March 8, 2010
Hey everyone! I know it's been a couple of days, but I have to tell you about our last days in Caracas. This is Bennalldra, and I'm one of the dancers of Urban Bush Women. Our times here, as you have already heard, have been quite amazing. We have met so many people and learned so much. In fact, the day of our show presented us with yet another day of learning and true exchange.
The day started off with our teaching a dance class at one of the universities, but this class proved to be no ordinary class. It started out with our leading the students in what can be considered a traditional dance class, but then it became this wonderful exchange of culture and dance. We learned about their patron saint, St. Benedict, as well as learned a dance that pays homage to him. I found it to be so fascinating because it married the use of the voice with nice rhythms of the feet. It had a kind of celebratory feel to it, that provided a sense of release for those performing it. This provided a parallel to a tradition that we have called the ring shout.
In the Venezuelan dance, the drum plays a big role in keeping the rhythm, but in the ring shout, the feet produce the rhythm. It was nice to see the differences in the two and feel how different they made our bodies move. Both of these traditions made us sing and rejoice together. This moment made the significance of art and this exchange so important, because it's about us coming together and sharing our experiences, seeing how they are the same, and appreciating their differences. Although this was amazing, it was still just a precursor to what was to come!
Later that day we had our performance. The first of the tour! Yes—the pre-show jitters were present, but what made it all better was that we had this amazing local opening act. The students for the university performed first, and they were great. The way they blended story telling, dramatic beats and rhythms of the feet and body were breath taking. I have to say they were a tough act to follow. We performed three works, and the (standing room-only!) crowd was amazing from beginning to end. So many people came out to share and give us energy that it was overwhelming. We performed on stage, but our audience performed with us at the glorious reception. This was the real performance!!! You would have never thought they had come to see a show, because there they were performing!! When our feet got tired, and the last cookie was eaten, we finally went back to the hotel. The night was over, but will never be forgotten.
The next night the Embassy treated us to the great pleasure of seeing the musical Jesus Christ Superstar in Spanish. This was very exciting for me because I had never seen it, and I don't speak Spanish. I was wondering how much I was going to understand, but believe it or not, I was able to follow the story quite nicely. We had a great time and even got a chance to meet the cast. This part was made even better because, Sally, our gracious Embassy host, got so excited that she just couldn't wipe a smile off her face! Meeting them made her night and that in turn made mine!
Before I close, I have to say that the generosity that we have received since we have been here has been wonderful. There are not enough words to explain how at home I have felt. Sally, Elena, and the people of Venezuela -- I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this!
Now the journey continues - on to Colombia!!!
Until next time,
Benny
Hey everyone! I know it's been a couple of days, but I have to tell you about our last days in Caracas. This is Bennalldra, and I'm one of the dancers of Urban Bush Women. Our times here, as you have already heard, have been quite amazing. We have met so many people and learned so much. In fact, the day of our show presented us with yet another day of learning and true exchange.
The day started off with our teaching a dance class at one of the universities, but this class proved to be no ordinary class. It started out with our leading the students in what can be considered a traditional dance class, but then it became this wonderful exchange of culture and dance. We learned about their patron saint, St. Benedict, as well as learned a dance that pays homage to him. I found it to be so fascinating because it married the use of the voice with nice rhythms of the feet. It had a kind of celebratory feel to it, that provided a sense of release for those performing it. This provided a parallel to a tradition that we have called the ring shout.
In the Venezuelan dance, the drum plays a big role in keeping the rhythm, but in the ring shout, the feet produce the rhythm. It was nice to see the differences in the two and feel how different they made our bodies move. Both of these traditions made us sing and rejoice together. This moment made the significance of art and this exchange so important, because it's about us coming together and sharing our experiences, seeing how they are the same, and appreciating their differences. Although this was amazing, it was still just a precursor to what was to come!
Later that day we had our performance. The first of the tour! Yes—the pre-show jitters were present, but what made it all better was that we had this amazing local opening act. The students for the university performed first, and they were great. The way they blended story telling, dramatic beats and rhythms of the feet and body were breath taking. I have to say they were a tough act to follow. We performed three works, and the (standing room-only!) crowd was amazing from beginning to end. So many people came out to share and give us energy that it was overwhelming. We performed on stage, but our audience performed with us at the glorious reception. This was the real performance!!! You would have never thought they had come to see a show, because there they were performing!! When our feet got tired, and the last cookie was eaten, we finally went back to the hotel. The night was over, but will never be forgotten.
The next night the Embassy treated us to the great pleasure of seeing the musical Jesus Christ Superstar in Spanish. This was very exciting for me because I had never seen it, and I don't speak Spanish. I was wondering how much I was going to understand, but believe it or not, I was able to follow the story quite nicely. We had a great time and even got a chance to meet the cast. This part was made even better because, Sally, our gracious Embassy host, got so excited that she just couldn't wipe a smile off her face! Meeting them made her night and that in turn made mine!
Before I close, I have to say that the generosity that we have received since we have been here has been wonderful. There are not enough words to explain how at home I have felt. Sally, Elena, and the people of Venezuela -- I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this!
Sally and Elena with Urban Bush Women
Now the journey continues - on to Colombia!!!
Until next time,
Benny
Awesome! You are representatives of all of us here...please carry our stories, our joys, our hopes and our spirits with you on your travels!
ReplyDeleteI love your posts, UBW! It's wonderful to hear your joyous stories about the connections you're making with the beautiful people of Venezuela. What a privilege for you to be both guests and fellow artists as you teach and learn dance together. The photographs are wonderful. We all miss you here in the US and we can't wait to hear about your experiences in detail when you return to Brooklyn. I hope your next 10 days are as wonderful as your first 20 were!
ReplyDeleteWith love, Tam and the whole Board of Directors
I'm posting but not sure they're sticking...
ReplyDeleteYour blogs are wonderful to read...it's almost like being there with you in beautiful Venezuela, Brazil and Colombia...
We miss you back here in the States but we can't to hear all of your stories and memories of this extraordinary trip. Thank you for sharing such joy and excitement with the extraordinary artists you are encountering in every country!
On behalf of the entire Board, I send our love and best wishes to every Urban Bush Women! Love, Tam