Holy spokes
Issue #26
All-female dance troupe the Sprockettes takes biking to the next level
By Jason Simms
Published: December 1st, 2005 | 2:40pm
Agent Shine of the Sprockettes, a self-described “synchronized mini-bike dance team,” sweeps glass out of a Portland, Oregon, street that is illegally blocked off for a hometown show by the 14-member, all-female group. She explains that the troupe re-choreographs their numbers to fit the terrain of each performance, sometimes incorporating fire displays when permitted. Today’s plan does not include a seemingly abandoned (and unlocked) Mercedes parked where the Sprockettes intend to dance. Rather than make some last-minute changes, they ask the reporter to steer while they push the car up the road.
The Sprockettes are practiced at defying expectations. “All of our dancers are different sizes and shapes,” says Agent Bling. “But there’s very much a stereotype of what a dancer’s body should look like. I think a lot of women often feel like they can’t do empowering things because they don’t fit a certain mold. We’re here to say that you don’t need to fit a physical mold to do something physical, whether that’s dance, play music, or ride bikes.”
Without any formal dance or choreography training, or any official leadership, the Sprockettes, who are mostly in their 20s, have collectively put together a routine that borrows (admittedly) from In Living Color’s Fly Girls. However, the Sprockettes’ dances are set to songs by bands such as Erase Errata and Euromotion and involve balancing on pink, home-decorated, child-size bikes.
A passion for cycling was one thing the diverse women had in common before they formed the troupe. Agent Chaos explains that, in addition to promoting DIY ideology and healthy body images in dance, “the Sprockettes show people different ways that you can have fun on a bicycle.” The idea came from the Portland-based ZooBomB, a group that dons costumes and rides at high speeds, or “bombs,” down the hill at the Oregon Zoo on mini-bikes.
Since forming in 2004, the Sprockettes have entertained audiences at a variety of women’s rights and cyclist functions, including a benefit for an abortion clinic that was bombed in Olympia and VeloMutation, a bicycle and art festival in Vancouver. They are currently planning a college tour.
For booking, e-mail sprockettes@hotmail.com.
Comments
Please login to be able to comment on this article.
more