Go faster red

Ever feel like you wanted to get to know someone better?

I don’t just mean Natalie Portman, Richie Porte and Peter Porter (just to bring you in on my current list of “P” people to meet). I mean someone close(r) to your little world, but a bit more interesting – not stratospherically, just tropospherically so. For me, the B.C. Clettes fall into that category – a Vancouver based performance collective that are bringing bike dancing to the masses. Watching them Bring Sexy Back makes me feel like I am a. not alone and b. living in the wrong city.

Lucky for me and you, the very lovely Alana from the B.C. Clettes managed to take a moment from her hectic schedule of sock hops to answer a few very simple questions about what it means to be in a bike/dance collective, to wear a helmet, how cycling rocks out and be a very good sport. Thanks to Candy Cranks for making the hook up!

Here’s what I found out…

So, who do we have here?

Alana from Vancouver, BC, Canada

Nice lid Alana, how long you’ve been riding?

I’m a big ol newbie.  I started biking for transportation about 18 months ago, and it has totally revolutionized my life and my self-concept.  It feels fantastic to get around under my own steam and defy my old, self-limiting expectations about myself.

Rats, now I can hear No Limits. How long wearing a helmet, Alana? Always, sometimes, or just for particular rides, just for laughs?

I’m a huge fan of safety, so I always wear my helmet (always have and always will).  The only exception might be a brief dance move in a B.C.Clette performance involving a bike, but I am talking really brief.

What kind of lid are you wearing at the moment? and Do you have more than one helmet?

I have one standard-issue B.C.Clettes helmet, a gorgeous, shiny, scarlet nut case by Pryme.  It gets me a lot of compliments and often makes me recognizable as a B.C.Clettes when I’m scooting around Vancouver.  I also have a more breathable but less fashionable grey helmet.  It is good to switch them up to avoid overexposing my treasured red lid.

What do you love/like/loathe about your helmet?

First and foremost, I love knowing that I care enough my body and my continued existence to keep my noggin secure.  When I wear my brilliant red helmet, I love that I draw attention to myself as a fashion-forward cyclist and catch the eyes of folks who might not otherwise notice two-wheeling commuters (this is desirable for promoting the cause and also for keeping safe).  Biking makes me feel like a super-star anyway, so the flaming red helmet only enhances my rawk star self-image.  The only thing that I don’t like about wearing a helmet is lugging it around with me when I’m not on my bike.  It is such a little work of art that if I locked it to my bike, I’d be worried it would be a thief magnet.

Most regular commuter cyclists wear helmets.  Summertime brings out many fair-weather bikers who do not always helmet up, and this concerns me.  They may not realize how cool and sexy helmets are.  It’s a shame.

I cannot really comment on Vancouver as a cycling city relative to other towns, since I’ve only biked here.  I will say that there are many nice folks in the cycling scene and a decent network of designated bike routes.

The B.C.Clettes are an all-women bike-themed performance art and dance collective.  We are about celebrating bikes and the people who ride them.

We are definitely riders, dancers AND revolutionary rockstars–I cannot prioritize one over the others.  I also need to be clear that I speak for myself when I explain my interpretation of the Clettes experience, not for the entire collective.

The B.C.Clettes have recently been discussing the commonalities between dancing and biking.  To me, both biking and dancing are about:

-Reclaiming public space for exuberant physical movement.

-Reorienting fitness towards fun and community-building (an especially important project for women, who are often expected to exercise for warped body image reasons that have nothing to do with their own enjoyment and self-efficacy).

-Personal development through community-based skills-sharing.  As members of a collective, the B.C.Clettes each have a role in teaching something new to the team, whether it be a spectacular breakdancing move or a bike maintenance tip.  As a newbie cyclist, I have been blessed with mentoring from so many encouraging, knowledgeable women bikers!  At the same time, I have contributed to the group by sharing new choreography and moves, since I have a background in tap dance myself.

-Encouraging a Do-It-Yourself approach to art, transportation and life.  Many folks cannot easily envision themselves on bikes, just as many (wrongly!) believe that they cannot dance.  Since the B.C.Clettes dancers are more energetic and creative than slick and professional, our shows may inspire folks to make their own fun and their own art regardless of “ability.”

There are many other overlaps between biking and dancing.  As one Clette mentioned just the other day, every daily commute is a type of daring performance in a culture that expects folks to get in their cars for every little errand.  And when we navigate the streets, we are engaging in a kind of dance with other commuters!

I see you’ve brought sexy back with bright red lids, if the B.C.Clettes had custom helmets what would they look like?

Our costumes are individualized, motley assemblages of red, black and shiny.  I think that if the B.C.Clettes had customized helmets, each dancer would customize her own to showcase her own flair and creativity.  We love gettin’ all crafty, and no two dancers look alike in performance.

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Thanks again to Alana for sharing her helmet with me. Sigh. I’m sure you’ll all agree it’s a little bit of special.

 

(Photocredit: Gorgeous shots from Chris Bentzen, whose other work can be seen at http://www.thisisplanb.net)