Something Happened at Expo 86

5/2/2016

Me in my BC flag themed costume performing at the Plaza of Nations at Expo 86. Please note I was supposed to be facing the opposite way of the other dancers. Really.

Thirty years ago today Expo 86 opened in Vancouver, BC. For those of you who don't know, Expo 86 was the world's fair that came to Vancouver that fateful year of 1986. The scary thing I keep saying in my head is, "I can't believe that was 20 years ago."

Reality check, Crocker, 30 years ago.

A tangible reminder that it was 30 years ago is this photograph of me rocking it in my spandex-lycra, blue, sequinned custom made unitard, performing at the Plaza of Nations (note the flags). I wouldn't have been caught dead in that twenty years ago. Give me some credit.

It was a daytime performance. (I think they charitably opened up the plaza to community groups during the day). I vaguely remember my dance school may have won a lottery to get the chance to perform. Though I do think we had an edge because the song we danced to was, wait for it ... the Expo theme song, "Something's Happening Here".

In case you weren't there, or don't remember, I've imbedded the song below for you. You're going to want to jump to the 1:17 mark on the video to get to where our dance started. It starts softly, the excitement builds and wham! (no 80s pun intended) it's a full on World's Fair sound extravaganza.

Other Scintillating Expo 86 Liz Memories:

The Hotei
Princess Di fainting at one of the pavilions and my friend Jen running after her car to get a picture
Seeing Baryishnikov dance
The Unicorn pub, run by The Irish Rovers (who else?)
My friend Mikey's job, he was an Expo 86 Firefighter!
The dance club with the see-through fibreglass floor over a massive goldfish pond (We were assured that the fibreglass was thick enough to buffer the fish from the impressive bass-laden techno-pop blasting from the speakers)
The awesome asymetrical haircut I had on my Expo Pass ID photo

Oh yes Expo 86, something did happen and I was there.

4 Comments

vicki redpath

5/2/2016 11:34:34 pm

I was there, too. Sadly, I don't recall seeing your dance. I did not know you then -it would be 2 or maybe 3 more years until I would meet you. I will say that even without that sparkly costume and the excitement of Expo 86 your spontaneous dance performances have always mesmerized and entertained me.
Do they still have Expos?
I don't remember much about the Expo except walking around it. Of course, 2 years later I would be guilt stricken that I had enjoyed it when in reality the site had been constructed on ground that had housed many of Vancouver's poor-see Spirit of the West's Profiteers.
How could our youth be so far away?

Elizabeth Crocker

5/3/2016 07:33:30 am

It is startling. But getting old is a privilege that I intend to enjoy. For example, this summer I will enjoy some middle aged shenanigans with you ,that may rival our youth. (Except that time we tried to write a letter to Ani Difranco.)

Lorraine

5/4/2016 11:36:13 am

So much about you that I don't know. I'm trying to decide whether I'm surprised that you danced at Expo 86 in a sparkly blue unitard. I think, upon reflection, that it fits perfectly with the image I'm creating of you.
Please tell Vicki that Expo still exists. I was at Expo 2015 in Milan. As a tourist, obviously. Duh. No sparkly unitards for me. Although, I did buy the souvenir Swatch.

Liz

5/4/2016 10:40:26 pm

And I was reading Expo 86 was the last time a worlds fair came to North America. You learn something new every day. Including people that you work with, used to dance in sequinned blue unitards. Life is a mystery.

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Something Happened at Expo 86

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