He carries in his fingertips the rhythms of the world, from the Caribbean calypso that cries out from his old beat-up steel drum, to the Cuban guaguanco (wa-wan-kó) that comes from his congas, to the Brazilian sambas he lays down in layers. The samba he teaches in parts — one, for instance, he taps out to the phrase, “I like pizza, all kinds of pizza” — to groups of elderly Parkinson’s patients, to preschoolers, to prisoners and to people with cerebral palsy.
Vineyard resident and choreographer Lucinda Childs was recently in New York to cast her upcoming production Dance. When the director of The Yard, Wendy Taucher, asked if I would be interested in observing, I jumped at the chance. Although Ms. Childs calls the Vineyard home, her work is performed predominately in Europe, where she has choreographed for the Berlin Opera Ballet, the Bavarian State Ballet, the Paris Opera Ballet and the Lyons Opera Ballet.
A 12-year tradition continues tonight, July 3, when the Island Community Chorus sings to open the 2009 season of summer concerts at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs.
With Garrett Brown at the Tabernacle’s 12-foot Steinway grand, director Peter Boak will lead the chorus in a festive concert program that ranges from show tunes and spirituals to a rousing rendition of God Bless America.
A free piano recital by Amaryllis Glass will precede the film screening Tuesday, August 18 at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs, They Came to Play, an award-winning, uplifting feature-length documentary chronicling the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs. The film is at 8 p.m. and the recital begins at 7:30 p.m.
The Martha’s Vineyard All Island Band Program presents its Spring Concert on Wednesday, May 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the performing arts center at the high school. Admission is free.
This concert is a culmination of a year’s hard work and talents for over 200 children ranging from grades four to eight.
The performing groups include the beginner band, the fifth and sixth grade band, the seventh and eighth grade band and the junior high jazz band.
Friday and Saturday night at 7 p.m., campers and counselors from the Martha’s Vineyard Cerebral Palsy Camp, also known as Camp Jabberwocky, are offering a free performance of A Chorus Line on the camp’s studio stage on Greenwood avenue in Vineyard Haven.While Jabberwocky’s plays do not always stick to the script, they always improve upon the original material. For details, call 508-693-2339.
The free, weekly all-age disco at Nectar’s is continuing every Sunday, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. into mid-October. These popular events, called Family Dance-o-Ramas, are produced by the nightclub’s previous co-owner, Mona Rosenthal (aka Deejay Shizz), who spins tunes and puts on special lighting effects and bubbles at the dance floor not far from the Martha’s Vineyard Airport.
An Island of Women, an original musical, looks at life on the Vineyard between 1850 and 1852 when much of the male population was off whaling. It was created by Island historian and director E. St. John Villard. It’s music was composed by retired Methodist minister of music Phil Dietterich, who is well know to Vineyard audiences for his original compositions for many local groups, as well as his work for the Scottish Society.
The Chappaquiddick Summer Music Festival continues on Thursday, August 6, with a performance by the Jupiter String Quartet. The quartet will perform Shostakovich’s Quartet No. 7, Dvorak’s Quartet in F Major “American,” and Beethoven’s Quartet in E Minor, the “Razumovsky.” The concert begins at 8 p.m. at the Chappaquiddick Community Center. A reception follows the concert and everyone is invited to attend.
Jazz afficionado Leslie J. Stark is offering his popular jazz appreciation series at Featherstone Center for the Arts again this winter, with classes meeting from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays in February and March
