Some are Gold

Make new friends, but keep the old...We had the pleasure of reunions with friends this weekend. On Friday, we drove down to Baltimore to spend the day with Diane, Bridg, the Scotts, and their collective brood of boys. It was so great to have a moment together. We went to the pool, missed a torrential downpour by seconds, enjoyed a pizza party, and basked in the comfort of good friends. Bridgett, Scott and Sammy are living in Romania, but will soon relocate to England. I'm hoping for a transatlantic reunion in the near future. Diane, Scott, Malcolm, and Phillip are living and thriving in DC. It was so good to be together. I only wish we had more time, but I'll take what I can get. Insert a picture of Malcolm below-he's two and wouldn't sit still for a face shot, but there are two action shots of him above.









Then, on Saturday, mtw had a mini-reunion with some old friends/band-mates as he played a jazz quartet gig at this gorgeous winery in Pennington, NJ. The surroundings were spectacular, the music festive, and the summer evening delightful.

The Jersey Shore

While mdw's entire family (minus the Philadelphia crew) vacationed at the Sun Valley resort in Idaho, and mtw toiled away in Maine, I decided I deserved a day at the beach! Tonia and Justin transformed their basement into a B&B for me and the dogs, and we headed off to Sea Side, securing a nice piece of beach just off the boardwalk.

It was an awesome day - absolutely beautiful weather, and fantastic company. Madeleine, Mickey J, Tata, and Christie tried to dig their way to China. Justin took the kids out to catch some surf, Jason and Anna enjoyed the romance of the beach, and I basked in the safety of my spf 400 (yes, I am the same color as the sand).
We left salty, sun-kissed, and exhausted! A good time was had by all...

Happy Birthday Isaac!

Okay, so maybe I need some more recent pictures of you Isaac, but at least there are balloons in the photo (along with two of my most favorite men). I hope you have a wonderful day. I love you and am so glad to be your sista...celebrate, and make a wish!

MergeDance World Tour 2007

Merge Dance: Meg, Kate, Melissa, Marie

Okay, so maybe it was just to West Virginia - but that's in the world, right? Besides, it was a wonderfully positive and successful tour to a well-run festival in a charming town. As one of my dancers noted, it was like a paid vacation. The festival is the Goose Route Arts Collaborative, run by a striking woman and fellow choreographer named Kitty in Shepherdstown, WV. She has created a delightful festival in a community that values art, art-making, and dialogue. The town itself is overflowing with historical folklore and small town pride. It sits along the Potomoc River (notice Meghan crossing the Potomoc as opposed to Washington crossing the Delaware), and is just miles from Antietam, the bloodiest battlefield during the civil war. In fact, Shepherdstown served as a hospital to care for the wounded and dying soldiers, many of whom still linger as ghosts and spirits in the town. The house I stayed in, hosted by a wonderful couple (Mark and Judith) was built in 1797 and has been immaculately restored - Kathleen would be impressed. There is the ghost of an unwanted baby in the basement, with quite a story to accompany it. I told my hosts that it was no problem because I wanted a baby so the ghost could be at peace while I was there. It seemed to work because there was no wailing over the weekend. (pictured below: mdw with one of my dancers, Kate, and the festival director, Kitty)

The weekend did include two open dress rehearsals for families, two successful performances, two classes (one with twenty 4-7 year old children and one with thirty adults), and of course, some shopping, ropeswinging, and eating out (yup - that's at Cracker Barrel). My dancers were amazing. I am so proud of them, and so pleased with the opportunities I am finding with my company. "I'm still walking, so I'm sure I can dance..." -James Brown

How High the Moon

Here is M performing (on piano and voice) at the ADF musician's concert with his colleague, David D. (on accordion) . Enjoy...



The song was dedicated to Eddy Alexander.

Somewhere there’s music
How faint the tune
Somewhere there’s heaven
How high the moon
There is no moon above
When love is far away too
Till it comes true
That you love me as I love you

Somewhere there’s music
How near, how far
Somewhere there’s heaven
Its where you are
The darkest night would shine
If you would come to me soon
Until you will, how still my heart
How high the moon

Somewhere there’s music
How faint the tune
Somewhere there’s heaven
How high the moon
The darkest night would shine
If you would come to me soon
Until you will, how still my heart
How high the moon

Too Hot to Trot

So, today is the first day of extreme heat for Philly. The temperature is only in the high 90's but apparently, the "feel" temperature is closer to 110. Given that, I headed out in the scorching morning sun to an outdoor sculpture garden to do a little creative research.

The site was absolutely beautiful - it is called "Grounds for Sculpture" and is just outside of Trenton, NJ. It is a gorgeous 35-acre property (formerly the NJ fairgrounds) that has been transformed with original sculpture, ranging from the majestic to the delightful, and planted with amazing trees, flowers, and plant life. There are peacocks, bunnies, and ducks roaming about as well. The sinewy pathways lead you through amazing vistas, as you take your own journey through the artwork and natural beauty. Many of the sculptures are interactive, allowing you to touch them with care. I highly recommend it to anyone in the area - especially if you are planning a fall or spring trip. And if you're in town on October 7, stop by and see my dance company perform there in a new site specific work. I am planning to use Linda Cunningham's "War Memorial III" as the framework for the choreography.

In cooler climes, M traveled safely to Bates, and is enjoying re-connecting with professional colleagues and friends. I'll let you know when I get updates from him. In the meantime, the dogs and I will be inside keeping as cool as we can.

(sculptures from top to bottom: George Segal, "Depression Bread Line"; Dana Stewart, "What was That?"; and Linda Cummingham, "War Memorial III".

The Fifth of July

Being that we live in the birthplace of the United States of America's government and financial market, we decided to join the million or so other people to celebrate America's birthday on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The Parkway is a striking roadway, stretching between the Art Museum and City Hall (linking culture to civic activity), and flanked by gorgeous sculptures, fountains, monuments, and greenspace. It takes an advanced degree to drive it, with its roundabouts, ever shifting lanes, and turn restrictions; however it is one of my favorite vantage points in Philadelphia. It feels majestic, important, and wise - as if it knows more than this young country.

The street itself is lined with flags and labels from every country on the planet, saying welcome - there is a place for you here (my commentary regarding the current arrogance with immigration legislation - all are immigrants). I love living in a place where people are so different from me. Just look at the cross-section of people in this snapshot of Michael walking amidst the July 4th crowds on the Parkway.


Shortly after this picture was taken, the heavens opened up and it began pouring rain on the millions of people. Not to be deterred, Patti Labelle began a live performance for the crowd. M and I had a broken umbrella which we stood under while listening to the music and eating hamburgers and funnel cake. We held out for a while, waiting for the headliner concert, Hall and Oates, but soon decided to Haul it Outta There.

Walking toward Suburban Station in the downpour to catch a train home, I thought of the men and women, past and present, who are willing to die to preserve each person's right to the pursuit of happiness. It is a confusing notion, but one which made the soaking wet rain seem appropriate. May you each find the pursuit worthwhile...

They're back!

Samantha and Michael rolled into Philadelphia shortly before 7pm on Saturday evening, following an eventful drive back from North Carolina. Michael hit a ton of traffic near Washington DC, and then very unfortunately, hit a deer once traffic started moving again. Michael emerged unscathed, and the car only slightly scathed. The poor deer was fully scathed, and moved onto deer heaven- hopefully, frolicking with Bambi's mother. Then, just outside of the Pennsylvania border, two women drove into a toll booth (they were reportedly not injured), so Michael found himself stopped again while they cleared the accident. By the time I got his fourth phone call, I told him to take his time and just get home safely! His original estimated arrival had been 2pm, but 7pm and in one piece was fine by me.

Lest M and I spend too much time together, I headed to Brick, NJ on Sunday morning to attend a baby shower thrown by Tonia, for one of her closest friends who is due next month. The shower was really nice - Tonia had decorated and planned for everything! They had a really cute clothesline (well, three actually) where they pinned baby clothes to the line. It was very festive, and a really clever way to show off the gifts. The shower was held at M's mom's house so the bonus was that I got to see Mom and Jon for a quick minute.

I slept over at Tonia's house, and we (along with Justin and his mom and sis) walked two (out of five) of their Pit Bulls to the public beach for a gorgeous summer evening walk in the sand. The dogs played in the water, and we enjoyed a lovely summer sky. Afterwards, we returned to the house to play "Wii" - Nintendo's new interactive video system. It was a blast, and not your typical sit on your bum and push buttons game! I warned M that we made need to budget for a new gaming system...only 86 shopping days left until my birthday.

Back in Philly, M, Samantha, and Odin acclimated to being home together. I joined them early Monday morning where we enjoyed a nice walk in some spectacular summer weather (72 and sunny) and then M and I saw Pixar's "Ratatouille" which was delightful. M is home for the rest of the week, and then heads out on Saturday to Maine for work at the Bates Dance Festival. Let's hope for smoother travels this time.

News from my family - mom is safely in Beijing and is enjoying both the work and the sightseeing she is doing there. No reports of jetlag yet. My brother, Troy, had an unfortunate fall on Saturday evening. No spinal or nerve damage found, and reports are good for a full recovery, but he is still in a lot of pain. You can get his inside account of the fall, ER visit and initial recovery on his blog. We hope you heal quickly!