It’s probably an aerial cliché but it feels as though I am only just coming back to earth after an amazing time in the US performing TAKE and Sugar at the truly American-ly ENORMOUS Kennedy Center as part of the VSA festival. Echoing the comments made by Sal and Rachel below, it was such a huge buzz and, after overcoming the technical hitches and glitches in the run-up to going, we were truly rewarded with plain sailing (flying?) Stateside. Had a really good, easy-going time travelling and room sharing with Sal (who has possibly the most-admired shoulder bag in the world). Have a few striking memories of the performace day – the life-size photo of the eminent Mark Morris glaring at us from the wall of the Kennedy Center staff canteen a little intimidating pre-performance; a surreal moment on our initial slow descent, looking up the long and high-ceilinged, red-carpeted concourse of the Kennedy center with the chandeliers looming higher than us; a million miles away from the more familiar scene in the Worcestershire barn, with the pigs snuffling curiously outside. I enjoyed the gasp and exclamation of surprise from someone in the front row when I jumped off the stage over their head, one of the new perks of performing on a high stage. Likewise the duet with Rose, hanging off the edge of the stage, balancing precariously (not always successfully!) on one foot. Finally, the amazing shadow backstage (that the audience couldn’t see) of Sal swinging in and out of sight, high up in her chair at the end of Sugar, raising her arms.
Now the bloomers are back on the washing line, ready for Cardiff…. It will be both good and strange to be back on the rig… the two versions (with and without rig) have quite a different flavour for us, so we’re dredging our movement memories to restore the other version… Excited about performing again, but as always, don’t want it to end. In the meantime, I’ll be savouring the anticipation…
