Showing the torch of talent to the IOC

Get ready to strike a pose, Whistler, the Olympic officials are a comin’ and our local artists, entertainers and event organizers are ready to rumble and wrench the Games away from Austria and Korea. Places people, places…

Called Celebration 2010, local arts groups will strut their stuff at Millennium Place, on the mountains and around town from Feb. 14 to March 6.

Giving their all for the Games will be the Whistler Dance Academy, Whistler Film Festival, Whistler Photographic Society, Whistler Public Library, Whistler Writers Group, Whistler Museum & Archives Society, Whistler Singers and Whistler Gymnastics. Tourism Whistler and our neighbouring Aboriginal communities will preview their signature Cornucopia and Weetama festivals.

Whistler Arts Council’s Doti Niedermayer predicted the three weeks will be "insane" for those involved but that the potential opportunities for securing the Games will be worth it.

"The Olympics is not just about sports. It’s also about showcasing culture and arts, one of the four official pillars of the Olympic movement," she said.

Clear your diaries for the following:

Alta Lake School presents Tango Paradiso, a combination of classical and new music with authentic tango dancers to create an original tango language.

Whistler Film Festival presents a showcase of adventure films by local favourites featuring the NFB production of Ski Bums, Treetop Film's Fourplay and more. Tickets only $10.

Whistler Arts Council presents The Bluehouse, an Australian all-female acoustic folk group mixing drop-dead gorgeous harmonies with wickedly mouthy humour. The Whistler Singers open.

Tourism Whistler will highlight components of Cornucopia, Whistler's Food & Wine Celebration, as a prelude to the seventh annual festival running Nov. 5-9, 2003. The weekend begins with an outdoor icewine tasting, Grapes at Minus 8 Degrees, featuring the nouveau flamenco sounds of Vancouver's Alma Libre, complemented by an ice sculptor showcase.

Whistler Museum & Archives Society presents The Heritage of Our Town: Olympic Experiences, an evening with past Olympians from the Whistler area to talk about their Olympic experience. Admission is free.

Whistler Public Library presents "Dance a story, dance a song, skip, twirl, dance along." A workshop for children with Mary Elizabeth Manley, associate professor of dance at York University.

Day 2 of the Cornucopia preview with Guilty Pleasures of the Canadian Palate. Enthusiasts will indulge in a two-hour taste-a-thon, exploring the latest culinary inventions from Whistler's hottest restaurants, while savouring sips from Canada's finest wineries and leading breweries. Tickets are $24.95.

The Whistler Writers Group, and some famous colleagues from Vancouver, present Literary Leanings; A festival of literature, food & drink. Two evenings of writers reading from their most recent works. Authors include: Adam Lewis Schroeder, Bonnie Bowman, Nancy Lee, Jennifer Cowan, Rebecca Wood Barrett, Stella Harvey, Karen Dawson, Stephen Vogler, Brandi Higgins, Pam Barnsley.

Whistler Dance Academy presents Dance Media On The Slopes. A multi-media contemporary professional dance show that includes live dance, video, and slide projection onto the performers and the snow. Admission is free.

Whistler’s two neighbouring Aboriginal communities and Tourism Whistler present a preview snapshot of Weetama: Whistler's Celebration of Aboriginal Culture that will take place Aug. 8-17, 2003. Traditional dancers, elder storytellers recounting ancient legends, skilled craftsmen and talented artists will create works of power and beauty throughout the weekend.

Whistler Dance Academy presents Olympic Art by Whistler Youth. Community choirs and dance groups performing pieces inspired by the Olympic idea and tradition. Opening for the Dance Academy is the competitive Whistler Gymnastics Team with a mini-trampoline and tumbling display. Admission by donation.

Whistler Public Library presents a slide show by John Baldwin, author of The Mountains of the Coast and The Coast Mountains on Skis. Tickets: $7.

Ongoing throughout the month:

Face to Face, a clay exhibit by Glen McMillan and paintings by Toya Harris.

Fire & Ice - Whistler Welcome Night. An eclectic mix of music, dance and spinning fire with athletes flipping and twisting through a burning ring of fire. Admission is free.

Whistler Museum & Archives Society presents an exhibition of Hats & Helmets from past Olympic Games.

Whistler Photographic Society presents an outdoor digital slide show capturing Whistler and mountain sports by our top professional photographers. Admission is free.

Whistler Arts Council presents the Whistler Art Tour, a free guided tour of Whistler's Art Galleries & Public Art.

Whistler Public Library presents Storytime, for pre-school children.

Whistler Photographic Society’s annual juried exhibition featuring 20 photographers from the Whistler area.