Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Sicily unveiled...
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| In Washington DC in front of the Italian art display at the gallery |
...it started accidently - I was writing a script for my next dance-drama entitled Vincenza's Miracle, a production based on the life of my grandparents as they emigrated from Sicily and their life in America.
"Well", I thought, "I may as well outline the script first with a draft of events in chronological order." This opened a Pandora's box of such immensity I am reeling from its effects three months later!
Researching book after book, and endless hours with former residents has resulted in ten chapters in book one and three on book two and has enriched my former naive mind of this tiny island into a history course on a par with Harvard's best curriculum.
I've concluded that this book is Historical, Hysterical, Heartbreaking and Heartwarming and will captivate the hearts and minds of both young and old. There are fascinating adventures, mostly true and some embellished (after all, I wasn't even there) and unadulterated events of history that will curl your hair! I've included the unacceptable subjects of politics and religion along with mythology, good and bad leaders, tyrants, saviors and brilliant thinkers.
The heritage of my own family includes Palermo, Agrigento, Messina, Vallelunga and the village where we elaborate Vincenza, Mussomeli. Will wonders never cease? While googling info on Mussomeli, I discovered that one of the largest feasts held in the United States with immigrants and their families is in Buffalo New York at St. Anthony's Church on September 8th. All those whose parents, grandparents or great-grandparents are from Mussomeli are automatically invited. (this includes at least one hundred of my own clan of children, cousins and their children and spouses,)
Perhaps my first book will be printed by then and the original dance-drama which was planned many months ago, will be ready to showcase.
It's no wonder I wake up at 3 am pregnant with ideas, added memories and curious for more details. Sicily's next stop is Palermo and then Agrigento, then, of course, life in the States starting with good old New York City at the turn of the century. More fun!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
The Royale Dance Theatre at Artpark
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| The "mad" scene. Michelle Lucci, prima ballerina and former student of the Royale Dance Academy with Eddie Myers |
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| Act II of Giselle at Artpark Jill Squitieri as Myrtha |
T
It was the
week after a major ballet company performed “Astarte” at Artpark that the
Royale Dance Theatre was privileged to perform for an entire week. Thrilled at the prospect of the invitation, I
prepared the dancers and guest artists for a total of five productions. Our guest artist from the Pennsylvania Ballet
company thought I was crazy. Five ballets
in one week, and only three months to prepare?
Giselle and Swan Lake were performed with prima ballerina Michelle
Lucci in the leading roles. Coppelia was performed with Beth Muerle
as Swanhilda. We did highlights of La Fille Mal Gardée and last but not
least, The Psalms. All productions were of excellent quality
and well received, except The Psalms. The atheists were furious. They approved of the music and the dance, but
the message? How dare we? During the ballet, I proclaimed that Jesus was
the Lord of the Dance and that the Royale Dance Theatre was dedicating dance,
music and drama for His Glory.
My name appeared
on the front page of the community section of the news, criticizing me for my
audacity to use theater for this proclamation.
Strange that no one objected to a presentation of a ballet elaborating incest
between a father and son, but when a ballet glorifies God, we have no right. I often sought the true purpose of the
theater and especially dance until one Sunday when I heard the words, “All
things were created by God for His Glory.”
Even the great founder of the Royal Danish Ballet, August Bournonville was aware of this. He often quoted that “The purpose of dance
and the theater in general is to lift the soul and strengthen the spirit.”
The
arts are a powerful tool for good or evil. Writers, directors, actors,
film-makers and teachers of fine arts have a tremendous responsibility to use
their God-given talents to bring joy, educate, entertain and to inspire.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Deaf Culture on stage
It was with great
anticipation that I began studying sign language a Hilbert College last
semester and it brought even greater joy to learn of the unique attributes of
the Deaf culture. It was like learning
to speak Chinese and then communicating to the natives in China. I actually spoke to deaf children who thought
I too was deaf, and wonder of wonders, they understood me! My professor, Sister Conchetta LoPresti is a brilliant signer and assists at many events throughout Western New York and in fact throughout eh United States,
After viewing the amazing DVD's of St. Mary's school students performing their latest musicals, I was curious as to how they were taught and actually performed these entertaining shows.
Today I visited
St. Mary’s School for the Deaf and spoke with the director of the arts program,
the drama and dance teachers and met the principal and a few workers , all of
whom were gracious and kind. They
explained – very patiently I might add – that training students with the
inability to hear to perform in musicals was a mighty task yet brought about
many advantages for their futures. They
promised to let me observe classes and thought perhaps I might be able to help
in one way or another.
So it’s
back to the books and elegant hand gestures.
I’m writing down all the orders I usually give in class and memorizing
every word I’ll be using for choreography.
Let’s hope I don’t slip in the highly volatile signs of my Sicilian grandfather!
Picture this - Sicily 1850 & Grandma Josephine
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| Vincenza leaving home |
Introduction:
A little note to my grandchildren and their children’s children
Words
help to bring people and places to life
“Everyone’s life is a fairytale written by the
hand of God”, H. A. Andersen ,and each tale is a story to be told for
stories are works of art which reach into the heart of men, and like
snowflakes, are all amazing, shining and completely unique.
Listen
to the words and they will become a symphony.
Behold the vision and you will see a ballet, Look and a painted canvas
will unfold. You will smell the flower,
taste the sfingi (Italian light as air donuts) and feel the fears and
joys of children and adults of great courage.
I
will take you to Sicily where you will experience the earthquakes, ride the
huge steamships to America, shove your way through Ellis Island and hear the dynamite explosions of the of
the subways. being built. In my series of books, we’ll travel through one
hundred years of American history reliving the changing fashions, entertainment,
the movies, the heroes and even the wars
which include your own family members.
Sadly,
when I see the faces of some of my students bored with life, I think I am
walking among the living dead. Sometimes I too feel empty and weary, but then
listen to a song by Louis Prima who sings, “I think to myself, what a wonderful
world.”
This is why I wrote
this book for you,. The Lord has said to
us, “You shall be radiant at what you see.
Your heart will throb and overflow.
I wish for you, the miraculous vision of faith of those who made it
possible for you to live as a Christian in the greatest country on this
earth.—America.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
A Drop of Water
A Drop of Water
…a true story
Angelica loved
the ocean and while attending a West Coast Seminar, she had the opportunity to
visit the beach and watch the waves roll in toward her feet. She kept calling to them from the sand, “Roll
in, come on roll in closer to me.” All
of a sudden, one huge wave rolled in so fast and furiously, she stood there
petrified. “Run” the onlookers cried but
frozen with fear, she couldn’t move,.
The wave came up to her knees then gently rolled back, leaving a drop of
water on her hand. When she looked at
it, she saw a beautiful glistening circle and thought, “this is too beautiful
for me,” and threw it back into the ocean.
Then she heard the voice of the Lord speaking to her. “Angelica, that spot of water is like your
sins and the ocean you threw it in is like My Mercy.” He then asked her, “Can you find that spot of
water now?” she replied, “No, Lord, I
could never find that small drop of water in the ocean.” “Then you can never
find your sins again in my Ocean of Mercy.”
Angelica
never forgot that lesson and when people ask her how they can ever feel
forgiven for their horrible sins of the past, even though they have confessed
them, she reminds them that their sins are gone, forgotten, lost forever in
God’s unfathomable and boundless ocean of forgiveness and profound love. A great reminder and measure of hope for us all.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
DC Dream
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| The Golden camel at Old Town's Art Center |
Will they ever stop playing
tricks? The last time I visited my son in DC, he had a great apartment in
Crystal City above hundreds of fabulous shops, so after he picked up myself and my daughter daughter at the airport (We planned to see the ballet at Kennedy Center) he again
headed for what I thought would be home. We drove into the usual dull gray
garage, went up the plain elevator and through the beige hall on the 13th
floor. He then opened the door to a
shocking sight; voila, new furniture in a different setting. “You changed the furniture” Yes, it was new
but the room looked different. “Mom, I
moved into a new apartment a week ago. I
now live in Pentagon City!” As both children laughed at my obvious faux pas, I reveled
in the fact that I now had my own bedroom and bath and was a hop skip and jump
from the famous Nordstrom Pentagon Mall!
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| Lunch at La Madeleine |
After
whisking us off to Old Town in Arlington, we ventured to walk amidst 16th
century colorful row houses and delightful shops on famous King St. Of course we stopped at La Madeleine for French pastry and inspected the designer as well
as thrift shops. Antiques, art, bistros and stunning stores adorned the
bubbling crowds of baby buggies, adorable dogs proudly held on a leash by Old
Town residents and vibrant visitors, enthralled by a historically preserved section
of our country’s capitol. Returning to
Old Town later that week, I decided to walk the 16 blocks to the waterfront
where a famous art gallery holding 75 cube mini galleries lined three floors of
a converted warehouse. Spotting the
“golden camel”, I asked two charming ladies to take the above photo for this
blog. They were so proud of the amazing
artists and their works – a joy for all DC visitors.
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| R |
On
Saturday, we were joined by former student and prima ballerina Michelle Lucci
whose usual vibrant and sparkling personality filled our visit with memories of
fun times at the studio where my offspring would constantly interrupt
Michelle’s class with “Mom, can I have a can of soup?” Since she and my daughter both studied ballet
for years, it was an exciting treat to share in the Bolshoi’s performance of Coppelia.
A home-made spaghetti and chicken parmesan dinner awaited us after
the performance as well as a pre-purchased movie entitled First Position. Michelle discovered that one of the stars of the
documentary, a little boy named Aryn was her student for two summers in Carlyle
(small world). All agreed that this DC
event would was truly a dream that would remain in our memories for many
years. 
The
last trip to San Francisco, visiting my youngest son at Google headquarters
held mind-blowing surprises, and I’m now planning the next trip to Orlando and
Tampa where three more of my children will host their mom. I wonder how many surprises they’ll have in
store…next blog will tell! |
| view from the Pentagon rooftop |
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| celebrating in Old Town at with a Thai dinner |
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