On August 5, visitors and regulars of Art Bar will be treated to a performance by Columbia’s Tiny Coven Dance, a dance studio run by Ashley Bennett that prides itself on teaching fusion dance while also prioritizing diversity and inclusivity. We interviewed Ashley to find out more about what to expect from their upcoming show as well as some more information on what developed her passion for dance!
PC: Cesar Palacio
JASPER: What is your personal background within the world of dance? What was that "a-ha" moment that pushed you to pursue dance as a career?
BENNETT: I have wanted to be a dancer since I can remember. There is actually a photo of me on my 5th birthday, wearing a pink leotard with a tiny tutu, holding a ballerina teddy bear. In the photo, I’m wearing a gold “5” pin on my leotard and posing in “bras bas” (think arms down in a rounded position, teddy bear nestled into the crook of one arm). I hadn’t taken a dance lesson yet because we couldn’t afford it. My first ballet class was at age 12, while attending Davidson Fine Arts, a magnet school in Augusta, GA. While there, I studied modern dance with a Paraguayan instructor who also taught us traditional South American dances; since then, I was interested in multicultural folkloric dances. I remember seeing bellydancers at a festival and distinctly remember that there were moms performing in troupes with their teenage daughters and I thought that was really cool. I took a couple of lessons at a recreation center but wasn’t able to go regularly, so I didn’t end up studying bellydance seriously until after I graduated from high school.
JASPER: What can the audience expect from the performance at Art Bar?
BENNETT: The show is a musical treat. We used pretty much all international electronic music. Think Arabic and Turkish rhythms with full, bassy, moody layers. I was very careful to keep the music esoteric enough to transport the audience, while still being easy to listen to. Everything is right around heartbeat level, which is probably how I stay sane choreographing and rehearsing as much as I have been. I have not divided performances by skill level, and have instead interspersed less experienced dancers with company seniors; this way, I am staying just within my team’s abilities, while still pushing them to their limits.
JASPER: Have you performed at Art Bar before?
BENNETT: Art Bar was the home stage for the company I moved here to join, “Delirium,” which later became “Columbia Alternacirque,” and that was in 2007. I think it was about 2017 that we did about 9 monthly shows at Tiny Coven, in an event we called “Shrine Underground,” and it was a fast-paced choreography/rehearsal schedule that helped my senior troupe members sharpen their stage tools. In this period of time, my new performers became very efficient with training, as well as costume/makeup and stage craft.
JASPER: How would you describe the dance community in Columbia? Do you think it’s changed or grown over the past few years?
BENNETT: I feel like the dance community is still very much in an incubation stage, thanks to the pandemic. Our ability to rehearse and train together is dependent on everyone being available. We have still been struggling with missing dancers while they quarantine — but it’s coming back. I think bellydance is one of the least-respected dance forms, so it’s difficult to promote online. I refuse to market my classes in the frame of an “exotic new hobby,” and I also refuse to promote weight loss at my business, so the dancers that find me are coming to train because they like my dance style and want to be a part of it. That makes me a bit insular, and that’s okay. There are a couple of other bellydance instructors in town, and they know that my door is always open for collaboration, rehearsal space, cross-promoting events, etc. and we have been that way since before the pandemic
JASPER: What does the troupe do to ensure the audience has a unique experience watching you?
BENNETT: Art Bar is such a great space for blurring the lines between audience and performer. As much as we love ennui, the enthusiasm of a performer standing RIGHT next to you — breathless and awaiting their next cue — is probably my favorite thing about the venue. I remember, years ago, dancing there for a packed house. I finished my solo and made my way to the back of the audience, but couldn’t see. I climbed onto a chair and grabbed a man’s shoulder to stabilize me. A couple of days later, I read Jeffrey Day’s review of our show in The State, and he was the man whose shoulder I had grabbed. For someone who is so accustomed to being completely separate from the performers in professional dance shows, the experience was groundbreaking. He STILL reminds me of that story whenever we see each other and I still get warm and fuzzy.
Tiny Coven’s performance starts at 8:00pm on the 5th, and admission into the show is free! Support local bars and local artists by stopping by to check out a one-of-a-kind performance you won’t want to miss.