Windsor dance company makes full-length film of Brothers Grimm fairy tales | CBC News

A Windsor dance company is stepping their way into a new way of performing their art — after the pandemic prevented them from performing in-person shows, they made a movie instead. 

“It was definitely different than it would have been if it was just live,” dancer Madelynn McBeth said. 

Windsor Dance eXperience (WDX) has spent more than a year putting together a filmed production of Happily Ever After adapting a collection of Brothers Grimm fairy tales in some original ways, from Steampunk Snow White to Hip Hop Red Riding Hood.

Usually the company performs two or three shows at the Capitol Theatre every year, but because of the pandemic, the non-profit went ahead with the film at a time when they were uncertain if shows in theatres would be possible. 

Tiffany Chan, artistic director of WDX, said when COVID-19 first hit, they had to cancel a production they were in the middle of, which was disappointing.

“We didn’t want to have to put them through that again because we didn’t know what was going to happen,” Chan said. 

The first production meeting was over a year ago. Filming was delayed twice due to lockdowns. (Submitted by John Chan)

“We knew that either way, if we made the film, everybody could get a copy of it, everybody would be able to see it.”

The first production meeting for the film happened over a year ago in September of 2020, and auditions were in November. The lockdown late last year forced dancers to learn the choreography online and delayed filming until March. A second lockdown in the spring again delayed filming until summer, during which they did manage to get the rest of the filming done by the end of August. 

The decision to go ahead with the production also had added convenience, as Tiffany’s husband runs a production company. It was a huge production, involving 55 performers, including 11 parents.

We’re hoping a lot of people come out to support local talent and this film that was made in our community, and maybe they’ll see this stuff is still happening.– Tiffany Chan

“We have costume designers and set builders and makeup artists and hair people, and we’re very fortunate to be able to combine our two businesses and be able to have all these volunteers come out,” Tiffany said.

But filming outdoors allowed dancers to perform without masks, if proper social distancing was adhered to.

“We had to film in different places, which was a bit weird. Like we had to film outside and we had to film inside,” McBeth said.

Watch the trailer for Windsor Dance eXperience’s “Happily Ever After”:

Tiffany Chan is the artistic director of Windsor Dance Experience and Madelynn McBeth is a dancer and plays Gretel in Hansel and Gretel. (Jacob Barker/CBC)

“In the theatre you have like three walls surrounding you and then the audience. But when you’re making a film, there’s no walls like you can film from all different angles, the camera’s everywhere, and there’s nothing holding you back,” Chan said.

Hoping for a big turnout

Chan said that the pandemic has had a drastic effect on the dance school, having had over 100 members before — that number is now down to 20. 

“People are wary about coming back to the studio and participating in these kind of events,” she said. “We’ve lost a lot and we are just kind of pushing through and hoping that it lifts soon so that we can continue to survive.”

The fairy tales are filmed in different genres and eras. (Submitted by John Chan)

“We’re hoping a lot of people come out to support local talent and this film that was made in our community, and maybe they’ll see this stuff is still happening.”

The movie will premiere at Cinemas Lakeshore with a red carpet event on Thursday followed by three public screenings at the Capitol Theatre on the weekend. 

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