The Morning After Collective rehearses for their first production. Niki Wozniak, center, in leotard, reports that any injuries so far have been non-fatal.

Celebrate the spontaneity, the flexibility and the collaborative push of dance by getting down on the late night tip to some sweet DJ beats with the dance artistes who do it every day. With The Morning After Collective, up-and-coming dancer Laura Lawson recently formed a group of dancers, painters and musicians -- friends and fellow artsy types -- that's evolving along with the show they're producing.

"The Rise and Fall of the Picket Fence just kind of clicked with us," says dancer Niki Wozniak when asked about the title. The collective truly has no one leader, she says -- though Lawson, the founder who's performed with the National Ballet of Canada and Cirque du Soleil, coordinates things -- and no one member has been leading more than another since the project began a couple of months ago. Besides the ongoing challenge of scheduling rehearsals for a group of artists with days jobs, Wozniak admits she's injured her male dancers here and there. "I hope we all make it to the performance intact," she laughs. The collective has a work-in-progress show slated for February at Series 808, and aims for the full production to take the stage next May (pending funding, natch).

Aside from the ongoing challenge of scheduling rehearsals for a group of artists with days jobs, Wozniak admits she has on occasion injured her male dancers while practicing. "I hope we all make it to the performance intact," she laughs. The collective ("one of our in-jokes is the luge", Wozniak says) has a work-in-progress show slated for February at Series 808, and aims for the full production to take the stage next May.

The house party tonight supports the production they hope will turn some heads in the new year. Funky tunes from the likes of Do Right Music cornerstone DJ John Kong (he's on around 2 or 2:30 a.m.) and projected videos of the new collective's work in progress await you. Oh, and pass it on: a little birdie sez you can purchase your bevvies on-site.

The Night Before The Morning After Party
PWYC before 2 a.m., $10 after, e-mail for guest list (see site)
Directions and deets on The Morning After Collective.ca