Street dancers, comedians take the WMPAC stage

WARREN MILLER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

The solstice officially marks the beginning of winter on the calendar. In addition to another ski season, it also kicks off a season of opportunity to see some of the best performing arts experiences in the West.

On Dec. 27-28, the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center hosts two nights of incredible street dancing beginning at 7:30, and in the new year, WMPAC will put on the Big Sky Laugh Fest, featuring a performance by legendary sketch comedy group The Second City and standup comedian Roy Wood Jr.

Quentin Robinson will lead a group of some of the most prominent street dancers in the country, as well as some homegrown Montana-based movers. Street dancing is an amalgamation of dance styles that arose organically on a community level rather than traditional schools of dance, resulting in a deeply creative and authentic form of expression. Robinson is a master of the genre, and founded Movement4Movements, a Missoula nonprofit that uses dance and movement therapy to facilitate healing from trauma.

Robinson appears in the Netflix original documentary series “Move,” which chronicles the power of street dancing and various artists who elevate it to a fine art.

In the new year, WMPAC will put on the Big Sky Laugh Fest, featuring a performance by legendary sketch comedy group The Second City on Jan. 7 and stand-up comedian Roy Wood Jr. on Jan. 8. Wood Jr. was a long-time correspondent on “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” and has recorded two standup specials with Comedy Central. Unlike most WMPAC shows, Wood Jr.’s is geared for audiences 18 and over, so it’s a great night to get a babysitter and enjoy an adults-only night out with friends.

To stay consistent with local school district policies and CDC guidelines in the midst of this ongoing pandemic, WMPAC has enacted a series of guidelines in line with those of other national performing arts centers. For the remainder of the shows this season, guests will be asked at the door to show either proof of a negative COVID-19 test result within 72 hours of the show or proof of vaccination. Ticket holders are encouraged to download and use the MyBindle app to streamline the entry process. All guests will be asked to wear a mask for the duration of the performance.

If audience members feel more comfortable seeing a show from home, they are able to do so thanks to WMPAC’s advanced streaming infrastructure, which they installed during the pandemic.

Guests are able to purchase a live streaming experience or tickets to see a show in-person at warrenmillerpac.org.