LED BOISE: Taking the stage by storm

BY ARIANNA CRETEAU

Thinking instinctually and creating art that reflects the times we’re living in allows LED Boise to be nimble and unique. For Lauren Edson, co-founder and artistic director, and Andrew Stensaas, co-founder and creative director, it’s exciting to see audiences enjoy the end product.

“We take on creative projects that are of interest to us and that we’re excited about. We then bring on many different artists, whether they’re musicians, dancers, filmmakers, or designers per project to help carry out our vision,” said Edson.

Taking on creative challenges on a project basis allows for carefully tailored iterations of dance, music, and film. In the past, LED Boise has performed at the Morrison Center, Treefort, in small spaces, large spaces and even their own studio, located in Boise’s Linen District.

In November of 2022, LED Boise premiered Kid Lightning at the Morrison Center. While there were only two show dates, due to its success, there are already plans in the works for a potential revival and tour next year. “We’re thrilled that we have presenters in the Northwest interested in bringing Kid Lightning to other cities,” said Edson.

Colleen Loverde, a professional dancer, took part in Kid Lightning as the rehearsal director and a dancer. “Kid Lightning was good, challenging, and beautiful. I have been drawn to Lauren and Andrew’s work in the past for similar reasons,” said Loverde.

Edson and Stensaas are passionate creatives whose taste for the arts have transformed the Boise scene. The duo conceptualize, create stories, write music and choreograph from scratch. “That’s one thing that is fun for us as creators. We can put all three components together: film, original music, live music, and dance or you can strip it away, to have things exist on their own,” said Edson.

Since moving into their studio in 2019, the COVID pandemic prevented them from constructing their dream space. “There were many many months that we weren’t able to fully utilize the space,” said Edson. “We’re now just getting our feet underneath us again.” After renovations begin this spring at the LED studio, they envision a space that better incorporates projects. This summer, they plan on having the first of many projects in the new space that has dance and a live band.

“One component of really settling into our space is being able to be a cultural hub and creative center,” said Edson. As a malleable space, they foresee shows, classes, and even other nonprofits using the space.

“It’s tough to pin down some artists because they are in demand, have other gigs and things, but we make sure to pay our artists a competitive wage. The culture of Boise musically is growing exponentially so there’s plenty of people to choose from,” said Stensaas.

Approaching fast this time of year is one of Boise’s most popular events, Treefort Music Festival. LED Boise is part of this year’s Treefort, once again, and they’ll be bringing back together their talented band to perform. Stensaas said it’s a time for the band to “let their hair down and have more fun.”

Local musician John Fricke has been a part of the LED band for about eight years and is looking forward to Treefort. Although he never knows what type of project he’ll be a part of with LED, it’s the constant change and creative control with the band that he enjoys and looks forward to. “I’ve played with a lot of groups in the past 20-some years, but this group still makes the hairs on my arms stand up performing,” Fricke said.

Recently, LED Boise and Open Space named themselves sister studios. Open Space is a contemporary dance studio based out of Portland, Oregon. As sister studios, the two can collaborate and share performances with a broader audience. This August, LED Boise and Open Space will showcase Summer Soup, a show that Edson describes as a fun and vibrant party.

In 2020, Dance Magazine featured LED Boise in their “25 to watch”. “We had a big year going into the pandemic where we couldn’t really show anybody what we were doing,” said Stensaas. LED found that while the pandemic was hard and affected them in big ways, being a non-traditional company and being artists first allowed them to come out the tail end feeling confident in their ability to grow.

With that growth, LED’s Board of Directors has developed a strategic plan and identified three areas to improve the nonprofit. Rich Raimondi, President of LED Boise’s Board of Directors, said they will be adding board members to fill in talent gaps, developing the LED studio space, and increasing online engagement. “They built their brand during a time when a lot of people were struggling but they were very innovative in how they’ve done things,” he said. “We’re certainly in a different place than we were two years ago.”

LED Boise evolves fast and in style. To keep up with their upcoming projects, visit their website, follow on social media, or dance your way into 1420 W Grove St, Boise, ID 83702.