REVIVAL 5 brings dancers out to Washington Square Park
BY TEQUILA MINSKY
“It is a time to celebrate
the energy of Washington
Square Park and
the community,” says Naomi
Goldberg Haas.
Last weekend, professional
dancers and guest artists teamed
with the locals who have been
taking the WSP summer classes
with Goldberg Hass’ Movement
Speaks® for an exciting and expressive
series of performances at
Garibaldi Plaza.
Classes started in early June
when older Village denizens welcomed
the opportunity to emerge
from COVID-driven hibernation.
Through a series of exercises
and prompts for interpretative
movements, these New Yorkers
are enjoying the park through
movement.
REVIVAL 5 performed inperson,
the fi fth end-of-summer
dance celebration, to a full
audience seated in the Park’s
Garibaldi Plaza. The afternoon of
eleven pieces included guest artist
solos and duets and collaborative
works with students.
Guest artist Ellen Sackoff
commented on how motivated
Teaching artist Rebecca Hite (front) with Movement Speaks ® students and other teachers in a
dance that leads off the afternoon.
her small group of students were.
“We only had three rehearsals at
the Ballet Hispanico rehearsal
space,” she reported. Also noting
that the two additional Zoom
and one park rehearsal gave the
student dancers confi dence.
Performing participants fi nd
their way to Movement Speaks®
classes in a variety of ways.
At summer’s start, owner of
Arturos Lisa Guita happened on
the WSP class while walking her
dog. She’s been creatively moving
– and her dog watching – with the
weekly morning class ever since.
Traveling to the class, a onehour
trip from Queens is not
too much to attend for Marlene
Medina-Bassis who reveals, “My
soul comes back to my body when
I dance.”
Greenwich Village resident
Qiuxia Shea spotted the class just
by passing by and began dancing
with the classes every Tuesday.
PHOTO BY TEQUILA MINSKY
When she took Saturday’s artistled
dance workshop a couple
hours before the REVIVAL 5
performance she “was surprised
to see so many in the workshop.
Even young people joined the
class.”
“Performing in this beautiful
setting, outside and given the
state of the world was marvelous!
” says Celia Michels who danced
with the guest artists. “And, so
much fun.” For the second year,
this bi-national (London-New
York) New Yorker has been taking
the outdoor classes whenever
she’s in the city.
First-time ever performer in
public, Terri Henry was a weekly
regular at the Dapolito classes
before it shut down commented,
“It was a thrill to see so many
of my classmates and to watch
the joy with everyone who was
performing. It was exhilarating.”
And, for East Village resident
Judy Josephs, the weekly classes
are giving her energy, a place to
go, and helping her get out of a
depression. She was so glad to
be part of the performance last
weekend, “It was great!”
The program of dances on
a perfect Indian Summer day
delighted a full and enthusiastic
audience as Goldberg Haas sums
up the afternoon, “It was wonderful
to see old friends and new
enjoying themselves.”
Movement Speaks® has found
a new collaborator with Greenwich
House, and these weekly
classes of movement and dance
will continue at Garibaldi Plaza
on Tuesday mornings from 9:30-
10:30 a.m. through the beginning
of December.
The Village Trip Festival returns for nine-day celebration
BY NYCKOLE MAREE
The Village Trip Festival
— a nine-day event celebrating
music, arts, and
culture — is returning this year
from Sept. 18-26 in Greenwich
Village, with events for everyone
to enjoy.
Kicking off the festivities,
on 8th Street, David Amram a
90-year-old Greenwich Village
music legend will be headlining
a free concert. This event will
include special performances by
Rene Manning, Earl McIntyre,
and the guitar quartet Bodies
Electric.
Throughout the festival, attendees
can hear all genres of
music featuring jazz, folk, rock,
and classical. This year’s opening
will be special, since the pandemic
altered the festival plans
in 2020.
“It means so much for the city
for the Greenwich Village trip to
The Village Trip will be kicking up great music, dance and fun for everyone this fall.
come back after a year due to the
COVID pandemic. We’re thrilled
to welcome so many artists and
friends for the 2021 village trip
festival, and we’re thrilled to
have such a robust and exciting
FILE PHOTO/TEQUILA MINSKY
slate of offerings for the city. This
year we’re going from three from
three days in 2019, to nine days in
2021,” said Village Trip founder
Liz Thomson. “So we gather and
meet New York as we re-emerge,
with a real sense of resilience
and hope looking ahead. Nothing
could be better! Nothing
could be more important right
now and we’re delighted to share
it all with New York, and people
all over the world who come to
visit New York.”
The festival will have all types
of events like an LGBT History
Walk from Washington Square
to Stonewall, Sing Out! The Village
Trip Hootenanny, and many
more. Some events are free and
some will cost money to attend
but don’t worry it is fairly cheap.
New Yorkers and people all
around the world can come
together enjoying great food and
music to see for themselves why
New York City is the greatest
place in the world.
For more information, visit
thevillagetrip.com.
Schneps Media September 16, 2021 3
/thevillagetrip.com