crossings......moves

I'm happy to say that our last performance was a success in spite of the challenges. It was quite interesting to perform surrounded by hundreds of people who were not part of our audience. How odd it must have seemed to onlookers to see a large group of people with headphones following behind performers wearing neon green safetly belts. The places where we stopped to dance were mostly away from the main music festival stages but there were times when we needed to make last minute adjustments. The last few days before the 15th were very full - birthday celebrations, visits with my son Yusef and Grandson Kian to some of the places that figured in my mothers life: Mon Plaisir, Martinskirche, # 20 Lindenalle. Also time to visit the Jewish Museum in Berlin and in Schwedt. Leaving Germany only two days after the performance was a mistake but after 5 weeks it seemed important to get home too. Lots of paper work to complete and files to transfer at the last minute. But we got it done. Now ...

We've recovered for the most part and are now looking forward to performing during the big Sound City Festival in Schwedt. It's really nice now to have my son and grandson here in Berlin. Yusef and Kian will also come to Schwedt to see where my Mom comes from. We got a really nice write-up in the regional paper. Here's a rough translation: Crossings Review English Translation from 3 July, 2023 Markische Zeitung Crossings ____ Moves - small posters drew attention to a special event in Schwedt in the last few days. And yet the performers encountered many questioning faces. Is Schwedt not yet ready for this form of art? While it is becoming increasingly difficult to get the desired attention with openly displayed art on the streets of major cities, a larger group in Schwedt attracts much more attention. Special city tour - dance theatre - explores refugees' fears. With the goldfish under their arm through the city the group does not behave “normally”. While some move to...

Wow. An intense 24 hours. We rehearsed yesterday in the evening, walking through the entire piece. Everyone quite tired by the end. Got together again this morning at 11 am to review the pieces that everyone felt needed a little help, then to the kitchen where dear cousin Louise from Uppsala had set out all the food we bought yesterday - thankfully with Katarina's car to carry the groceries. Then at 2 pm we started our dress rehearsal and were finished in about an hour 1/2. A break to change into our performance clothes, rest up a little, eat more food and off we went to start the show. It was really nice to have Louise there helping out and taking videos of the performance too! We had an audience of maybe 35 - 40 people walking with us. It sprinkled rain a little and there weren't the usual bikers, picnicers and walkers but the ice cream truck was still at the plaza by the mermaid statue so a few in the audience had ice cream too. Fortunately we didn't have to deal with a ...

It's Tuesday and in four days we will be performing our work! It's pretty remarkable that we have been able to get this far! There's a lot going on in the background and I hope the performers are starting to get the bigger picture of our plan. Yesterday, Thomas and Imanuel (our stage manager) hauled a trailer full of furniture (couch, chairs, table, cupboards, hanging lamp etc. Of course it rained a bit and things got a little wet even though they were covered in plastic because after our evening rehearsal everything had to be hauled back to the pottery house for storage. I miss sleeping there but there's no wifi and I need that now for communicating with the performers and preparing our progrem, doing my blog, etc. So I scramble a bit this morning to move to a different hotel where I will stay for the next 5 nights. Speaking of rain, there have been big storms going through, dumping in Berlin and occasionally here. Yesterday there were also six new Stolpersteine laid i...

Our Poster, more or less The Stork's nest at the old pottery house The country side around Schwedt

Workshop June 17

We have been hard at work these last 6 days. We started out with a workshop on June 17 from 3 - 6 pm. We had 20+ people (I forgot to count) mostly from other towns. Some were Ukrainian refugees, a man from Zimbabwe, a girl from the Balkans, etc. We tried a number of different activities, first outside and then later in the studio at the Musik und Kunstschule where Thomas works. The pictures will tell you more. First I have to figure out how to add a video! On Sunday Elizabeth and I went back to Berlin to take a break. Last break until after our opening on July 1st. I returned to Schwedt on Tuesday. A long ride since the trains here have been stopped off and on for repair work. The little two car shuttle from Angermunde came in but then closed it's doors and everyone was told to leave. With info from Thomas, (thank goodness for cell phones) I got a bus to Schwedt thinking I could stay at our usual hotel but no rooms anywhere in town!!! After waiting an hour or so to connect with Tho...

The Chairs at Park Hotel, Elizabeth and I waiting for Thomas at the Brau Haus.

Scenes from Schwedt. Sunset after the rain and kayaks on the canal.

After sleeping 11 hours, today seems a little more normal. Re-writing the "script" for the performances. Good rehearsal with Elizabeth and then with Anna and Inya. Rain during the night so hopefully there will be green grass that has been cut before we go out to dance in it!!! Tomorrow we have our first workshop! Pictures are coming...

Have arrived in Berlin, taken one or two naps, and now am preparing to travel to Schwedt in the morning. Elizabeth and I had a chance to try out some choreography this evening and I am hoping to meet with the women who are in Francesca Patrones dance class at the Kunstshule (Art school) tomorrow. This evening has been spent trying to master the interface between my PC computer and my iPhone. Very frustrating! If you know any tricks, let me know. I have a 33 second video clip that I'd like to upload so that we can share it on the crossings...moves instagram page! Ah technology!!!

Packing everything I think I will need for 5 weeks in Germany has been interesting. What do I bring? Books: too heavy. Clothes: just enough that I won't have to do laundry every week. Props for out performances: rope, fabric, paper cut for folding. Notebook: everything I've written about the project for the last year. Tech stuff: 2 external hard drives, camera and sd cards, external camera for zooms? and don't forget the chargers and adapters! What would I pack if this were a permanent move? If I were in a hurry, if I had to flee from war? If I thought my house was going to be destroyed? Old photographs? My Charlie Chaplin puppet from Prague? My corn maiden would be easy to carry... For this trip I am taking some embroidery floss and aida cloth to start a new cross-stich project. It will give me something to keep my hands busy. Leaving the house in two hours so, aufviedersehn for now.