Put the Step in Your Spring

The bobbing heads of blooming flowers, the smoky smell of barbecue in the air, the hushed flutter of the wind breezing through green leaves, the warmth of the sun on your skin...damn, springtime feels good! You just want to shout, you just want to sing, you just want to dance it out! And you're not alone. The fourth annual Spring to Dance Festival, held Thursday through Saturday (May 26 through 28) at the Touhill Performing Arts Center on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus (1 University Drive at Natural Bridge Road; 314-516-4949 or www.touhill.org), features more than 30 dance companies that totally get your urge to move. The fest kicks off, or should we say grand battements off, with the Massive on Thursday (a cheeky contemporary dance group out of Chicago) and closes with Ballet Memphis on Saturday. A bunch of local ensembles get in on the fun, too, including Saint Louis Ballet and the Slaughter Project. Each evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with informal interactive dance performances in the lobby of the Touhill, continues with pieces by four to five ensembles in the Lee Theater (first-come, first-seated) and concludes with six to seven companies on the main stage. That's a lotta dance! But that's not even the best part — all of this dance costs just $10 per night! Now, that's something to really put a spring in your step!
May 26-28, 2011