*Record scratch* You're Invited
Quickly pausing the grind to tell you about a party
As faithful readers will recall from my endless talking about it, I have been grinding away all year on a series of eight interactive, dance-themed sidewalk murals for the City of Lowell – the community’s first citywide public art project!
As I barrel towards the end of my painting to-do list for this project, I am also working with the City to plan a celebration for the new series. If you’re a greater Boston person, you should come! It’s next Saturday beginning at 10am at Lowell City Hall.
Text reads: All year, local community members and dancers have been collaborating with muralist Kit Collins on a series of 8 dance murals all around Lowell. Come join us to see performances, hear from the artists, and explore the new murals!
10am–10:50am: Kickoff & welcome at City Hall with music and dance demonstrations
11am–1pm: Grab a mural map and explore the 8 dance murals at your own pace!
Featured Dances (Dancers/Choreography Consultants) – Neighborhood
Miudinho Samba (Lizandra Almeida) – Back Central
Teen Block’s Dance 4 Peace (Tim Sokhoeun) – Belvidere
Konpa (Women Stars) – South Lowell
Rom Vong ក្បាច់រាំវង់ (Chummeng Soun of Angkor Dance Troupe) – Cambodiatown
LEGENDARY (LHS Step Team) – Highlands
Una Noche Nacio en Borinquen Bomba y Plena (Acre Girls de Lowell) – the Acre
Cumbia (Angela Alés) – Pawtucketville
Salsa in 1 (Salsa In Lowell) – Centralville
The celebration will also feature a host of other project VIPs, including some of the all-star youth groups who helped me paint the murals throughout the summer and fall.
Why do I feel like there’s something else happening that week
It is not lost on me for a second that there is a significant date in the week leading up to our gathering. Trust that regardless of how things feel on or after Election Day, we will be having either a (1) JOYFUL celebration of a richly multicultural city, or (2) DEFIANT celebration of a richly multicultural city. Those are the options.
Come be in community, enjoy, and applaud the dance geniuses and culture-bearers among us. I have so much to say about all of these collaborators – from the choreography consultants to the painting assistants to the dozens who weighed in during the mural-planning process since January – but I will save it for short remarks next Saturday or a followup post.
Above: Onsite with Community Connections on the “Salsa on 1” mural in Centralville back in July. A LOT of painting has happened since then! Photo by Henry Marte.
Choreographer gift fund
If you can’t make it but feel stoked anyway, consider contributing to my Choreographer Gift Fund (which means sending me a tip via Venmo which I will be spending on flowers & prints to give my dance collaborators at the event).
Thanks for reading!
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