By Mark Squibb | Vol 8 No. 4 (March 3, 2020)
Mount Pearl native and dancer Stephanie Moyst hopes that a new, not-for-profit performance centre nestled in the heart of the city will help fill a void she sees in the art community.
Moyst is the creative mind behind Dragonfly Productions, an organization she said was largely born out of a lack of publicly available performance and practise space for budding and seasoned artists.
Moyst, who spent decades teaching dance in both Alberta and Newfoundland, now works full time in a different job, but likes to teach part-time. But she came across a stumbling block, she said.
“There was nowhere to teach,” said Moyst. “There was nowhere to rent, nowhere to go.”
That was a major problem, she said.
“I find that if the space is not available, and there’s no where to practise, rehearse, or mentor, then everything gets put on the backburner and it gets lost,” she added. “And there’s so much talent and so much communication to come from it, that if we don’t have this place, it’s going to be lost. There might be this 10-year-old kid who is amazing, but doesn’t have anywhere to paint, or dance, of can afford it.”
The centre, located at 16 Centennial Street, just across from City Hall, boasts a 500 square foot dance and performance area, a soundproof music room (“think Stevie Nicks bohemian,” Moyst jokes describing the décor), bean bag chairs, a chandelier, and an entrance hall that could double as a gallery.
Artists and teachers can rent the venue for lessons, workshops, or performances. Moyst hopes that having the space available will encourage the growth of arts in the community.
The third Saturday of every month, the centre will host ‘Las nuit bohemme.’
“It’s like an open mic night — but for all the arts,” said Moyst. “And for all ages.”
Moyst will also host a youth arts festival, Saltwater Pearls, at St. David’s Park in the summer. Dragonfly Productions hosted ‘Open’ last May, an exploration of the relationship between the arts and mental health. Moyst hopes to do that show again this spring.
“What happened at that show was something I never expected,” said Moyst. “The audience and the performers and the gallery all became one.”
Those in attendance opened up and discussed mental health issues that otherwise go undiscussed, she said.
Moyst’s not-for-profit also hopes to establish an annual scholarship, providing three students with scholarships in the amount of $500.
As of now, there is no government funding for the project.
Myost said that while the board (consisting of three other like-minded members) is hopeful for funding, they are choosing not to depend on it.
“There are a lot of us who have been doing this all our lives,” said Moyst. “We’re in different careers, but we still enjoy the arts. We teach painting, we teach music, we teach dancing, but we do it part-time, and we can’t keep sharing what we do. So, I thought, ‘We need somewhere to do this.’”
Moyst said the group is hoping that revenue from shows and rentals will cover the cost of operations.
“We don’t want to be relying on (government) funding,” she said.
She also noted her group is not in competition with the long-established Association for the Arts in Mount Pearl (AAMP).
“I think we easily can go hand in hand,” she said, adding that she has spoken with AAMP director Christine Hennebury about the new performance centre.
“Two non-profit art places in a city is pretty cool,” said Moyst.
The group is already using the space in Centennial Square, but hopes to host a grand opening in March.
