Gilded Serpent presents...
SNAKE TOSSING IN TAIWAN
by Natica Angilly
February 1999

How to be a smash hit at a world event within the most serious format -- that is the question! The International Peace Conference (IPC) in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in November, 1998, presented poetry and dance as a unified art form. The conference included discussions by peace makers, ambassadors, scholars and educators (representing 40 countries in all). As representatives of poetry with dance as one melded art form, we were extended the opportunity to demonstrate arts communication through this fusion. I brought eleven members of my Poetic Dance Theater Company to perform at this event under the auspices of Artist Embassy International (AEI). AEI's founder, Althya Youngman, believed that people sharing their arts & culture could reveal beauty, humanity, and profound thought -- and therefore foster understanding, respect and love for one another. Her tireless work in peace/arts created many opportunities for international art exchange.

-- Well, back to the IPC Peace Conference program: The solemn ceremony introduced the dignitaries, and speeches were given about the impact of economics, culture, poetry, art, politics, environment, education and more for working together for peace. The interconnectedness of the issues gave the delegates a sense of oneness of purpose with many possibilities to work toward. The welcoming ceremonies befitted the flower laden arches and stage, the formal signing-in, and a dinner of what seemed to us to be amazingly presented foods. These were certainly grand gestures and set the tone for all the activities. So, for this welcoming event, Natica Angilly's Poetic Dance Theater Company, speaking the language of poetry with dance, gave its all to represent the USA in an exemplary way. The company brought its five feet long, traditional golden horns from Morocco, its collage of mirrored discs based on the passage in "Dante's Paradiso" about peace and light intensity, and its head-dresses constructed of holographic paper. Costumes were of variegated tissue lame. Together with the musically-delivered words of our poets, we performed "The Welcoming Ceremony" for this Peace Conference.

Our poets, Richard Angilly and Mary Rudge, both poet laureates, presented their spoken-word poetry as the music for these dances: "Poets of the Call," by Richard Angilly, speaks to all those called to give of themselves from all places in the world; and "We who Are Luminous," by Mary Rudge, a poem based on Einstein's concept of interconnectedness. The performance went smoothly. We were well received, and introduced to the ambassador from Turkey (who volunteered and wrote a translation of our World Anthem in Turkish) to add to this AEI project. Next we met the ambassador from Liberia (who gave an excellent speech on interconnectedness) and finally, one of Japan's Princes. We were greatly relieved because these delegates spoke to us in English. At the dinners & luncheons, we felt that we could actually exchange ideas and commentary on the issues presented. They were incredibly gracious to us, as were all the representatives and participants.

An entire school of young translators from Taiwan successfully gave all of us the path of communication, even though they translated the many languages by working day and night to do so. Our main performance consisted of six different "poetic dance" performances, with continuous costume changes, culminating in something we thought would be "enchanting", "fun", and "memorable" for the dedicated peace makers. Trying to open our minds and hearts to gather any bit of insight from our feast of daily experience was our new call. Integrating the spice of some local discovery, or some great new ingredient of truth, was our constant enterprise. We rode in our land bus as "Arts Adventurers", trying to understand where we had never gone before. We tasted of opinion, gossip and fact -- Oh ! -- How could we make our presentation more appealing, more delicious to this new broad palate of intercultural peace? We looked, we listened to all the master chefs in this banquet of world personalities.

Discussions on teas, butterflies, and air were popular. We became aware that the Taiwanese mountains were filled with cobras. One of the comments made was:"Not so many people died as usual this year because very good medicine has been developed for snake bite." We looked at each other with shock at this new information. With shivering awareness we vowed not to rehearse in the mountains. Even our intrepid dancer & spelunker, Susanne, re-considered her plan to explore the caves of Taiwan. The tours of the Night Markets always included the snake booths. These booths are for making your choice of "snake medicine." Every time we saw a snake booth, there were many men around it. So, we understood that the people of Taiwan respected the venomous inhabitants and were very familiar with both snake myth and snake medicine. The culture seemed to be at peace with the snake as a valuable co-habitant. It seemed to us that snake cultural could be an integrated populous ingredient for connecting with universal appeal.

So, for our "big finale Dance" -- first, we presented an elevated, (on pedestals we had brought in our new expandable suitcases) a " Dove of Peace" homage, and our Garden of Possibilities dance/ poem with water stained taffeta of floral colors and innovative back draping. This was followed by a red and black spiral/cycle about the turning of time, and a mysterious looking masked dance/poem "Entering the Mask," on learning to become more human and gain understanding of all creatures. Finally, we created the roles of our inner and outer cosmic selves in "The Circus of Life." This was wonderfully portrayed by: Wild Woman Tiger, Wanda Ingmire; Tightrope Walker, Darcel Dean; Bareback Rider and Trapeze Artist, Sarahanne Lum; athletic and universal clown, Susanne Dennis; Ring Master, Valentino; plus the Master and Mistress of the show, Richard and Natica Angilly; then our archetypal documentarist, Cindy Levinson; Clown Photographer, Bob Rodrgues; and Snake Charmer, Alisha. In the troupe's continuous struggle to be appropriate, profound, and artistic (in our mission to introduce poetry and dance as a unified art form), the importance of audience inclusion and participation is high.

Alisha chose a very silly looking, bucked-toothed over-stuffed pink and turquoise curling snake on her arm, plus other strategically placed rubber and wood wrigglers attached to her colorful costume. She put sparkling glue in special spots on an artificial snake so that it would catch light and possibly be mistaken for a real snake ! During her special part of the dance, she "befriended" the creature and then unexpectedly tossed her snake into the audience. It flew threw the air in the spotlight sparkling and looking like dancing lightning. It landed perfectly in the Japanese Prince's hands, as though he were a great snake-catcher sportsman. He got into the spirit by adding a bit of comic pretense and then with careful aim he tossed it mischievously but playfully to the 30 or so brightly dressed Japanese women and the choir of the Taiwan Lions Club singers -- and they let out a great surge of yelling, laughter, gigging, and rubber snake tossing (truly enjoyed by the ready for fun audience). Later, the Japanese prince asked us whether he could really keep the fabulous snake Alisha had tossed (she had given it to him when he returned it to her on stage). Yes, we all wanted him to keep this memento of a joyful event! Not only that, we were presented with golden bracelets, apparently the latest in jewelry for health. Alisha bestowed her beautiful wreath headdress on the women presenter! The exchange was a joyful sharing.

We felt our Mission had been accomplished, poetry and dance as a unified multidimensional art form was premiered and preserved. We were asked to stay on stage and pose until every member, participant, delegate and friend of peace came on stage "for picture"! All were laughing and joking and shaking hands. After our years of dedication to dance poetics, performances, workshops, world travel, etc., imagine our surprise to be known (at least in some parts of the world) as "The Poetic Circus for Peace,". I thought about this paradox of "serious artistry" and our drive to create memorable American art dance poetics. Then I remembered Alexander Calder's,"sculpture circus". I had recently related my mixed feelings in a conversation with Bert Balladine. In his characteristic stylish communication, he leaned in at a round table discussion and whispered, "you know art can be entertaining" and "Natica, some great entertainers are great artists!" After sharing one of the first drafts of this article with my dance and now writing coach and mentor, Najia Mouzayen, she said, "can't you approach your report on Taiwan a little more like a story told over a cup of tea?"So, another opportunity arose for me to juggle, this time with words. I am again very grateful for those courageous people who put on, attend, and participate in, events for growth, understanding, peace, and creativity. This opportunity for Dancing Poetry is my wondrous circus! Its vast receptivity makes new arrangements for my constant transformation ! Like a full circus parade, it transports me and my Poetic Dance Theater Company through many dimensions.

We would like to share the poem by Richard Angilly that motivates the performance of "Welcome To Wonderland." This spoken poetry during the dance is the inspiration piece for our version of divine comedy, The Poetic Dance Theater Company's new "Poetic Circus for Peace":

WELCOME TO WONDERLAND

In a fairy tale or animated cartoon
it's heroic adventure --
Enter a special world, traveling thru that looking glass
to startlingly new dimensions.

Your circus comes to town & rearranges normal view
into magical perspectives. Unusual talents transform you.
-- mysterious powers & skills
make real your own vivid dream.

But is that another world, different (elsewhere)
-- not here -- where's that fantasy here ?
Here, we're caught in routine, locked in habitual patterns,
usually asleep to our own unique rhythm.

Yet, our routine is our rhythm.
Our habits are creativity -- patterns for being free.
Let our visions awake ! We dance our dazzling spin
on the edge of all creation !

Here's there ! There's here ! We are all that --
Wonderland ! -- being here & there at once.
We live within that wonder, flapping out our own sheets
-- creating ourselves constantly --
Welcome, welcome to wonderland !

And so, -- please look forward to the 6th annual Dancing Poetry Festival. Scheduled Saturday October 9, 1999, at the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. (See our website: dancingpoetry.org -- for entry details and performers).

So, in congratulations & best wishes to this new Gilded Serpent magazine adventures in dance..... "Happy dancing poetry circus to you all !"

Natica Angilly -- Author "Dancing Poetry", Workshop Instructor,
Dancer, Choreographer,
Artistic Director "Poetic Dance Theater",
and President of Artists Embassy International

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