BARE BAIT DANCE

OKAY...GO! is back and NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS! 🙌🏼 🙌🏼 Presented as part of westFEST New Works Festival, our 4th annual Okay...GO! Dance Showcase is YOUR OPPORTUNITY to be big, bold, and brave on the Westside Stage! 💃🕺🏻🪩👏🏻 Dreaming of performing? Just need space to rehearse and a theater to perform in?? We got you covered! Submit your work to be featured in Okay… Go! This westFEST dance showcase-style performance (AUGUST 16) will include everything from dance to physical theater to cirque acts - an opportunity to present something new you’ve been working on and connect with other artists. From beginners to professionals, all performance-makers are welcome! All Okay…Go! acts receive an honorarium and 14 hours of free rehearsal space throughout the summer. We encourage new, improvised, experimental, multidisciplinary, and live works-in-progress! The only requirement: it's NEW! SUBMISSION LINK & MORE INFO IN BIO!! ➡️🔗 #DanceFestival #DancePerformance #PerformingArts #ContemporaryDance #DanceCommunity #Instadance #DanceLife #Choreography #MontanaDance #MissoulaDance #BigSkyDance #406Dance #MontanaEvents #MontanaArts #MissoulaEvents #Dance #Dancer

Train! Dance! Perform! westFEST Intensive is BACK! ⚡️⚡️ wesFEST New Works Festival & Intensive ⚡⚡️ Aug 9th - 16th | 2026 ‼️ Intensive registration is LIVE ‼️ ABOUT: Westside Theater's 4th annual westFEST is a vibrant, immersive celebration of contemporary dance and movement arts in the Mountain West! FOR A SECOND YEAR! - ⚡️ westFEST INTENSIVE ⚡️ Aug 9th - 15th | 2026 westFEST 2026 includes opportunities for both professional performers and recreational movers to train and perform. Through TWO INTENSIVE TRACKS, westFEST’s week-long workshop intensive brings professional-level training, collaboration, and performance opportunities to Missoula, MT. Train all week with professionals from Undercurrent | @danceundercurrent and then perform in the festival's full weekend of dance concerts showcasing innovative works from local and regional artists. STAY TUNED for the full westFEST New Works FESTIVAL concert line up... coming soon! If you're a DANCER seeking training opportunities, an ARTIST ready to showcase your work, or an AUDIENCE MEMBER looking for a sensational weekend of dance and performance, westFEST is for YOU! LINK IN BIO for MORE INFO ➡️🔗 📸: @salt.photo #DanceFestival #DancePerformance #PerformingArts #ContemporaryDance #DanceCommunity #Instadance #DanceLife #Choreography #MontanaDance #MissoulaDance #BigSkyDance #406Dance #MontanaEvents #MontanaArts #MissoulaEvents #Dance #Dancer

Summer 6-week Community Class Series begins next Saturday! This will be our only summer session before starting back up full swing in the fall. From novice to professional, we hope to see you there! 🌞💃 COMMUNITY CLASS SERIES (Summer Style) May 23-June 27 | 6-week session 📌 BEGINNER Series — Contemporary Modern Saturdays | 9-10:15am 📌 CONTINUING Series — Contemporary Modern Saturdays | 10:15-11:30am location: @thewestsidetheater Register today! Sign up at the LINK IN BIO ➡️🔗 📸: @galileolookedup #danceclass #missoulamt #dancemt #dancemontana #missouladance #missoulamoment #montanalife #missoulaclass #dance #dancecompany #barebaitdance #communityclass

Attention Mountain West movers!! TOMORROW (5/15) is the last day to receive early bird pricing for 2026 westFEST Intensive! ⚡️ westFEST INTENSIVE ⚡️ Aug 9th - 15th | 2026 With opportunities for professional performers, advanced teen dancers, and recreational movers, this week-long workshop intensive aims to bring professional-level training and performance opportunities from guest and local artists to the Mountain West. ⚡️ westFEST Morning Classes ⚡️ WARM UP | Somatic Contact Improvisation Taught by returning westFEST Guest Instructors, Laurel Sears & Kate Conrad | @laureljsears CLASS | Floorwork Technique Taught by Undercurrent artists, Hilary Grumman and Alethea Alexander | @danceundercurrent @hilarygrumman @aletheaalexander TWO intensive participation opportunities: ⚡️ Performance Cohort | Aug 9-15 — full-day intensive Early Bird: $ 200 Regular Price: $275 ⚡️ Training Track* | Aug 10-14 — morning classes only Early Bird: $75 Regular Price: $100 *great opportunity for advanced teen dancers! LINK in BIO for more INFO & REGISTRATION ➡️🔗 We can't wait to grow our Mountain West community! 📸: (1) @salt.photo (2-5) @nevaoliver #DanceFestival #DancePerformance #PerformingArts #ContemporaryDance #DanceCommunity #Instadance #DanceLife #Choreography #MontanaDance #MissoulaDance #BigSkyDance #406Dance #MontanaEvents #MontanaArts #MissoulaEvents #Dance #Dancer #MountainWestDance

This week’s guest is Joy French, executive artistic director at Bare Bait Dance. Bare Bait began in 2011 as an effort to create more opportunities for aspiring professional dancers in Montana. Bare Bait operates out of Missoula’s Westside Theater, which has quickly become a lively community hub for the performing arts. In this conversation, Joy tells Justin she didn’t set out looking for a dance career. She talks about the difficult parts of that career - scheduling, stress on the body and juggling various incomes to make ends meet - and the fulfilling ones, like giving local dancers a paid opportunity to perform, finding a home-base and constantly creating. She also explains the origin story of Bare Bait’s name to Justin, which does, in fact, involve bears. @ypradio @mtpublicradio @barebaitdance

It's a beautiful day, our garage door is open, and company class is on! Bare Bait Dance Company Class Mondays | 5:30-7pm ‼️There will be no company class next week (5/18)‼️ PLUS... Community Class Series registration is OPEN! 🌞 Summer Style 🌞 May 23-June 27 | 6-week session 📌 BEGINNER Series — Contemporary Modern Saturdays | 9-10:15am 📌 CONTINUING Series — Contemporary Modern Saturdays | 10:15-11:30am location: @thewestsidetheater Sign up at the LINK IN BIO ➡️🔗 📸: @galileolookedup #danceclass #missoulamt #dancemt #dancemontana #missouladance #missoulamoment #montanalife #missoulaclass #dance #dancecompany #barebaitdance #communityclass

Happy Mother's Day to our three ✨outstanding✨ WT|BBD leading mothers, and to all the other incredible mothers in our community! 💖 @joyjfrench @racheloliveryoung @faithhmorrison

Attention all dancers! TODAY is the final day to register for our 2026|2027 Season Audition! Looking forward to seeing both in-person & virtual auditionees! Bare Bait Dance is auditioning for its 16th season in Missoula, Montana. We are looking for dancers to join us for our upcoming production season with performance opportunities from August 2026 - April 2027. 2026|2027 Bare Bait Dance COMPANY AUDITION MAY 7, 2026 | 6-9pm LOCATION: WESTSIDE THEATER MISSOULA, MT Register at the LINK IN BIO ➡️🔗 Note: This will be the audition for ALL positions - Company, Guests, UM Internships, and Apprentices. 📸: @themightytravis #missouladance #dancemontana #missoulaperformingarts #dancemontana #missoulaevents #artsmissoula #danceaudition #visitmissoula #audition #contemporarydance #dancersofinstagram #dance #dancer

Classes are back in full swing, and we want to MOVE with YOU! From novice to professional, we've got you covered! COMMUNITY CLASS SERIES (Summer Style) May 23-June 27 | 6-week session 📌 BEGINNER Series — Contemporary Modern Saturdays | 9-10:15am 📌 CONTINUING Series — Contemporary Modern Saturdays | 10:15-11:30am location: @thewestsidetheater Register today! Sign up at the LINK IN BIO ➡️🔗 PLUS... These Weekly Drop-In Classes are continuing in May!: Mondays | 5:30-7pm: Bare Bait Dance Company Class Fridays | 10:15-11am: Mat Pilates 📸: @galileolookedup #danceclass #missoulamt #dancemt #dancemontana #missouladance #missoulamoment #montanalife #missoulaclass #dance #dancecompany #barebaitdance #communityclass

It has been one week since we wrapped up our sold-out run of An Exquisite Corpse (we are already reminiscing 🥹), and what a fabulous season it has been. We have some BIG thank you shout-outs to those with whom this season would not have been possible without! 💌 To our amazing six BBD Company Members + ALL of our guests and community performers...your light shines bright on the WT stage! 💌 To our outstanding tech and design crew!! We appreciate you all more than you know, and we can't wait to continue into next season with such a fabulous team. ✨ Special shout-out to Ashley | @oh_goodie_design who really outdid herself with the costuming for An Exquisite Corpse ✨ 💌 To the whole BBD | WT staff, we have expanded our team this year (!!), and now, we never want to go back! Thank you for all your hard work and effort to help us put on an amazing season. 💌 To our wonderful Board of Directors, Season Sponsors, and Donors (especially those who donated during Missoula Gives…we are SO grateful🐝💛), it takes a village, and we really couldn't do the work we do without your commitment and support. 💌 Lastly, to ALL our Season 15 audience members and season ticket holders—THANK YOU. There’s no performance without an audience, and your presence means everything to us. Whether you joined us for a single show or the entire season, we hope to welcome you back to our Westside seats again soon. Here's to dreaming up Season 16!! 🥰 📸: @galileolookedup #missouladance #dance #dancecompany #missoulamt #MissoulaMT #montanalife #barebaitdance #montanadance #dancemt

As we come to the final hour of this year’s Missoula Gives, we want to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who has already supported Bare Bait Dance and Westside Theater. Your generosity equals TRUE IMPACT on the dance and the performing arts here in western Montana. Thank you for lifting us up! We couldn’t imagine a better home for Bare Bait Dance and everything we’re doing at the Westside Theater than Missoula! 🥰 🐝 If you’ve been considering a donation, now is a great time to join in!🐝 Your donation today goes directly to covering artist honorariums, scholarships, and space for creativity to flourish. Every dollar goes toward keeping this work alive, equitable, and rooted in Montana. Be a part of what happens next. 💛🐝 Visit /organizations/bare-bait-dance (LINK IN BIO) to donate! 📸: @galileolookup #missoulagives #missouladance #dance #dancecompany #missoulamt #MissoulaMT #montanalife #barebaitdance #montanadance #dancemt

💭 What do Missoula community members have to say about BBD|WT? Behind every performance at Westside Theater is a vibrant ecosystem of learning, experimentation, artistic growth, and community. ✨ Your donation will keep this ecosystem thriving ✨ ‼️ Update as of Thursday night!: We’re honestly a little flabbergasted… and so excited. Going into Missoula & Bitterroot Gives, we weren’t sure we’d even meet our original $4,500 match. But because of our community, we got there, THANK YOU!!!! And now we get to keep going….. 🥳 Why keep giving? Because Missoula Gives is just one piece of a much bigger picture. Every dollar raised this week helps power an entire year of Bare Bait Dance’s work— helping directly cover artist honorariums, scholarships, and space for creativity to flourish. Inspired by this incredible momentum, another generous donor has stepped up to keep things going. So we have another Donor Match to celebrate: the next $1,000 in donations will be matched dollar for dollar! Let’s reach our new Missoula Gives goal of $15,000 together. Join us! And be part of what keeps this community vibrant! 💛🐝 Visit /organizations/bare-bait-dance (LINK IN BIO) to donate! 📸: @galileolookup #missoulagives #missouladance #dance #dancecompany #missoulamt #MissoulaMT #montanalife #barebaitdance #montanadance #dancemt