Day 3! Full disclosure, it was hard to get out of bed today. It’s been a long time since I’ve walked around literally all day, so I did wake up very sore. Not to mention with a little bit of a scratchy throat. I let myself sleep a little more and had a slow morning. We had rehearsal at one of the studios in preparation for our Saturday performance. We’re finally a complete group – our missing people made it into town – and so we needed to find the unity we once had.
After rehearsal we had a large chunk of time to explore as we wanted. I went off to the Renwick Gallery with some of the cast. They currently have an exhibit all about Burning Man that seemed cool to check out. I know very little about Burning Man, so going into the gallery I had no idea what to expect. As it turns out, it was an absolutely AMAZING exhibit. There were all kinds of drawings, installations, costumes, and pictures from the event, but the part of the exhibit that stood out the most to me was the Temple. It was made entirely of wood, and it was meant to be a place for serenity and contemplation. All over the intricate wood designs people had written messages to loved ones, other participants, or just to no one in particular. Some were honest feelings of sadness, but others were hopeful messages. Part of the exhibit offered wood cards that you could write a message on and place inside the Temple. Overall I was so impressed at the level of detail put into an entirely wood feature. It made the plain wood seem majestic and grandiose even without ornate decoration.
We also took a quick visit to the Museum of American History. We walked through the exhibit housing the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key’s “Star-Spangled Banner”. It is unbelievable how huge that flag is and that it was made by 4 women with very simple tools. We also got a chance to walk through the exhibit that showed an American house through the ages. Rooms had been staged to show how it historically would have been furnished, with authentic furniture and plaques explaining a little bit about what life would have been like.
Naturally, we are not on a normal meal schedule. So we jumped at the chance to grab a bite to eat at one of the several street food vendors outside of the museums. I went for a lamb gyro, and it was just what I needed. Nothing beats food served quick, and a nice cold Coke!
Our evening activities consisted of ACDA’s second program. It was a really great show full of some unbelievable pieces. Two of the works really stood out to me. One, done by dancers from University of Illinois, combined pop culture dances and slang with African and contemporary movement. It was a unique blend that kept the audience entertained and engaged. There’s no way I would’ve thought such a combination would work so effortlessly, and yet it totally did. The second performance was done by Minnesota State University, Mankato. Instead of using traditional light trees, or even a downstage light, they had 2 students onstage with flashlights. They would pan with the flashlights to move the lights, or switch them on and off from different positions onstage. It gave the performance a graphic novel/snapshot effect. The dance itself showcased dramatic movement and scenarios, and a minimalist color scheme was embellished by wild hair and dark makeup. Overall the performance created an aggressive atmosphere and made a statement – although I’m not sure I can articulate exactly what that statement was.
I feel so fortunate to be here, and able to see the talent that comes from the other universities. There’s so much creativity and artistry, as well as technical skill at this conference!
