Children dance to music at the first of two Osoyoos Street Dances on Friday evening. (Richard McGuire photo)
For more than a quarter century, the Osoyoos Street Dances have been a popular summer tradition for local residents and visitors alike.
On Friday evening, the first of two dances was held in the parking lot next to the Osoyoos Seniors Centre. A second dance is planned for Friday, Aug. 15.
Those who attended on Friday appeared to be enjoying themselves and the turnout was respectable. It appeared, however, that some of the magic of street dances in earlier years was missing from this one.
The dances originally were the brainchild of Frances and Larry Sologuk, owners of Osoyoos Home Hardware, who ran them in the side street next to their store. They were true street dances.
For years, the store poured energy and resources into making the dances a summer highlight in Osoyoos. Visitors planned their vacations around them, and local residents made sure they were home for that weekend.
Following the 2012 dances, and after 26 years, the Sologuks decided that they could not continue doing them and they hoped another organization would take them over.
For a while it looked like the dances might not continue, but in 2013, the Osoyoos Seniors Centre Association stepped forward to take them over and keep them running.
The dances were moved to the parking lot next to the Seniors Centre where they continued last year. Thanks in large part to the energetic efforts of Stacy Little, program manager at Better at Home, the 2013 dances continued to be a success.
This year’s July 18 dance, however, suggests there is work to be done if the event is to continue to be the draw it’s been in the past.
There were clearly organizational problems this time, though it would be wrong to dump the blame on the Seniors Centre. Probably though, the event also needs some younger volunteers to help out.
At 7 p.m., when the dances were supposed to start, much of the equipment was still being set up delaying the start by more than a half hour.
The plan was to move the bleachers in tighter to provide the intimacy of the original street dances, but instead they were set far back like last year, leaving a large, empty, intimidating dance space. Most of the dancing took place on the stage with very few adults and older teens participating.
A sound system was pulled together in time, but it seemed to be a last-minute affair and less thought was put into the music. There were often long gaps between songs that broke the pace of the evening.
Also missing were the glow sticks that in previous years created a magical appearance when the sun went down.
The event was poorly advertised and this too may have hurt attendance.
The Seniors Centre should be commended for taking on this event when it appeared it might disappear, but Friday’s dance suggests they could use some help.
Better at Home no longer comes under the wing of the Seniors Centre, but Little will be taking a more active role in the August dance and this is a good thing.
We wish the organizers better luck and success with the Aug. 15 dance. It’s an Osoyoos tradition that should be carried on.
One more wish – perhaps in 2015 organizers might consider returning the dance to its traditional location on the street.
