Cylla Von Tiedeman

This Little Peggy Comes Home | Dancer Peggy Baker, one of Edmonton’s great cultural exports, performs The Disappearance of Left and Right this Sunday at The Arden.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF LEFT AND RIGHT
Choreographed by Sarah Chase. Performed by Peggy Baker. The Arden (5 St. Anne St, St. Albert). Sun, Oct 25 (11am & 8pm). Tickets: $50, available through the Arden box office (459-1542/ardentheatre.com) and Ticketmaster (451-8000/ticketmaster.ca).

Canada’s most acclaimed contemporary dancer, Peggy Baker, puts all of us couch potatoes to shame. At 57, she’s still dancing, and she’s coming to St. Albert’s Arden Theatre next week to perform her autobiographical show The Disappearance of Left and Right. The show combines contemporary dance, storytelling, and poetry to highlight the Edmonton native’s personal life and illustrious career. Renowned for her elegance and attention to detail, Baker explores her own life and times with humour and honesty. “It’s a highly personal performance for me,” Baker says, “as, well, it’s the story of my life.”

Working with choreographer Sarah Chase, Baker used her own writing as a springboard for the development of the piece. “I was 51 when we started choreographing this show,” Baker explains, “so Sarah had me write 102 stories, two stories or memories from each year of my life. I use both dance and voice to tell these stories in performance.”

Baker also emphasizes the intimate nature of the show by performing it in smaller spaces. “I always perform this piece with the house lights up,” she says, “so there can be direct communication between the audience and me.” In St. Albert, Baker will be performing with the audience seated around her on the Arden stage. “I love that the audience is a participant with me in this show,” she says.

As for the fact that she’s still dancing at 57, Baker considers herself very lucky: “I’ve had good fortune throughout my career,” she says, “to have a body that keeps going.” Thanking good genetics and good luck, Baker plans to dance for as long as she is able. “It’s my passion. I can’t imagine my life without dance.”

Baker is the 2009 recipient of the Governor General’s Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts. “The honour is so tremendous and overwhelming,” she says. “These awards provide a national platform for artists to be recognized by the country at large. Canada is a funny place, as we’re very quiet about our achievements and our successful artists. So I feel especially honoured to be chosen to be recognized in this way.”