1/23/08
1:30 PM Central Time
Well, here we are on the bus zooming along from Iowa, just 91 miles outside of Minneapolis. Michael brought a dvd of Stomp and we all thoroughly enjoyed seeing this fantastic movie on the bus today....... a great show with kindred percussive dance spirits! All in all, this is a well paced and comfortable tour with Herman Jones of Stagecoach bus tours at the helm. We all get out every time Herman pulls into a rest stop and have a brisk walk in the snow and some crispy fresh air!!....as per Diana Byer’s suggestion (she toured with Allied Concert Series many times over the years in this area with her amazing company, New York Theatre Ballet) Her advice has been invaluable and we’ve found ways to save time and money by doing a good grocery shopping yesterday for supplies for the next few days. Last night’s concert at the Memorial Auditorium in Burlington, Iowa was just great. The outside of the theatre resembled a ship. We were told that the marines did their drilling actually in the theatre at one point. The theatre was built on the banks of the Mississippi with Indiana seen just across the ice floes. Many huge bald eagles greated us when we arrived. We performed for a very full and receptive audience and wow could they sing! Our sponsors and stage crew were all so warm and welcoming. It’s a pleasure to set up, rehearse and perform when you feel an immediate rapport with the whole team involved; from Roger the concert coordinato;, to wardrobe mistresses Jeanie and Sherry, who pressed costumes, to a delicious, hot home cooked meal before the show.
Tonight, some of us will stay at Days Inn (Mall of America....one of the biggest mega malls in the US....complete with indoor amusement park) and some at Lisa Channer’s and Lara Ciganko’s homes. Lisa and Lara were 2 of my first students in New Paltz when we the Arts Community first began. Lisa is now an established theatre director and professor at the University in Minneapolis and Lara is on the faculty of the Main Street School, a performing arts high school where Nathan, Evita and Michael with do some swing dance workshops tomorrow morning (early). Tonight we’re all going to Lisa’s for dinner and then off to a choreographer’s showcase. We’ll get to see Eileen Channer, Lisa’s mom, who is visiting. Eileen was on our first Board of Directors for many years as well as being the assistant to the Dean of Fine Arts at SUNY New Paltz, where we held our Institute classes for about 15 years. We’ve got a hot game of chess going with Nathan and Elijah. Evita is crocheting an amazing, expanding round item that she says will be a dress, Michael, Talli and Isa are finding bizarre ways of stretching and warming up, hunkering down with good books, Bill and I are finally having the time to edit over 8,000 of the Caringbridge e-mails in preparation for publishing a book about how a community came forth to heal and found healing for themselves as well....... and Amber is studying the gowns in bridal magazines.
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