‘Be like the bird who, pausing in her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing she hath wings.’ Victor Hugo.

Are you anywhere near Denman Island this Saturday, April 25th? If so, come and enjoy Taking Flight, at 8 pm at the Community Hall. This  wild and spirited community based production, involves singers, actors, and a newly formed all-women band called the Bandshe.
Artistic director, Laurie Montemurro, in honor of the feminine creative spirit, invited 18 performers to perform either original or established work created by females. Some performers are professionals and many are not.The cast includes Bethany Ireland, Tim Jefferies, Cathy Stoyko, Megan Rose Babb , Sussan Thomson, Ansa Matthews, Laurie Montemurro, Pelka Wiltshire, Nicole Tritter, Maxine Matilpi, Dianna Elisabeth, Jennifer West, Carolyn Eppich, Daisy Noble, Roxanne Cowles Macphail, Geordie Hilberry and Erin O’Brian.

The show starts at 8 pm. Tickets are available for $20 at the General Store.
Through their artistic and social commentary, the performers hope to tantalize, provoke, inspire, and ignite the audience to think, feel and dream.
For example, our ballet women (amateur and mature!) will dance in red to a piece choreographed by Laurie, and dedicated to the missing and murdered aboriginal women – the subject of our last blog. Here is what they write about it.
Not Forgotten

We dance our wisdom red
Our ReDress
for life, for blood, for Red My Lips,
for passion, all for love.
Through our feet, a voice, a prayer, a blessing
for murdered and missing women.

Where are your women?
Where are our women?

Daughters, mothers, aunts, allies, friends
Hearts on the ground.
Now cardboard silhouettes.

We dance with them/for them
A Tribe Called Red,
music of #IdleNoMore
Round dance flash mob
Lifting our hearts for
Cindy, Janet, Helen Betty, Angela, Lisa Marie,
Others (too many).

We dance in honor of true red ways,
A ceremony for life, personal and political
To heal the planet, come of age,
protect water, listen to animals, birds,
summon all to
“Take care of the living, and call them home,” (Christine Welsh).

Stolen Sisters,
We dance our wisdom red
In the breath of this music
We meet again.

Ha La Kas-La!