Rothbury 2009

was incredible.  What brought me there again this year was the same pull that drew 44,000 people to Northern Michigan – the opportunity to be a part of a festival that at first glance seems similar to countless others, but wreathing below the surface is a community of artists whose vision goes well beyond ‘been there done that.’  The whole place, from the fields of general camping to the Sherwood Forest reeks of that ‘new car’ smell.

With all the festivals I attend I rarely have time anymore for expectation.  Unlike last year, where Kaivalya and Cosmic Fire were co-booked for roaming entertainment, Brie and I embarked on a new endeavor, a product of last year’s growth, called Vesica Sister.

Vesica Sister at the SpeakEZ

The goal?  To push beyond familiar territory.  To wipe the word ‘ambiant’ from our contract.  To step it up like we never have before.  Vesica’s debut added an electric undercurrent to the tingling expanse of uncharted water.  In that way we as individual participants matched and contributed to the artistic infrastructure that is Rothbury.  At least we flatter ourselves enough to think so.

And that’s just the thing that made my Rothbury experience so profound.  The realization that it wasn’t strangers who thought this up and made it run, not even acquaintances, it was family.  On SO many occasions I looked around – backstage, side stage and in the audience and everyone I saw – be it the artists that built Re-Incarnation, decorated the Forest, ran the stage, played in the bands, taught the workshops, spread the word about renewable energy, sorted the trash, collected the donations, and orchestrated the event itself – were friends!  Rothbury was a product of collective synergy made tangible.  I couldn’t help but feel like an integral part of that framework.

Brie and I worked hard.  Our choreographed piece we performed on the SpeakEZ stage twice – once on Thursday and again on Sunday night.  The Thursday crowd was special – the best kind, loud, appreciative, attentive and fresh – filled with familiar faces.  The dance, as it does, flowed out of us in a way that never could have happened in practice.  Again, new ground was covered.  The choreography for the piece pulled on so much that was learned in the last year – our forays into modern dance, non-prop dancing!, sacred geometry, Hoop Convergence 2009, and weaving story and ceremony with our brothers and sisters in Lunar Fire.  We’re proud of it, but know how green the first go is…there is always a higher bar.

Friday was one for the record books.  Brie and I, with help from the lovely Ysabel and other Kaivalya members entertained over 100 hoopers at our workshop of all ability levels.  The opportunity to share trick and technique always leaves a residual giddiness in the aftermath.  Meeting cyber-friends is another highlight (great to meet you Abby!).

That night, the re-emergence of the String Cheese Incident from hibernation had all of us in a tizzy. First set bloomed old-school dance-a-thon dust clouds, euphoric laughter and even tears of the happiest kind.  Second set, the opportunity to dance with them once again, in front of 35,000+ people was, as always, surreal.   This time there were no nerves, 2 years had passed since Red Rocks and stepping up onto the box I had only one thought: to throw down!  Desert Dawn…full circle.  Then again for Texas.  I can’t even begin to put this show down in words so I’ll leave it to the soundboard recordings and numerous video that have surfaced.  I’m full of gratitude…and that doesn’t begin to explain how I feel.

There were many such moments of bliss – dancing with EOTO and Big Gigantic, hanging with friends new and old, fireworks and Grateful Dead time warps, golf cart rides and Broken Spoke photo booths, showers (yes showers!), sweet tea vodka, Burning Man meets hippieland, mate mornings, moonrise sunsets and paper lanterns.  I say THANK YOU to all those who made this event what it is: Tia. Brad. Love you. AEG, Madison House, Jeremy, MK, Nature, Bill and team, all the musicians and artists, circus freaks and photographers… Those who carried this vision on their backs, who effectively made a massive festival feel like Hornings on steroids.  You’re wonderful.

Let’s do again in 2010!

~ by shaktisunfire on July 10, 2009.