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Open mic nights are commonplace, and valuable training grounds for standup comedians, poets and musicians to build stage confidence, try out new material and build an audience. But an open floor night? That’s a rarer offering.
On the first Friday of every month, BodyVox Dance Center in the Pearl District hosts open floor night, a chance for dancers to show the community what they’re working on. BodyVox started the program almost two years ago, and it has turned into a community-centric, upbeat hour—from 7 to 8 pm— of free dance performances. The next one is Friday, Sept. 5.
“It’s kind of the perfect free thing to work in to your Friday night between dinner and hanging out with friends,” says Lindsey Plotner, BodyVox’s spokeswoman.
BodyVox started open floor nights as a way to bring more artists, performers and local residents into the space in a casual way. Dancers typically sign up for a five-minute slot just days before the event.
At the July open floor night, which was Pride-themed, the program started with BodyVox staff and its main company members performing an opening number, all dressed in colors of the rainbow. After that, the choreography ranged from flamenco to modern to improvisational dance and burlesque. The night wrapped up with an hour of dancing for everyone there— a special perk just for Pride.
For audience members with short attention spans—who are perhaps more used to watching dance on TikTok—the night was an easy introduction to the good, real-life stuff. If one number wasn’t quite hitting, a few minutes later it was on to the next. (That said, I wouldn’t have complained if the rainbow dance went on for twice as long.)
The lineup for the Sept. 5 open floor night is still taking shape, but Plotner says the audience can expect to see a showcase of original choreography, contemporary and experimental work. “Even a little live music,” she says.
GO: Open floor at BodyVox Dance Center, 1201 NW 17th Ave., 503-229-0627, bodyvox.org/open-floor-nights. 7 pm Friday, Sept. 5. Free.
