Morissette's song, Utopia. David F. Rooney combo photo](https://legacy.revelstokecurrent.com//wp-content/uploads/2016/02/online-mutos-o-dance-03.gif)
![Body Switch, created in 2009, was a kind of visual joke with the three performers' heads, torsos and legs being switched up to the music of Kaboom b Ursula. David F. Rooney combo photo](https://legacy.revelstokecurrent.com//wp-content/uploads/2016/02/online-mutos-o-dance-04.gif)
![Nothing in Between from 2005 featured major participation by local school children who danced to the song Bring Me to Life by Evanescence's Daredevil CD. Please click on the image to see a larger version of the final frame showing the professional dancers applauding Revelstoke's child dancers. David F. Rooney combo photo](https://legacy.revelstokecurrent.com//wp-content/uploads/2016/02/online-mutos-o-dance-05.gif)
![And then, after the intermission, there was Alice in Wonderland. These frames... David F. Rooney combo photo](https://legacy.revelstokecurrent.com//wp-content/uploads/2016/02/online-mutos-o-dance-06.gif)
![Jefferson Airplane's classic 1968 sog White Rabbit echoed through my mind as I watched Alice 's encounter with the hookah-smoking caterpillar. David F. Rooney combo photo](https://legacy.revelstokecurrent.com//wp-content/uploads/2016/02/online-mutos-o-dance-09.gif)
![Alice meets the Queen of Hearts, a scene that saw many children as playing cards.. Please click on the image to see a larger version . David F. Rooney combo photo](https://legacy.revelstokecurrent.com//wp-content/uploads/2016/02/online-mutos-o-dance-08-v02.gif)
![At last! everything comes full circle as Alice manages to escape from Wonderland. David F. Rooney combo photo](https://legacy.revelstokecurrent.com//wp-content/uploads/2016/02/online-mutos-o-dance-10.gif)
![The Revelstoke children who participated in this Alice deserved a really big hand! David F. Rooney combo photo](https://legacy.revelstokecurrent.com//wp-content/uploads/2016/02/online-mutos-o-dance-11-v02.gif)