The Skeleton Dance is a creative movement show for all ages about death. It is a highly physical, energetic, and light-hearted play with elements of clown and puppetry. It is created and performed by Emma James (they/she) and Ella MacDonald (she/her). It runs approximately 30 minutes, invites structured audience participation, and is always followed by a meet-and-greet or talk back. The show is absolutely free to attend due to the generous support from the Canada Council for the Arts.
In The Skeleton Dance, two young children process the news that their Great Uncle Trout has suddenly passed away. They consider the implications of this in an entertaining, irreverent way, where the audience is privy to their many whimsical theories about death.
Though the hardship of the Covid-19 Pandemic, Emma & Ella believe that everyone has grieved something, be it a loved one, important events, or normalcy. The goal of The Skeleton Dance is to provoke thought about the ways in which we respond to hardship and comfort one another.