Choreographers swim-suit up for Piss in the Pool's 5th anniversary bash.

Well, it's official: summer is here! Temperatures are on the rise, the skies are blue, and Montreal's streets are filled with happy-looking people taking advantage of the huge array of Fringe Festival shows. If all this sunshine and happiness is making you want to hit the nearest swimming pool - and stat - then readers, do I have the event for you!

Co-presented by the Fringe Festival and Wants & Needs Danse, Piss in the Pool, one of the most unique dance happenings you will experience in Montreal, is getting ready to celebrate its 5th birthday. The event, which takes place each summer at Bain St. Michel, an empty pool, was begun by local choreographers Andrew Tay and Sasha Kleinplatz as a way of moving dance from the traditional theater space to a more unorthodox environment. The first production took place in 2005. Since then, Piss in the Pool has become a well-loved annual happening, not only because the emerging choreographers it showcases never fail to be wildly creative, but also because the whole event tries to make contemporary dance a bit more approachable than might otherwise be the case.

This year, the show will feature new choreographers as well as some Piss in the Pool veterans. The format is the same as always: choreographers have ten days prior to the opening to create a site-specific work. After this whirlwind creative process, they show the results in a series of performances open to the public. The five-year bash promises to be a pretty swell party. It plays this Thursday through Saturday, June 18-20, each night at 9p.m. at the Bain St. Michel (5300 St. Dominique). So grab a pair of water wings and go!

(Photo courtesy of Wants & Needs Danse)