The Adventures of Ithaca!

Hello Lumi-followers,

This weekend offered Luminarium three days of adventure, as we traveled up to Ithaca, NY to perform our first commissioned work alongside a talented orchestra performing new work by Justyne Griffin.

The road trip got off to a bit of a rocky start, as Kim shuffled cars at the airport rental until landing on the biggest, best model they had (shy only of a stretch SUV, really). At 4pm we hit the highway (and traffic), and by midnight, we arrived two hours late for our 10pm dress rehearsal. Luckily for Kim and myself, this was not the first time we've been illegally let inside a building after hours to view a space. One sneaky, whispered meeting with Justyne and a short car ride later, we finally arrived at our new home:




Our home was perfect! Cozy, but spacious, with plenty of room for the six of us. Only downside, perhaps, was the sulfuric water that resulted in leaving our showers spelling like eggs. But all in all, a wonderful little home for our retreat.

Saturday's adventures began with Kim-made coffee (our resident coffee expert) in our kitchen, with each of us exploring the yard, living room, and wrap-around porch, followed by a trip to the Carriage House, a local breakfast/lunch destination that completely wowed us.

Perfection personified. 

After a meal of garlic-battered home fries, pig belly, brie-stuffed french toast, and fancy pesto grilled cheese, Rose suggested we find the waterfalls of Buttermilk Farms, "easily accessible by car." Sure, if you can find it! After a few wrong directions, we successfully forded a totally Oregon-Trail-worthy river in our hulk mobile and arrive at the falls.

Photo by Amy Mastrangelo

End of the day brought our performance...and also our first time hearing the music in person. Good thing we're all creative, and can make things click in just about any situation. Helped that we were a little giddy with adrenaline before going onstage, as well:

We had to keep quiet...Here's what we're saying:

Merli: Hey! We're about to perform-
Rose: in Ithaca!
Mark: Not the Hamlet of Varna
Merli: We have this whole dressing room to ourselves-
Mark: all 12 feet of it!
Merli: That's Kim. Behind you.
Rose: Enjoy the show...
*For those wondering at home, Hamlet of Varna is a real place, that we really drove through...every day. :)

A short clip taken from the first section of the trilogy of works:


The trip was a wonderful experience. Not only did it allow us the opportunity to spend time together as a company outside of the rehearsal studio, but it gave movement to music, and music to movement through a collaboration that (shockingly) took place over the past few months merely through email. The coming together of these two live art forms was powerful for Justyne, Kim, and myself, and we were so touched by the feedback we received from the audience after the performance.

And as we end this post with images of the amazing post-show gourmet cupcakes we eagerly consumed, we wish all of you safety during the impending hurricane Sandy, and hope to visit NY again soon.

-Merli (and Kim)
Dancers on tour: Rose Abramoff, Jess Chang, Mark Kranz, Amy Mastrangelo

Waiting to be eaten: Chai Latte, Pink Champaign, Green Tea & Orange Fortune Cookie cupcakes

So beautiful, so delicious. A Ginger & Rosemary cupcake...who would've thought!