A feast of colour and movement awaited those who visit "Step-about," Laura Higgins' vibrant show of acrylic paintings, opened Thursday, October 1st, 1998 at Kathleen Gormley McKay Art Centre in Unionville. Dynamic images of Irish set dancers in action were the main focus of this show. "I wanted to capture the ideas and feelings set dancing embodies for me: joyous movement, connectedness, community," explained the artist-dancer. Some of Higgins' paintings allow the viewer to step into "the set" by articulating what a dancer sees as he or she moves.

All the works in "Step-about"
evoke the deeper bonds that exist between people: bonds expressed in the intertwining and lacing of arms and fingers, in the ecstatic spin of those caught in the dance together. Several portraits included in the show illuminate these connections in a more intimate way.