Really? Mr. Day, I'm so disappointed in City Paper's selection of you as the overall festival reviewer. You're writing is sub-par and leads me to think that City Paper should take a long, hard look at whether or not they should be utilizing your "talents" for next year's festival.
Mr. Day,
Perhaps you have become a hackneyed critic, in general, about Festivals because you have covered so many, in your career. Perhaps you are so accustomed to immersing yourself in fantastic music and arts, because of the privileges of your profession, and you feel comfortable discounting the brilliance of obviously remarkable performances. like the South Indian Dance and Classical Music of Shantala.
I suspect that you are a die hard chamber music fan. While you were listening to heavenly Music in Time performances, however, you missed all the jazz! You didn't even mention the fantastic Wachovia Jazz Series ---international Jazz offerings that took us around the world...sorry that you missed the eclectic and charming Iiro Rantala, currently, the world's trend-setter in Improvisational Jazz Piano Solo work...or the Andre Mehmari Trio, from Brazil, who transported us all into an alternate reality, with their transcendent tunes....Jazz Producer, Michael Grofsorean, has a particular knack, for winnowing out the world's newest, hottest jazz performers. He's got his fingers, on the musical global pulse.
I agree that the Spoleto producers need to engage one of Charleston's talented King Street marketing and media companies,(like Slant Media) to examine their demographics...and I wholeheartedly agree with your point about the importance of new strategies to bring Spoleto's performing arts to the under served "youth market". Enjoying music, dance or theater in unique venues, that appeal to a younger crowd, are way way overdue on the Spoleto Producers list of most important Agenda Items.
I ask you to recognize one very important point, whether you think Spoleto's dance and theater performances are lackluster or not.
Every production offered at Spoleto widens and educates us about the cultural arts of the world. Our community and our children and the wider audiences that come from afar, are so so lucky to be able to learn about the world beyond the myopic USA, through the artists that the festival lays at our feet for 17 glorious days. If you can't travel...or afford to being your child to Finland, Brazil, England, India...then you can open up their eyes, to the rest of the world, with the purchase of a Spoleto ticket.
I reveled in what I learned about ancient cultures through when I watched Shantala, Matsukaze..and when we had the honor of hearing one of the world's pre-eminent Celtic Uillean pipers, Cillian Vallely, who performed at Piccolo.
Furthermore, with such unstable weather as a factor, this year's festival left me with a deep respect for the enormity of the job of programming and producing shows, when last minute venue changes must be engineered, and financial consequences weigh so heavily. Bringing performers to us from Asia, North America, South America and beyond, is incredible alone. Getting them all to perform in safe, weather-friendly locations, within a tight Spoleto budget, is yet another tall order.
Like you, I am all for innovation...I want to go to Spoleto to find out what's trending in music, dance, visual art and theater, around the world. I'm with you on that one, Mr. Day.
So , here's hoping that in 2013-2014, Spoleto and Piccolo Spoleto producers put their heads together to figure out ways to inject innovation into unique venue selections, fusions of unlikely artists and collaborations with the plethora of local artistic talent. If they themselves practice creative planning they will indeed, better engage a growing youth audience and could make the global arts accessible to folks who can't afford big ticket shows.
Pretty much sums it up...Spoleto starting to loose its luster. Fading slowly.
We are promoting creativity, wellness, and adventure! I do want to thank a few sponsors that are helping us pull this together in some form or another: Masters Studio, Theater Marveloso, David Frantz Photography, Lila Movement, Charleston Community Yoga, WoSe, Art Mag, Flowcountry, Yoga House, Acro Yoga Charleston, Saborcillo de Sevilla, Ancient Echoes Bellydance.
Please join us!
Re: “Holy City Cirque introduces acro-yoga to the masses”
Change of Location!
Now at Brick House Kitchen, 1575 Folly Rd James Island, SC 29412.
Musicians include Nick Jenkins, and Rachel Kate, more TBA!
Join us for a big, beautiful evening of outdoor circus arts performances and sharing hosted by Holy City Cirque, a collective of artists/performers based here in Charleston, SC. Come to participate or spectate, to play, jam, practice, perform, gawk, picnic, learn, show off, share, cross pollinate and make new friends!
Entrance is free; however, help support Girls Rock Charleston by purchasing a $10 wristband ($5 for kids 12 and under) to participate in our "mini class sampler." Play and performance will include acro yoga, aerial silks, poi, face painting, juggling, hooping, slacklining, drumming, and much more. You might be tempted to run away to the circus afterwards!
Be green by carpooling to our event please!