While there’s light at the end of our Coronavirus tunnel, we are still under stay-at-home orders here in Riverside County. Editor Hannah heartily misses gatherings and festivals. She asks, “If you could get out and gather, what would be your festivity of choice?” What will our festivities look like in a post-Coronavirus time? Blogger Sara dreams of dance festivals.
By Sara Habibipour
Something that all performance artists have missed through these COVID times is not being able to perform on a stage. As artists, we come up with creative ways to continue sharing our gifts with the world, but there’s something about the adrenaline rush you get in the wings, the warmth of the lights, and the dressing room hustle that we can’t live without.
Palm Springs Dance Festival
A gathering that I will be excited to take part in once COVID-times are over is the Palm Springs Dance Festival. The last time I performed in a theater was during this festival, and it was memorable. Our studio had the opportunity to perform a couple pieces alongside other dance studios and even professionals from LA companies. I look forward to this festival because it allows a space for young dancers from all different schools to come together, share their talents, and watch dancers from other studios perform–which we don’t often do. We also had the opportunity to watch these professionals perform in their own showcase. I was fascinated that their energy was able to touch me even though I was sitting all the way in the back row of the theater.
Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival
I would also like to travel and visit more dance festivals, for example, the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Known as the “hub and mecca of dancing,” the Pillow is the longest running international dance festival. It’s held on a 220-acre farm in the middle of the Western Massachusetts woods, and as you can see in the image below, the view is quite stunning. I can’t even begin to imagine how powerful it must feel to be dancing in the woods.
What I love most about these festivals is that you don’t just get your classical ballet variations that we’ve all seen and performed five hundred times. There’s so much new and contemporary choreography and music you’ve never seen and heard before. There are so many innovative props and costumes. It’s art in its truest form. It has you leaving the theater like, “I want to watch that again! What was that music?! I want to learn that dance!”
Hopefully when Corona-times are over, I’ll be able to participate in and watch more dance festivals. Luckily, there’s plenty of virtual events to keep me satisfied for now.
Festivities (in-a-post-Coronavirus-time) Editor: Hannah Hall
Sara,
During April of LAST YEAR’S Palm Valley Distant Learning, the Drama Class came upon this dance piece, choreographed to the same piece of music we were using in the HS production of FIREBIRD……Maurice Ravel’s famous BOLERO.
I know you will LOVE this work!
Mr S