BEST OF SEVEN TABLE HOCKEY

Spirit - A Journey in Dance, Drums and Song [VHS]

Weaving Native American mythology, music, dance, and rituals into a stage presentation augmented for television and home video, Spirit: A Journey in Dance, Drums, and Song suggests a New World counterpart to Riverdance, aimed at the same audience that made Bill Whelan's Celtic extravaganza a programming staple for PBS fund drives and a perennial seller in music and home video.
Both projects also share substantial links to New Age music and mysticism. Buffett, who has focused on such a fusion in prior music, video, and multimedia projects, uses his core ensemble of synthesizers and conventional rhythm section to provide orchestral drama and sweep to the largely minor-keyed score. Native American flutes, percussion, and chant provide the music's evocative sense of identity, while Chief Hawk Pope's narration underlines the production's yearning for a simpler age of harmony with nature, while framing the dance sequences with various tribal legends.
As directed and choreographed by Wayne Cilento, the pieces pointedly begin with an "Urban Overture" in which members of the troupe, dressed in suits, evoke the regimentation and discord of the modern world, punctuated with chirping cell phones, car horns, and mechanical rhythms. Gradually, group and lead dancers loosen up both visually and stylistically to convey more fluid movement. In addition to those members combining ballet and jazz movements with elements of tribal dance, Cilento employs vividly costumed Native American dancers, much as Buffett strategically deploys costumed native musicians and chorus. Extensive use of montage allows natural symbols and scenes to be grafted over the stage-bound elements of the 75-minute performance. Ethnomusicologists may regard this as something of a pastiche, but that's probably the point--Spirit is designed as a romantic, pan-tribal evocation of the continent's pre-European culture and beliefs. --Sam Sutherland

These 19th century limestone buildings back onto the Grand River waterfront and front on walking and shopping street Mill Street West in the picturesque heritage district in the village of Elora Ontario. They house a variety of unique shops, galleries, and eateries. At the foot of Mill St. West is the Elora Mill property.

Elora was once a bustling mill town powered by the force of the Grand River as it rushed down the Elora Falls into the Elora Gorge, Since the 1970s the village of Elora has attracted many artists, photographers, musicians, writers, chefs and creative independent shopkeepers and has many attractions - a renowned annual summer music festival, superb fly-fishing and hiking, a fall art studio tour, October food & film festival and "Monster Month", and year-round unique places to shop, to eat., and to stay. Elora is a 1 to 1-1/2 hour drive North-West of Toronto.

hi everyone! something to share. I’m celebrating a milestone, so to speak.

this is my 500th post on flickr. can’t believe it, never thought I would reach this number. I want to thank you for your visits, comments and ongoing support. very encouraging. always appreciated.

I could not have done it without you.