WHY ARE PEOPLE POOR?

So, here I am with 90 others, in New Orleans for Urban Bush Women’s Summer Leadership Institute(SLI) “SOUL DEEP: Why are people poor?---demystifying the opportunity gap in the United States.” Urban Bushwomen’s Artistic Director, Jawole Zollar, is a woman whom I got to know as we served together on the Board of Dance USA. Liz Lerman, of the Dance Exchange, with whom I worked a decade ago through Hallelujah Project in Houston. I had just finished Liz’ book “Hiking the Horizontal: Field Notes of a Choreographer” (which I hoped to have autographed, was left behind, due to fears of an overweight luggage!) and both women have developed admirable methodology and inspiring art, building communities and tackling tough issues. I was heartened to be remembered and embraced by them both! I am staying in the former slave quarters behind the home (on Bourbon Street!) of Dr. Bernie and Marlene Jaffe, gracious supporters of the arts and medicine in this community. Since most of the work will be done in the Dance studios of McWilliam Hall at Tulane University, most of the participants are staying in dorms, while I have an hour trek each morning, which gives me an opportunity to walk up Bourbon street to Canal, ride a bus and the famous St. Charles Streetcar, and walk another 5 blocks. Rides home at night have been arranged so far!

DAY ONE

Each day will start up with a conditioning and dance class geared to professional and pedestrian movers and workshops given in methods, values and practices as we gather data in 3 different venues for site specific work in Hurricane Katrina affected communities. We danced together today instead of the broken up groups therein. We visited our site- Tekrema Cultural Center- in the lower 9^th ward, a former hardware store, whose two stories seem to hold many secrets in its long history. The upstairs ballet studio, with its lovely wood floors, had no mirrors, but a mural of cypress swamps painted on its walls. Me wonders how different first ballet lessons would have been in such an environment at this. While exploring their back yard hydroponic classroom and spying some chickens in a corner, I made a surprise discovery---a fire ant hill! This Houston gal should have known better than to stick her foot in it! Talk about dance with ants in your pants! I was rescued with a good hosing down from my colleagues, and luckily had a change of clothes, socks and shoes. Was grateful to another native New Orleans participant for a ride home to shower, before our luscious dinner and drum/dance experience at the Golden Feather on Rampart street…an amazing display of Louisiana hospitality and culture!