Finding my true north
We are lucky to have an incredible group of Montanans sitting on our nonprofit board. They’re our advisors and our cheerleaders, our biggest fans and our most caring critics. They inspire us to keep going even when things get hard. (Katie, Charlie, John, Katy, Ashley, Jenny, Ona, and Betsy - thanks for all you do for us!)
If you are lucky to know our current Westside Theater Board Chair, Shannon Flannagan, you know he is a dedicated Missoulian, through and through, and is about as passionate about all things dance as any of us on staff. Here Shannon shares what the company means to him:
From my perspective, a work of dance begins in the mind of a dancer—the gem of personality who might be our neighbor, teacher, or partner. They fill children’s minds with curiosity and confidence and show us evocative ways to move and think with context and emotion. They invite us to act more intentionally and explore the uncharted corners of imagination. A skillful artist helps us process life’s quandaries in free-flowing ways—not by teaching, but by demonstrating. They help me find my true North, offering a window into the person I am always becoming.
So, when people ask me why I support the Bare Bait Dance, and I pause… this is why. It is a big concept, and hard to convey in fifteen seconds. The reasons are as basic and timeless as human nature, complicated by our shared humanity. As a voice of culture, dance can offer us a glimpse into ourselves. Performances are a reflection of where we have come from, where we are at, and where we might be going. I’m not always sure “art imitates life,” but I am certain that art comes from experience. If you see something you love on stage, you get to take credit for that, because you are part of the web of humanity that created it. The same can be said for a piece of work that makes you nervous or uneasy. We are human. Both grotesque and beautiful. We are all vessels of emotion and feeling. The arts, on some level, help us align and tune our chaotic environment into something meaningful and more comprehensible. This makes art the most powerful force we can imbue our environment with and dance is the most powerful culmination of the arts for me.
Bare Bait Dance does this work. We provide the framework for our dancers and makers to practice and share their craft. They are our most important investment, and you should be proud to know that through your support, we pay all of our artists. Our board hopes that the company makes life in Missoula a more accessible reality for the artists who grace our performances. When you see our company in action, remember that we are also working to maintain the presence of these important people in our shared space. We are unique in that we are Montana’s only full-season contemporary dance company. When I began this journey in support of dance in my late twenties, there was very little to witness in the world of dance in Montana, let alone in Missoula. Today, that sentiment has changed. With the help of our powerful community, we are paving the way for dancers and companies in the Rocky Mountain West, both within and outside our community, and weaving a thread filled with meaning and creativity. Inviting EVERYONE to have a seat at the table to help make our lives better through the practice of dance. So, yeah… we’re kind of a big deal!
Without you, our supporters and audience, all of this is far less meaningful. Our canvas may as well be blank and our voices silent. So, thank you for helping us drop that Mic! We love you, our community, and couldn’t do this without you.
Shannon Flanagan
November 2025