What’s in the name…
Ever wondered the WHY for the name “Bare Bait”?
If you had the choice between seeing a Shakespearean play… and watching arena-style bear-baiting… which would you choose?
Our long-deceased fellow earth-dwellers in 16th-century England would’ve had those two romping choices for their Saturday night entertainment.
Fast-forward to today: Shakespeare’s work is most often affiliated with the other “high arts” like opera, the symphony, and, of course, ballet. So does it come to mean that those of us who don’t quite fit into the classical models of the performing arts are just… bear-bait-ing?
Absolutely. But now we embrace a slightly different “bare” (to be raw and vulnerable as an artist), along with the “bait" (enticing the creative muse and audiences alike). Thus, the name was born from the arena to the stage: BARE BAIT DANCE.
Check out A New Angle’s recent podcast episode “Bare Baiting with Joy French” to hear more about the company’s origin story, as well as Joy’s journey to Artistic Director, and what she envisions for the future of Bare Bait as it enters its 16th season.
A big thank you to Justin Angle for the lovely conversation and thoughtful interview!