Vampires, icons and dancers
Mr. Stoker did an excellent job teaching the audience about the world when his grand uncle lived and wrote and the times when Dracula 'scoured' the night. I was completely enthralled with the tales he told and the lessons he shared. Needless-to-say, I have a new book to read!
Our next stop was at the home of Philip Simmons. "Philip Simmons is a poet of ironwork. His ability to endow raw iron with pure lyricism is known and admired throughout, not only in South Carolina, but as evidenced by his many honors and awards, he is recognized in all of America." -John Paul Huguley
One can not walk around historic Charleston without being delighted by one of Philip's amazing gates or decorative fences. We have marveled at them since we entered Charleston. The world lost a very creative soul last year and a foundation was formed to preserve his memory for the future to know him. Today, in honor of what would have been his 98th birthday, his humble home was opened to the public as a museum.
In normal Steve and Denise style, we arrived early and Rossie, the foundation's founder, invited us in to Philip's home and gave us a very intimate tour. There we were, with five generations of Simmons, admiring family photos and sharing history. What a glimpse into an iconic Charleston character. We felt very privileged to be a part of this day.
Our afternoon ended at a CONVERSATIONS WITH. Lucinda Childs, a performer and choreographer since 1963, we learned about the art of dance and more specifically, her dance. She was gracious and informative. A wonderful precursor to her show.
At 8 PM we ushered Lucinda Childs' DANCE. A seminal collaboration emerging out of one of the most vibrant and prolific periods in New York's art world, Dance is framed by a black and white film by artist Sol LeWitt, which is projected onto a translucent scrim in front of the stage and with which the dancers seamlessly interact. The contrast between the dancers onstage and the original cast captured on film creates a universe of austere beauty and mesmerizing precision. was considered revolutionary when it first premiered 30 years ago. Choreographed by revered experimental choreographer Lucinda Childs with an original score by Philip Glass.
No other performance we have seen thus far has had such differing reviews. While repetitive to the untrained eye, it was still mesmerizing and the dancers were exceptional. While in the lobby, others had different things to say about it. The beauty of the Spoleto Festival is that people can sample from over 145 different events... it's a smorgasbord of cultural cuisine. And I find it all absolutely delicious!
1 comments:
That looks like fun! And it sounds like an interesting book. Christy and I are listening to 'Salem's Lot on tape (Stephen King's second book). It's pretty interesting--it's what would have happened if vampires had come to a small town in 1970s Maine instead of 1800s England. Pretty good!
By the way, that picture of the mime or whatever in the last post is weird. :-)
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