JoAnne Tucker shares her experiences in dance from directly a modern dance company to leading movement activities for women in prison and domestic violence survivors.
On a recent visit to the Arenal Observatory Lodge, the balcony of my room gave me a perfect view of the birdfeeder on a deck outside of the restaurant, where the birds soared in to partake of their watermelon treat. The feeder, which is refreshed several times a day, is on a pulley system where it is lowered to the ground so a member of the staff can fill it with fresh-cut watermelon slices and then raise it twenty feet above ground.
The most spectacular time for watching both birds and people is at 6:30 a.m., before the restaurant opens. Two rows of about 40 or 50 people gather to photograph or watch through binoculars the solos, duets, and trios of birds that flutter in, quietly eat and depart, most likely to return. Sometimes there are several of the same species and other times a single bird.
I spent two awesome days at the lodge in early January and loved every minute of it. Hanging out on the deck and watching from my balcony were not the only highlights. I went with my grandson and his partner on a night hike. I had carefully asked at the desk whether the hike was fairly level and suitable for a senior in her early 80s. I was assured it was. Well, I am indeed grateful to our patient guide, my grandson and his partner and my two hiking sticks. I successfully handled the hike and delighted in the unusual frogs we saw. My grandson walked behind me and his partner in front shining his flashlight so I could clearly see the NUMEROUS steps we had to climb down.
Red-Eyed Tree Frog photographed on the night hike
A morning walk by the lodge provided an extraordinary opportunity to photograph a family of coatis and the fiery-billed aracari.
One member of the coati family scampering along to catch up with the othersThe Fiery-Billed Aracari
Most of the time the peak of the volcano was covered in clouds. This presented a watercolor challenge that filled an afternoon as my two travel companions took off on a strenuous hike.
Watercolor painting
The bird list supplied by the lodge identified 500 species on the property. I added quite a few to my bird list. Here are a few of my favorite photos taken either on the deck or from my balcony. Hmm …. I wonder which ones will be references for new paintings.
Montezuma Oropendola watching the feeder, waiting for his turn to fly in.Yellow-throated EuphoniaGolden Hooded TanagerPale-billed Aracaris at the feeder
In spite of my limited Spanish, the nearly two-hour production kept me totally engaged. This is a creative retelling of the story of Fernando Barba, who developed a system of using the body as a musical instrument.
Among the evening highlights were two young actors playing the part of Barba and Barba’s sister. Young Barba is played by Saul Vega, whose excellent voice and stage presence light up the stage. Barba’s sister Young Tata is played by Samy Araya. She too captures our attention. The two young performers do a lovely duet establishing the strength of their characters’ relationship. Particularly strong is Samy’s ability to show how Tata goes from a healthy, playful child to a handicapped person, needing to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair.
The lead is capably played by Rafael Esteban Arias Castro, who also produced the production in Costa Rica. The role of Barba’s sister Tata is ably played by Adriana Viquez Garcia.
It is the full ensemble’s body playing and engaging movement that stands out the most. From the very first number to the end, it is the well done musical and dance moments that I loved. Each has its own character and way of moving the story along. One highlight is the waterfall/echo number where the ensemble moves into the audience with only Barba and his romantic interest Dani (played by Betazbeth Rojas) center stage. The echo sounds done by the ensemble create a beautiful, dreamy setting leading Dani to think that Barba will be proposing to her, only to find out he has brought her to this special place to tell her that the Barbatuques have been asked to perform at the Olympics.
Another special ensemble time is when the Barbatuques are about to perform, and a car alarm goes off. Instead of letting this be a distraction, they build it right into their dynamic musical moment, adding another layer of texture.
While the whole ensemble does an excellent job, two members, Amy Lopez and Andy Gomez, stand out for their strong dance ability. Assistant Musical Director Matt Graham both plays the keyboard onstage and at other times joins the ensemble, moving and body playing with them.
Following the curtain call, Rafael welcomed the creative team to join the cast onstage. Carlos Bauzys, the composer and co-book writer, stepped out and ended the evening by directing the audience to become a symphony in the Barba style. It was great fun to follow his direction and so cool to see how everyone around me was enjoying it too. What a wonderful way to end the evening. I do hope that at any performance when Carlos can’t be there, either Matt Graham (the assistant musical director) or Rafael (who plays Barba) will guide the audience in body percussion.
Teatro Espressivo is a wonderful intimate venue. It is nicely sloped so there is not a bad seat in the house.
Barba runs until September 28th. Here’s the link to buy your ticket: https://boleteria.espressivo.cr/eventperformances.asp?evt=476
(Scroll to the bottom to read this post in Spanish. Thank you Jan Hurwitch for making this possible,)
One thing leads to another. As I mentioned in recent blogs, Casa Uno Artist Residency has hosted several graduates of New York University’s MFA program in Musical Theatre Writing. For the past two years, a faculty member from NYU’s program has sent out an email so alumni can apply for the Residency. In July, I received an email from Kim Bixler saying she knew of my interest in musical theatre and was going to be in Costa Rica working on a musical called BARBA: Brazilian Body Percussion Musical, inspired by the Brazilian musician Fernando Barba, and she would like to meet me. So we began corresponding, and on August 19, I attended a rehearsal of BARBA. What an awesome treat, and I’m so excited that the piece is being workshopped here and I will get to see a performance. I encourage all my Costa Rica friends and readers to make sure they go and see BARBA too.
There is lots of interesting history behind this production. Let me begin by sharing a bit about the two creators, Kim Bixler (Writer and Lyricist) and Carlos Bauzys (Composer, Co-Book Writer and Musical Director). I immediately identified with Kim, as she boldly tries new things in her life. She gave a TEDx talk this past February titled “Why I Couldn’t Be a Musical Theater Writer Until I Turned 50.” Besides our common interest in musical theatre, we share a love of Frank Lloyd Wright. The latest book she published is Growing Up in A Frank Lloyd Wright House. My mom often talked about seeing Frank Lloyd Wright walking around when Fallingwater was being created, as she had a friend with a summer home near the property. I visited the house many times, first as a teenager and most recently around 2018 with my daughter Julie and her family. You can learn lots more about Kim by visiting her website.
When I met Kim at the rehearsal, we had some time to chat, and she explained that COVID proved to be helpful in bringing her and her collaborator together. Because of COVID, potential NYU students could apply via Zoom, which opened the option for international talents to apply without the expense of making a trip to NYC to audition. Carlos Bauzys was one of those people and was awarded a full scholarship to attend. He already had an outstanding career in Brazil as an award-winning composer, arranger, musical director, conductor and educator. His resume of musical direction is very impressive and I encourage you to check out his website. Kim and Carlos met and were partnered to work together during the two years they were enrolled in NYU Tisch’s graduate Musical Theatre Writing program. According to Kim, the first year of the program is dedicated to working with a new collaborator every week on a musical project, then tackling a rewrite after receiving feedback. At the end of the first year, students are asked to rank their top 10 collaborators for their master’s thesis project. Carlos and Kim got their top choices—each other! Their final year is dedicated to completing a full-length musical. Their project became BARBA: Brazilian Body Percussion Musical. Their fellow classmate Matthew Graham from Edmonton, Canada, began working with them when BARBA was just one song and a dream. He is here in Costa Rica as their Assistant Musical Director and also performing in the show.
In February of 2024, BARBA: Brazilian Body Percussion Musical had sold out Off-Broadway performances in NYC where Raphael (Rafa) Esteban Arias Castro from Costa Rica was the lead actor (BARBA). He is the Producer of the Costa Rican production and again playing the lead role of Barba. At the rehearsal I attended in San José, the choreographer, Rodrigo Varandas (originally from São Paulo, Brazil, currently living in Los Angeles), was at work setting a section with Rafa and the ensemble. Rafa’s strong presence guides the scene with talented local Costa Rican actors, singers and dancers supporting him.
Rounding out the international creative team is Guy Retallack from London, England. He is director of the Costa Rican workshop production of BARBA.
Before closing the blog, I want to share more about the relationship of Carlos to Fernando Barba. Carlos found a way to notate the body percussion and showed that to Barba. That was the beginning of a long friendship and collaboration. On Carlos’s website he talks about how important that was and how committed he is. I quote from his webpage:
As the former co-musical director of the Barbatuques, and close friend of Barba, I’m excited to have the opportunity to tell Barba’s history in a musical, because it is also my history. Today, Barbatuques is a very well-known group in the world with reference to body percussion, but Barba’s influences are also in musical education across the country. The way he could create music from nothing, using just the body and the creativity coming from all people around him was so special, evolving and inclusive.
Kim showed a page of the notation to me, and it is fascinating. I look forward to asking Carlos about it. It looks as though “x” marks and “little circles” around notes, along with other small symbols on the musical staff, tell the performer what kind of body percussion to do.
While a graduate student at NYU, Carlos published “Songbook Barbatuques: Volume 1 featuring 12 scores and 4 lead sheets” in honor of the late Fernando Barba. The songbook provides for the first time what was played by the Brazilian group. Here’s a link to learn more about it.
Watching the rehearsal was a real treat and an excellent example of collaboration. Collaboration has been my focus in previous blogs. It is indeed very special that a future Broadway show is being workshopped here. I encourage all my Costa Rican readers to make sure to get tickets. The show runs in San Jose at Teatro Expressivo from September 11 to September 28. If you live in Atenas we are arranging for a bus to take us to the Sunday, September 21, performance. Here’s a link to buy tickets.
Thank you, Kim, for reaching out to me, and inviting me to a rehearsal! Following are a few of the pictures I took during the rehearsal. The international creative team is in black T-shirts while the local cast (which is doing an outstanding job) are in blue T-shirts.
Kim Bixler and Carlos Bauzys watching rehearsal. Assistant Musical Director and Performer Matthew Graham on keyboardCarlos conferring with Director Guy RetallackDirector Guy Retallack videotaping Choreographer Rodrigo Varandas working with the cast. Actor Raphael (Rafa) Esteban Arias Castro is center.Chorus surrounding BARBA (played by Raphael (Rafa) Esteban Arias Castro).
All photos taken by JoAnne during a rehearsal on August 19, 2025.
BARBA en Costa Rica– Una colaboración creativa internacional
Una cosa lleva a otra. Como mencioné en blogs recientes, Casa Uno Artist Residency ha acogido a
varios graduados del programa de Maestría en Bellas Artes en Escritura de Teatro Musical de la Universidad de Nueva York. Durante los últimos dosaños, un miembro del cuerpo docente del programa de la NYU ha enviado un correo electrónico para que los antiguos alumnos puedan solicitar la
residencia. En julio, recibí un correo electrónico de Kim Bixler en el que me decía que sabía de mi interés por el teatro musicaly que iba a estar en Costa Rica
BARBA: Brazilian Body Percussion Musical, inspirado en el músico brasileño Fernando Barba, y que le gustaría conocerme. Así que empezamos aescribirnos y, el 19 de agosto, asistí a un ensayo de BARBA. ¡Qué maravilla! Estoy muy emocionada de que la obra se esté preparando aquí y de poder ver una representación. Animo a todos misamigos y lectores de Costa Rica a que vayan a ver BARBA también.
Hay mucha historia interesante detrás de esta producción. Permítanme comenzar compartiendo un poco sobre los doscreadores, Kim Bixler (guionista y letrista) y Carlos Bauzys (compositor, coautor del libreto y director musical). Inmediatamente me identifiqué con Kim, ya que ella se atreve a probar cosas nuevas en su vida. En febrero pasado dio una charla TEDxtitulada «Por qué no pude ser escritora de teatro musical hasta los 50 años». Además de nuestrointerés común por el teatro musical, compartimos el amor por Frank Lloyd Wright. El último libro que hapublicado se titula Growing Up in A Frank Lloyd Wright House (Crecer en una casa de Frank Lloyd Wright). Mi madre solía hablar de haber visto a Frank LloydWright paseando por Fallingwater cuando se estaba construyendo, ya que tenía una amiga con una casa de veranocerca de la propiedad. Visité la casa muchas veces, la primera cuando era adolescente y la última alrededor de 2018 conmi hija Julie y su familia. Puedes conocer mucho más sobre Kim visitando su página web.
Cuando conocí a Kim en el ensayo, tuvimos tiempo para charlar y me explicó que la COVID había resultado útil para unirla a ella y a su colaborador. Debido a la COVID, los posibles estudiantes de la NYU podían presentar su solicitud a través de Zoom, lo que abrió la posibilidad de que talentos internacionales pudieran solicitarla sin tener que incurrir en los gastos de viajar a Nueva York para hacer la audición. Carlos Bauzys fue una de esas personas y obtuvo una beca completa para asistir. Ya tenía una carrera destacada en Brasil como compositor, arreglista, director musical, director de orquesta y educador galardonado. Su currículum como director musical es muy impresionante y les sugiero que vean su página web. Kim y Carlos se conocieron y se asociaron para trabajar juntos durante los dos añosque estuvieron matriculados en el programa de posgrado de Escritura de Teatro Musical de la NYU Tisch. Según Kim, el primeraño del programa se dedica a trabajar cada semana con un nuevo colaborador en un proyecto musical y, a continuación,abordar una reescritura tras recibir comentarios. Al final del primer año, se pide a los estudiantes que clasifiquen a sus10 colaboradores favoritos para su proyecto de tesis de máster. Carlos y Kim consiguieron sus primeras opciones: ¡el uno al otro! Suúltimo año se dedica a completar un musical completo. Su proyecto se convirtió en BARBA: Brazilian BodyPercussion Musical. Su compañero de clase Matthew Graham, de Edmonton (Canadá), comenzó a trabajarcon ellos cuando BARBA era solo una canción y un sueño. Está aquí, en Costa Rica, como asistentedel director musical y también actúa en el espectáculo.
En febrero de 2024, BARBA: Brazilian Body Percussion Musical había agotado las entradas para las representaciones fuera de Broadway en Nueva York, donde Raphael (Rafa) Esteban Arias Castro, de Costa Rica, era el actor principal (BARBA). Él es el productor de la producción costarricense y vuelve a interpretar el papel protagonista de Barba. En el ensayo al que asistí en San José, el coreógrafo Rodrigo Varandas (originario de São Paulo, Brasil, y actualmente residente en Los Ángeles) estaba trabajando en una sección con Rafa y el conjunto. La fuerte presencia de Rafa guía la escena, con el apoyo de talentosos actores, cantantes y bailarines locales costarricenses. Completa el equipo creativo internacional Guy Retallack, de Londres, Inglaterra. Es el director de producción del taller costarricense de BARBA.
Antes de terminar el blog, quiero compartir más sobre la relación de Carlos con Fernando Barba. Carlos
encontró una forma de anotar la percusión corporal y se la mostró a Barba. Ese fue el comienzo de una larga amistad y colaboración. En la página web de Carlos, él habla de lo importante que fue eso y de lo
comprometido que está. Cito de su página web:
Como antiguo co director musical de Barbatuques y amigo íntimo de Barba, estoy encantado de
tener la oportunidad de contar la historia de Barba en un musical, porque también es mi historia. Hoy en día, Barbatuques es un grupo muy conocido en el mundo de la percusión corporal, pero
la influencia de Barba también se extiende a la educación musical en todo el país. Su forma de crear
música de la nada, utilizando solo el cuerpo y la creatividad de todas las personas que le rodeaban, era
muy especial, evolutiva e inclusiva.
Kim me enseñó una página de la partitura y es fascinante. Estoy deseando preguntarle a Carlos sobre ella.
Parece que las marcas «x» y los «círculos pequeños» alrededor de las notas, junto con otros pequeños símbolos en el pentagrama, indican al intérprete qué tipo de percusión corporal debe hacer.
Mientras era estudiante de posgrado en la Universidad de Nueva York, Carlos publicó «Songbook Barbatuques: Volume 1 featuring 12 scores and 4 lead sheets» en honor al difunto Fernando Barba. El cancionero recoge por primera vez lo que tocaba el grupo brasileño. Aquí hay un enlace para obtener más información al respecto. Ver el ensayo fue un verdadero placer y un excelente ejemplo de colaboración.
La colaboración ha sido mi tema central en blogs anteriores. Es realmente muy especial que un futuro espectáculo de Broadway se esté preparando aquí. Animo a todos mis lectores costarricenses a que se aseguren de conseguir entradas. El espectáculo se presentará en San José, en el Teatro Espressivo, del 11 al 28 de septiembre. Si vives en Atenas, estamos organizando un autobús para ir a la función del domingo 21 de septiembre. Aquí tienes un enlace para comprar entradas.
¡Gracias, Kim, por ponerte en contacto conmigo e invitarme al ensayo! A continuación, algunas de las fotos que tomé durante el ensayo. El equipo creativo internacional lleva camisetas negras, mientras que el reparto local (que está haciendo un trabajo excepcional) llevan camisetas azules.
Foto n.º 1: Kim Bixler y Carlos Bauzys observando el ensayo. El director musical adjunto y actor Matthew Graham al teclado.
Foto n.º 2: Carlos conversando con el director Guy Retallack.
Foto n.º 3: El director Guy Retallack grabando en vídeo al coreógrafo Rodrigo Varandas
trabajando con el reparto. El actor Raphael (Rafa) Esteban Arias Castro está en el centro.
Foto n.º 4: El coro rodea a BARBA (interpretado por Raphael (Rafa) Esteban Arias Castro).
Todas las fotos fueron tomadas por JoAnne durante un ensayo el 19 de agosto de 2025.
Three years ago, I began an Artist in Residency program at my home in Costa Rica. Slowly the residency has built from three sessions (a total of seven artists) the first year (based only on my own mailing list) to nine residencies this year with three artists here at a time. I will again be offering nine next year. The word is out, and it is now listed in several writers’ newsletters. Last summer it was sent to alumni of a musical theatre MFA program. Several graduates of musical theatre programs have attended, which has added an extra delight to my hosting, as I have loved musical theatre since I was a child. It is fun having residents here who are developing scripts, working on both the libretto and music. The first group here donated a portable keyboard they had brought. Music will often drift out of the casita or from the porch, reminding me of the halls of Juilliard.
My introduction to musical theatre began with dancing to recordings in my friend Regina’s living room. I’ve written about it in an earlier blog sharing how much fun we had dancing to musicals of the 1940’s and 1950’s. Here’s a link to that blog.
In 1956, my Dad had a business meeting in NYC and decided to take my mom and me along. Knowing how much I loved musicals, he got us tickets to see My Fair Lady with Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison, and Gypsy with Ethel Merman. If I wasn’t hooked before that trip I certainly was after it. I loved seeing the musicals on stage, not just listening to the records. And of course, as an enthusiastic 13-year-old, I insisted on waiting at the stage door to get autographs. Julie Andrews was so sweet, inviting me to stand under her umbrella (it was lightly drizzling) as she signed my autograph. The night before, Ethel Merman wouldn’t even stop to acknowledge me. Oh well… I still loved her performance in Gypsy.
From then on, Mom and I regularly went to see musicals at the Nixon Theatre in downtown Pittsburgh. One highlight was seeing Damn Yankees, with a cast member Al Checco. My Mom remembered him from when he would hang out at my grandparents’ house during the WWII. He and my uncle had not been drafted and were in school at the time, in a music and theatre program. My father had been drafted and so my Mom and I were living at my grandparents’ house. It was quite lively with my uncle’s friends often playing music and singing in the living room. At Damn Yankees, I asked if we could go backstage and of course we did. I had fun seeing the reunion between my Mom and Al, with Al being very kind to me, having remembered me as a toddler.
I’m not sure exactly how old I was then, but I was old enough to apply to be an usher at the Nixon Theatre for Saturday afternoons. I don’t think I got paid, and it must have been some special program they had for high schoolers to get to see more theatre. For at least two years I regularly ushered, and my favorite thing was when a show was there for more than one week and I could see it twice. When Can-Can came to town and was there for two weeks, I noticed that the person who had recreated Kidd’s original choreography, Socartes Birsky, was touring and performing in the production. I boldly went backstage after the show and introduced myself to him and invited him to come and visit my house on his day off and to see a piece I was choreographing to Ravel’s Bolero. He did come and was very polite and encouraging. He joined us for dinner and then one of my parents drove him back to the hotel where he was staying.
My choice for attending Perry-Mansfield was based on Helen Tamiris being the guest teacher for the first three weeks. She was a pioneer of modern dance as well as a choreographer of several Broadway shows. My experience of working with her for three weeks profoundly impacted my life. Here’s a blog where I have written about working with her.
When I realized how important it was to be a triple threat for a career in musical theatre, and my singing voice just couldn’t cut it, I put my performing focus on modern dance.
I did choreograph a high school production of The King and I and later directed community musical theatre. I have written about my experience directing Fiddler on the Roof. Here’s the link to see that blog.
Having graduates of musical theatre programs in residence working on original theatre pieces is a delight. We have lively conversations about favorite musicals. I learn about new trends and recommendations of books to read and where to find musicals online that I might not know about. I’ll be exploring that in Part II. I end this blog with a picture of the group currently in residence. They graduated from Berklee’s Theater Arts Collaborative in New York City last year. They are continuing to work on Coretta – The Musical that they started when a part of the program.
From left to right: Neil Baker, Akili Wynn-Beavers, and Letitia Bullard
Ever since Ronald Esquivel designed Camino del Artista – the labyrinth at my home, Casa Uno – I have wanted to visit La Senda, the largest labyrinth in the world, which Esquivel collaborated in creating. It is located outside of Tamarindo, about 4 hours from my home. I also knew that someday I would get there. I did, on my birthday this January. Pam Wax, a friend and poet who leads workshops and writes about labyrinths, also wanted to visit, so the trip was planned when she was here.
First challenge was how to get from Atenas to La Senda without renting a car. It’s fun how things fall into place. Several months ago, former Avodah dancer Kerri Anne Grace visited and shared how she had found an easy way to travel around Costa Rica by using Interbus (https://www.interbusonline.com). While they don’t list Atenas as one of their routes, I learned from Kerri that you can call and make a reservation and request both a pickup and drop off at a gas station outside of town. We took a 20-minute taxi ride from home to the gas station, and the bus was right on time to pick us up. About halfway into the trip our small bus of about 18 people stopped at a large roadside area that had a restaurant, gift store, bathrooms and a large parking lot where other vans were parked. We all got off and had a relaxing time enjoying some refreshments while our driver moved any checked luggage to the next van that would take us to our destination. The wait for the next van can be as short as 10 minutes or as long as an hour depending on traffic and vans’ arrivals. I was impressed with the organization of the system and the comfort of the waiting area. It was fun to talk to some of the other passengers and to discover this was a very safe and economical way to travel around Costa Rica. I thought to myself… yes, I would use this again.
Once in Tamarindo we were met by a driver from La Senda and made the half-hour drive to the beautiful 74-acre property located in a tropical dry forest. We were met by one of the owners, Ann Vervoort. Although I had not met Ann in person we had been on several Zoom and WhatsApp groups related to labyrinths in Costa Rica so it felt like I was meeting a good friend. She drove us to our glamping unit which was almost a half mile away. Pam and I each had our own separate unit.
These units that we call Leaves of Hojas in Spanish are architectural pearls, 4 meters (13’) high and 10 meters (33’) long. They each have a private, partly open-air bathroom and a terrace with view of the forest. All Leaves are equipped with movable fans. We did not opt for AC so prana can flow freely. Staying at our Leaves opens the opportunity to connect fully with Nature.
Shortly after I got settled, I heard rustling outside of the front door, and sure enough there were several monkeys playing in the trees. I sat on the steps of my unit watching and photographing them.
As it was cooler and the air more refreshing, I decided I wanted to walk to the labyrinth and begin to experience it. The glamping units have a lovely path through the forest to the labyrinth. It is a back way to enter, not the usual day-visitors’ entrance. As I walked I felt like I was going to a special sacred site.
I easily found the sign to enter the labyrinth. I immediately felt its largeness and how the path is defined by diverse cacti of different sizes.
A description on the website states:
the position of the entrance in theNorth, and the exit in theSouth, the fact that all turns had to take place in the central part of thelabyrinth, there had to be 14 layers (two times seven = two complete musical scales), and it had to be built out of cactus to attractPrana(Life Force), according to the knowledge from local indigenous tribes.
As the biggest in the world, the labyrinth measures above 2.5 acres (over 1 hectare) and the path is almost 2 miles (3km) long. It took 6 years to develop and now is fully planted with over5.000 cactus. All sentient beings, like humans, animals, and plants inLa Sendaconstantly live under the upbeat influence of this big pulsingheart of energy.
I walked slowly and sometimes stopped to make sure I had made the correct turn. The sun was beginning to set and the colors were intense and beautiful, particularly looking toward what I learned was Tiger Mountain.
After a while I was beginning to feel tired and realized I was also near the first of the two centers. It was a big circular opening with cut down tree logs to sit on.
I sat down. Within a few minutes I both felt and saw clear waves of energy coming from the sides of my legs. The palms of my hands felt intensely warm. I stayed very still and quietly heard a voice inside me say, “Be.” I knew I didn’t need to do anything. Just sit there. I sat for a while until the sun was set and it was getting dark. I put on the phone’s flashlight and made my way out of the labyrinth and back to the path that led me to my glamping unit. Since La Senda only serves breakfast and twice-a-week Farm-to-Table dinners, I had brought food for dinner as this was not a Farm-to-Table evening. I didn’t have much appetite, and I was too tired to do anything other than “be.” I did not write, read or sketch as I had planned. Even today, over 6 weeks later, I still am processing the experience.
The next morning after breakfast I had a chance to talk with Ann and learned that there are two opposite charged centers found in the middle of the labyrinth. One is feminine and the other masculine. The labyrinth was designed with these two spots as centers. Where I was sitting was the feminine center.
Sergio Salas, an expert in energy work, discovered these energy points on the property. Sergio collaborated with Ronald Esquivel and together they designed the unique layout based on sacred geometry and the energy setting.
My second day at La Senda, I decided to walk the perimeter of the labyrinth instead of following its path and completing the full distance of visiting each of the two centers and exiting. I photographed as I walked, taking in its diverse cacti and acknowledging how large and unique it is. I climbed the stairs of a pavilion and took some pictures but was not able to get the full labyrinth in a single camera shot.
My body felt an internal energy surge different than I had ever experienced. I felt mindful to be quiet and still. I didn’t feel unsafe or unhealthy, just a clear message to “be.”
I am now home and walking my home labyrinth that I had a part in designing with Ronald Esquivel. Since visiting La Senda I may be finding a different, quieter purpose emerging for this chapter in my life. It is to “be” here as a keeper of this home I call Casa Uno and to share it.
Since I moved to Costa Rica I have wanted to get involved in – or at least know what services are being provided for – women who are victims of domestic violence. I have lived in Atenas for five years but I had not seen anything related to domestic violence until a notice in mid-November on the Atenas Facebook Page that there would be a film and discussion on Friday night, November 22, and then a March and play presented in the City Center Park on Monday, November 25, for the National Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. I marked the two events in my calendar and decided I wanted to go.
The Friday night movie, For Colored Girls, by Tyler Perry, left me feeling very uncomfortable for two reasons. First, because as Virginia Pittman said so clearly in a review, “This is an extremely tough film to get through… it’s hard to watch because it deals with absolutely horrific issues that plague some women in our society.” And second for me because it differs so much from the Broadway original, for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf, which it is based on.
There is no question that the cast of Tyler Perry’s movie is outstanding. It features Janet Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg, Phylicia Rashad and Kerry Washington, and they give excellent performances. But the level of realism presented seems forced and overdone. The original gets to the heart of the Black woman’s emotional experience in America in a very different way.
Ntozake Shange’s piece was developed beginning in 1974 and opened on Broadway in 1976. Shange referred to it as a choreopoem with 20 monologues accompanied by dance and music. Helen Gilbert describes it well in this review:
Ntozake Shange’s explosive choreopoem, for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf, cuts to the heart of the Black woman’s emotional experience in America. Through the arts of poetry, music, and dance, the forces are revealed which are designed to beat her down: poverty, race and sex oppression.
Seven women, identified simply by dresses of different colors, bring Shange’s powerful words to life on a bare stage decorated only by a large, suspended flower.
for colored girls is what art should be: a living, dynamic force which demands that we experience, understand, grow, and relate to one another in a new way. It makes us hate, love, rage, gasp, laugh, cry and cheer because we have come face to face with truth.
In the final scene, as the women reach out to their ultimate support — each other — the audience is drawn in and enveloped in a joyful celebration of and rededication to the crusade for control of our own destinies. Art and life have fused; theatrical rapport is transformed into a revolutionary political affirmation.
I saw excerpts of the original piece and found it very moving and powerful. It was therefore very unsettling to see how Tyler Perry had turned it into something entirely different. The occasional times the women recited the original poetry were refreshing and moving, but the continual depiction of the abuse, especially with two children, was over the top and reduced the power of the film, turning it into a Hollywood thriller rather than an artistic piece with a strong message.
In contrast to my Friday night experience, my Monday experience with the March and play was very positive. Knowing that it would be in Spanish and that my Spanish is very limited, I asked a neighbor who had also been my Spanish teacher to join me and translate.
I also wanted to introduce myself to people in charge to let them know of my interests.
The March was due to start at 9 AM about 6 blocks away from the Central Park. When we got there about 8:50, there was already a nice group of about 40 people gathered. It included a school marching band, representatives from the COOPE (the major local supermarket) and a few other businesses. The police were present to block off traffic as we marched, and we began around 9:30.
COOPE SIGN held by a salesperson from the store.We marched right behind the band.
I have been in very few marches in my life, and it felt good to be in this one. I was worried that in my early 80’s it would be hard for me to keep up, but it wasn’t. There were no other people from the U.S. or Canada marching, so it also felt good to be among Ticos supporting something that is very important to me.
When we got to the park, which is directly in front of the church and has a central area that is often used for concerts, there were various speeches, and again I was so glad that Raquel was with me to translate. I met the person in charge of the program, who is a psychologist, and with Raquel’s help I was able to explain my interest to her. She took my contact information, and I have already heard from her. We are on each other’s WhatsApp, so after the New Year I will be back in touch with her to see how I might help.
The play included two actors – portraying a woman dominated by her husband – with the director performing the role of a helping neighbor. There was no violence; rather it showed the warning signs of how someone’s control leads first to emotional abuse that can then escalate into physical abuse. It was well directed, and after the performance I was delighted to meet the director. We too exchanged information, and I look forward to being in contact with her.
The psychologist, on the left, leading a Q and A after the play’s performance. The two actors are in the center and the play’s director on the R.
While Friday night proved to be disappointing, Monday was not, and I look forward to learning more about what the community is doing to prevent abuse and to help abused women. Maybe there will be a way I can get involved.
One morning I got a text from a dancer who had performed for two seasons with The Avodah Dance Ensemble, saying that she was planning a trip to Costa Rica. If you are a regular reader of this Mostly Dance you know that I was the founder, and Artistic Director and choreographer of Avodah for over 30 years. I was delighted to hear from Kerrie and told her I would love to see her.
It worked best in both of our schedules for her to plan on visiting at the end of her trip. Kerrie arrived late Thursday afternoon, stayed overnight and then later the next morning caught her flight back to the United States. It gave us plenty of time to catch up on the events in each other’s lives.
Kerrie was in Avodah at the time of a major transition for the company. For the first time, we had received sufficient grant money to hire dancers full time for a sixteen-week season. We also had a major new work, The Forgiveness Project, that was going to take us to weeklong residencies in four different places, including our first visit to a women’s prison. (See blog.) I found this prison experience to be life changing, as did Kerrie, who continued with Avodah for the next season. Here are some pictures of her performing with the company.
Kerrie in Balancing Act. Photo by Tom Brazil
Kerrie in Balancing Act with Sidra Bell. Photo by Tom Brazil.
I loved learning about what Kerrie is doing today and was in awe of her good business sense in running a performing arts school, Forevermore Dance & Theatre Arts, located in the outskirts of Chicago. The school includes three studios for dance classes, two music studios and an area that can be used as a black box for performances. Her management skills are impressive, as well as the way she was able to keep her business open during COVID. A particular highlight for me was when I shared that I couldn’t figure out how to build a real dance studio here on the property, and she came up with a wonderful idea. There are two open spaces – one outdoor and one indoor – that are plenty big enough for a small class or group to work. Neither is ideal,but they could work. One is where cars park, right by the entrance to the house, and the other is the atrium of the house, where there are plants and easy-to-move furniture. Next problem… tile-on-cement floors. I showed Kerrie some 2 ft.-by-2 ft. pads that I had found at the store and was using for yoga. They are designed to be put together, and we tested 4 made into a large square and saw that it could work if I purchased enough. Granted … not a real dance studio but still a place for movement activities that would be safe. I am very grateful for her suggestion.
Not only did we have fun catching up, but we both gave each other ideas for the future. The visit was meaningful and reminded me, especially at this time with so much world stress, that we definitely need to reach out to people who played important roles in our lives even if we haven’t seen them for a very long time. It was over twenty years ago that Kerrie danced with Avodah. When we work as a team in the arts, a bond develops that provides a rich connection. It stays strong over time and provides purposeful further interactions many years later.
Kerrie and I on her visit to Costa Rica, November 2024 Photo by Manrique
The Teatro Melico Salazar was a quick ride from the museum, and we planned our schedule so we would get there in time to have a late afternoon lunch before the Ballet Nacional de Cuba performance started at 5. The theatre has a wonderful café called Café Raventos (https://www.facebook.com/raventoscr). They have a delightful lite menu, and the description on their Facebook page – that they are a place “filled with history and art” – fits perfectly. We were all very happy with our selections, both in food and special coffees – or in my case, hot chocolate. Since I will occasionally have fish when I am out, I had a wonderful trout salad. (If you are a regular reader to this blog, you may remember that my diet is plant based except for occasional fish when I am out.)
Waiting with Artists in Residence for our late lunch.
By the time we finished our meal, the café had gotten quite full and noisy, so we were glad we had gotten there at 3 and enjoyed a leisurely meal. The café literally leads right into the lobby, and we found our way to orchestra seats. When I saw the Ballet Nacional de Cuba in April of 2023, I had seats in the mezzanine. I don’t recommend that, as there are poles spaced regularly and so it’s hard to tell which seats have obstructed views. In the orchestra, there is no problem, so that is where I plan to sit from now on.
The performance opened with Dionaea, the most abstract piece of the program. In googling the word “Dionaea,” I discovered it refers to the Venus flytrap plant. It’s a carnivorous plant with tiny “trigger hairs” lining its edge at the end of the plant leaves. It snaps shut when an unsuspecting bug or spider trips one of the hairs. A large chorus of female dancers in red unitards portrayed the plant, with their arms creating patterns to represent the triggering hair. I was impressed by the very tight ensemble quality of the large group of dancers. Program notes indicate that a female soloist “represents a living petal” who separates herself from the other female dancers and dances the power of attraction to three male soloists. The tall female dancer, Sadaise Arencibia, was elegant and enticing. The piece was choreographed by Gustavo Herrera with music by Villa-Lubos and premiered in 1984. The costumes and set complemented the movement.
Curtain call of Dionaea (Photo by JoAnne)
The next piece, Muto, was a short solo for a male dancer. It was a haunting and technically challenging contemporary-style piece spectacularly performed by Roque Salvador. The choreographer Alberto Mendez is well known and respected, having created many pieces for Ballet Nacional de Cuba. The music was by Edward Grieg.
A classical duet from El Corsario (Le Corsaire) concluded the first half of the program. It was choreographed by the company’s famous prima ballerina Alicia Alonso (1920-2019), based on the original choreography by Marius Petipa created in 1899. It was brilliantly performed by Grettel Morejon and Yankiel Vazquez, with both duets and solo sections.
Curtain call of El Corsario (Photo by JoAnne)
The second half of the program was the ballet Carmen. The piece was created in 1967, and Alicia Alonso was well known for the role of Carmen. Detailed program notes reminded us of the story and how the company interprets it:
The staging of the National Ballet of Cuba concentrates its intention on revealing the essential contradictions between Carmen’s rebellious personality and the forces of her time, represented by the characters that surround her. Carmen faces a society that, according to its canons, denies and judges her. The dilemma that is presented to her is to adapt or perish; and she, free, willful, individual, prefers to die.
The plot is summarized as follows: the gypsy Carmen, a beautiful and sensual woman, is terrible in her passions. She works as a cigarette maker in the factory where she has quarreled with one of her colleagues, for which she is arrested by Captain Zúñiga. Carmen seduces Sergeant José so that he forgets his duty and helps her escape, turning him into a smuggler and thief. Later, the gypsy falls in love with the young bullfighter Escamillo. José, seeing himself betrayed by Carmen, stabs her to death.
Carmen plays with the feelings of three men: Don José, the bullfighter Escamillo and Zúñiga. The famous protagonists of Merimée’s novel are located in a bullring, which symbolizes life. The fighting bull and Carmen’s destiny come together in a sinister character.
What an amazing event. The Ballet Nacional de Cuba has an outstanding reputation, and it didn’t disappoint at all. I felt the company was even stronger than when I saw it in April 2023. In particular, the ensemble work was much tighter and the soloists both technically and emotionally outstanding.
There are so many plusses to living in Atenas, Costa Rica. I love that it is a small town. That I live on a beautiful, spacious property filled with fruit trees and tropical flowers, overlooking mountains and farming land. I do miss going regularly to the ballet, modern dance concerts and musical theatre. What a wonderful treat it is when a company like Ballet Nacional de Cuba comes to Costa Rica and I am able to attend.
I was excited to see recently that Ballet Nacional de Cuba was returning to Costa Rica. I loved the performance I saw in the spring of 2023 (Link blog May 5, 2023), so I immediately made plans to attend this time. Three artists in residence were going to be at my home at the time of the performance, so I quickly sent off emails to them to see if they wanted to attend. All three answered with an enthusiastic response, realizing what a treat it would be to see this outstanding company.
As we got close to the day, one of the residents asked if we could combine the performance trip with a visit to a museum in San Jose. The performance didn’t begin until 5 PM, so maybe we could visit an art museum first and then have very early dinner in the café attached to the theater. A few google searches, and we found that while some museums were closed on Sunday, Museo de Arte Costarricense (MAC) was open. I had been there before (Blog: March 23, 2024), but I didn’t mind going back, especially because I loved some of the sculpture in the garden and thought it would be fun to sketch.
Leaving the house at noon, we arrived at the museum in plenty of time. The exhibit that I had seen before, Valle Oscuro by Adrian Arguedas Ruano, was still the featured first-floor exhibit. I decided to go upstairs, as I had heard there was a uniquely decorated room. A sign outside the room provided information:
The Golden Room used to be La Sabana International Airport’s Diplomatic Lounge. Its walls are covered by a mural constructed from 1939 to 1940 by Louis Feron, a French Sculptor and goldsmith who lived in Costa Rica for more than 10 years.
This mural is made of stucco carved in bas relief and presents fragments of Costa Rican history from the pre-Columbian era to 1940 when the building was inaugurated.
The room was spectacular and made one wonder what international guests were entertained there. An informative guide asked me what country I was from, and when I said the United States, he immediately told me that among the guests was President John F. Kennedy. Kennedy visited Costa Rica in March of 1963 to attend a summit with the presidents of six countries.
A small section of the mural by Louis Feron in The Golden Room. Photo by JoAnne
There was also a new exhibit that I hadn’t seen before by Carlos Cruz-Diez, a Venezuelan artist (1923-2019). Wow… it reminded me a lot of Yaacov Agam’s art. Agam’s “12 Tribes of Israel” stain-glass windows are installed in the Petrie Synagogue, Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City. I am quite familiar with the windows, as the Petrie Synagogue (which according to a description on HUC-JIR’s website “expresses the institution’s commitment to enlightenment and modernity”) was the main New York City performing space for the Avodah Dance Ensemble, which I founded and directed for over 30 years. We also held workshops in this wonderfully flexible, light and airy room. The HUC-JIR website goes on to describe the
windows:
The metaphor of light finds its expression in Yaacov Agam’s kinetic “12 Tribes of Israel” stained glass windows, which are the first three-dimensional stained and leaded glass installations in the world. Vivid shapes of color define the diverse identities of each of the twelve sons of Joseph, who are united by a shared color palette and geometry in the four windows measuring between 26’ and 29’ in height. Agam’s images are in a “state of becoming” – they cannot be seen in their totality at any one time or from any one position. They can only be discerned, as a revelation, through the viewer’s physical movement through the space.
It was an inspiration to be able to regularly rehearse, teach and perform in this unique space at HUC-JIR. As I walked through the exhibition of Carlos Cruz-Diez’s work, I was fascinated with how, in a two-dimensional manner, he had created the sense of movement and color changes that I remembered from Agam’s work in the Petrie Synagogue as well as other work by Agam that I recently saw during my spring trip to Paris.
In doing research for this blog I googled Agam’s name with Carlos Cruz-Diez and found that actually Carlos Cruz-Diez began doing explorations in kinetic art prior to Agam. In 1955 they were both in a seminal show in Paris called “Le Mouvemente” along with several other artists.
I was curious why this artist’s work from a Paris show in 2014 was being shown in a museum that mainly focuses on Costa Rican artists. A statement by Esteban Calvo, director of the museum, answered me:
This exhibition is a very significant event for the Costa Rican scene that brings the population closer to the works of one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, as well as inspiring new generations to explore the infinite possibilities of color.
A description on the Cruz-Diez website described the uniqueness of it:
This exhibition was conceived and curated by the artist in 2014 and consists of sixteen artworks and a computer program implemented on tactile supports. It has been conceived in such a way that it doesn’t require any physical transport of works, the data allowing the realization of these works being transmitted electronically.
One of the exhibited pieces of Carlos Cruz-Diez. Photo by JoAnne
Having some time before we needed to leave the museum, I headed toward a balcony with benches that overlook a garden with sculpture and had fun drawing.
I highly recommend this delightful museum, which has free parking and free admission although you need to sign in and show ID. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9 AM to 4 PM. Here’s a link to learn more.
Oscar, a miniature poodle, is an important part of my life. He is also building a fan club of my guests, so that almost all emails from friends and artists who have been guests at Casa Uno Artist Residency include a greeting to Oscar! He is also the first dog that I have had as an adult.
When I was growing up, we always had a dog in the house. My mom loved dogs and said dogs followed her home from school when she was a child. I didn’t take much interest in the pets we had in the house except when they had puppies, and then it was fun to watch the little Dalmatians grow or the strange mix that a German shepherd and a large French poodle produced.
Cats, and especially a black cat we called Midnight, were a part of my children’s life growing up. My husband and I were cat people, although sometimes I thought it might be fun to have a dog. When I made that suggestion to my husband, I got a look from him that clearly said that wasn’t going to happen.
Things changed after my husband passed and I had a robbery in the house where I live in Costa Rica. While the two young robbers didn’t get much, it was enough for me to decide we needed to take steps to make the house more secure. I did, making sure the alarm system worked and that the property was completely fenced in with grill work on vulnerable windows. I also thought it would be a good idea to get a dog. At first, I was looking at a German shepherd, knowing that they are good watch dogs, but then I got realistic, also knowing that a large dog would be too much for me to handle. While a rescue dog was appealing, I was concerned, as a new dog owner, that I didn’t want to handle problems that a rescue dog might bring. Since some family members were allergic to some breeds of dogs, and as I was anticipating guests, I wanted a dog that would not be a problem for people with allergies.
Photo by Manrique
Next came the fun of naming him. Since he would be a part of the Artist Residencies I was planning I wanted to give him a name that had an artsy ring to it. I first wanted to call him Shakespeare, but I immediately got a resounding “no” from my house manager Manrique, who firmly said, “He is a Costa Rican dog. He needs a Costa Rican name.”
I asked for suggestions of famous Costa Ricans, particularly if they were in the arts.
After a short pause Manrique suggested the name Oscar for Oscar Arias Sanchez, who served two terms as President and was also a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. That worked for me since it immediately also reminded me of Oscars in the world of arts, such as Oscar Wilde and Oscar Hammerstein. So now I had a name for my new puppy.
Oscar has been with me for over three years now and is an important part of life here. It has been fun to watch how he adapts to all the different guests. When he hears a car coming up the driveway, he immediately rushes to the door to see who’s here. I find it interesting that when he recognizes someone he doesn’t bark, but if he is unsure, he will bark, letting me know that it may be someone we are not familiar with. Once someone is acknowledged by me as a friend, Oscar is the first to warmly welcome them, and he needs to be acknowledged before I can greet the person. He will often curl up beside someone, expecting to be gently petted. Since his fur is so soft and silky, he gets lots of petting. Sometimes he will sit beside someone and lift his paw, meaning, “please scratch my belly.”
