Public Moves! (slide show added!)

Yesterday was, as we told the girls, "the BIG day of the BIG show on the BIG HILL," Josh & Laura's creation of art and community using movements they observed on Baltimore's Federal Hill. The process of these past 2 months was amazing. They organized sound, photography and videography, & undertook to cast (and rehearse!) at least 100 volunteers. They met with college professors, did guest lecturing in dance classes, and went to as many gatherings as they could of people who might be interested in participating. Josh was interviewed (scroll down the page until you get to "Wed., Oct. 22nd, Movin' on Up") on local public radio, and an article was published in the Baltimore Sun. Then, it was all about praying for good weather! (A prayer that was answered!)

Here are Alan's great pictures of the first performance (we did it twice!) He sat at the Inner Harbor looking at the Hill, and up there are lots of family: Mom & Dad, Joan & Steve, Jon & Courtney & Anna & Aidan, Shannon, Kate & Jay, Crystal & Anthony, and me with Amelia in the backpack and Evelyn (as much as possible) by the hand. I am definitely indebted to those family members for helping me keep track of her! It was an incredible experience, in which Alan joined us for the second performance.

Josh & Laura had a "movement score", and I used their terminology to label the pictures in the slide show below. If you're interested in seeing the actual score, click here.

Here is a video of "crawling to Rest." Many of the sounds are by sound artist Steve Bradley, projected off the roofs of two buildings that book-end the hill. Steve collaborated with Josh and Laura to fill the space with sounds both common and uncommon to it. Don't we look like a bunch of crazy insects? I love it!