On Friday, Kairos Dance Theatre performers, Diann, Pat, Nancy, Peter, Carla, Hannah, Maria and company coordinator, Mary, headed to Amery Wisconsin via the rolling hills – seeing, farms, lamas, horses and glorious changing leaves. We shared our interactive performance with a small group of young people who are uniquely abled from local high school programs sponsored by the Amery Library and St. Paul’s Compas/Young Audiences.
It was a bit a drive and it was a Friday that followed a busy “Dancing Heart” program week. When we got there and began inviting the young people and their teachers to dance with us, my heart opened up and I knew why I had made the long drive. Hesitant at first, boys and girls began joining us from their chairs as we invited them to dance with their hands and sing “Fanga Alafia” with us. Later they danced in their chairs and warmed up their “body/brains” with music from the Harlem jazz scene. By the time we got to “Don’t Get Around” they were ready to jump up and learn the Charleston. It doesn’t get much better than this-
dancing with our new friends. They were good – and they knew it – and we knew it – and all that laughing and dancing reminded me what I am here on this earth for.
And on our trip home in the car- Carla and I went by a bald eagle eating a freshly killed deer on the side of the road. I have never been so close to an eagle. S/he was calmly eating her fill.
We are all welcome here – there is plenty to share.
-Maria
