Performance Reviews

Maggie Craig, Smiddy Hoose, Ruthven, by Huntly. AB54 4SR Scotland, UK.

The sun is shining and it's warm - probably not as warm as Florida, I suppose!

From: Maggie Craig [mcraig@craigtott.demon.co.uk]

Sent: Friday, May 05, 2006 4:25 AM

To: 'Luisa Meshekoff'

Yes, Portugal is a long way from Scotland, but if you ever do make it here give me a shout and we'll organize an evening of Scottish country dancing for you - Eightsome Reels, the Dashing White Sergeant, Gay Gordons (named before gay means what it means now!) and all the rest. As you probably know, they're usually danced in sets of three or four couples, sometimes more, or they're progressive, changing-partners dances with everyone up on the floor, and they tend towards the fast and furious. Great fun, and the next day you have the bruises on your arms from being whirled round by big hairy Scotsmen to prove it!

You put in a leaflet about The Dance Project, Inc. I was interested to see the mention of the Argentine Tango. We have a couple here in our town called Dudendance who do that as performance art and also occasionally teach it, along with Sandro Nunziata who comes over from Buenos Aires to Scotland every year to teach the tango. Scotland is crazy about the Argentinian Tango! My most recent novel is called The Dancing Days and centres around dance-daft Glasgow during the Depression of the 1930s so I did a couple of tango lessons as part of my research, hoping to do more just for fun.

I was also interested to see the reference to Isadora Duncan. Her story caught my imagination at an early age.

So glad I found you - the Internet can be a wonderful thing.
All the best,
Maggie.

January 15, 2003
Dear Luisa,

Thanks for giving us the opportunity to utilize the short dance. It has
sparked positive reviews from the viewers on several occasions. It is
great to be able to intersperse an art piece among regular programming.
We've had surprised viewers who decided they could like dance when
introduced in such a non-challant manner. Other positive comments
have been received from audience members, part of your dance following,
that were happy to have community support for you thru public access
and with unexpected opportunity to see you on video. I know from
experience that it is oftern hard to get to the theatre and catch your act
in live performance.

I am writing this letter of recommendation to express my sincere support
of Luisa Meshekoff's artistic contributions for public access and
educational television.

The short video format is a wonderful means to present dance to non-dance
audiences; it grabs the attention of those who wouldn't seek out the
experience on their own. Please provide more, as stand-alone pieces or as
pieces we can string together to create a longer segment. There is a real
need for this type of artistic format.

Sincerely,
Frederica Russell
Operations Manager
Tampa Bay Community Network
frederica@speakuptampabay.org

CONNECTICUT EARLY MUSIC SOCIETY, Inc.
P.O. Box 329
New London, CT 06320
Wednesday, June 11, 2003
Dear Luisa,
I savor with great pleasure the memory of the concert you presented for the Connecticut Early Music Festival last season. Seeing the selections of Baroque music illuminated by the historially accurate and artfully performed period dance was fascinating, delightful and edifying. The combination of Terpsichorean aesthetics and humor made it altogether lively and captivating. We look forward to presenting your work in future productions. We also are delighted to have been the spring-board for the development of the Corelli Dances, and we appreciate your acknowledgment of the Connecticut Early Music Festival in your materials. Thank you for keeping us abreast of your performances in Tampa and in the southern Tri-state area.
Sincerely,
Jan MacGregor