Showing posts with label baroque dance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baroque dance. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

What is CAMMAC

Playing for the Dancing by susanvg
Playing for the Dancing, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.
Photos: Week of July 1, 2013
I've written about CAMMAC before - my yearly trip to my Shangri-La - Early Music Week.

Music, nature, friendship, laughter, freedom from responsibilities... with people from different parts of Canada, the US (one woman drove all the way up from Kentucky) and even Europe. Classes and concerts move back and forth from French to English, but most of all to the language of music we all share.

Baroque Dance

Evening concerts by the staff are of the highest caliber. And the audience is probably one of the most appreciative - with avid Early Music buffs in every seat.

The Jogger

The teachers throw in a lot of fun at the concerts, without diminishing the high level of their performance. Here is a recorder quartet performing The Jogger by by Dick Koomans (after jogging in and doing a few stretches)

Movement

The week swirls by. It is always hard to go back to reality, to say goodby to the many CAMMAC friends who live in other places. I have very good friends I met at CAMMAC, including my spouse! And we are lucky enough to be able to continue playing music together all year round.

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You can read other posts I have written over the years about CAMMAC here

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Horse Ballet

Horse Ballet by susanvg
Horse Ballet, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.
Imagine going back to the time of Louis XIII at Versailles. That's what happened at the Montreal Baroque Festival. Playing music by Lully, composed in 1686, the musicians accompanied dancers of both the human and equestrian variety. Sumptuous costumes which were from Versailles added to the spectacle.

The Horse Ballet begins

Natural trumpets announced the beginning. These instruments have a loud enough sound to carry outdoors.

Dancers and Horse

Horses were accompanied by human dancers. I was baking in the hot sun. I cannot imagine how the dancers felt in their heavy costumes, dancing on hot pavement.


Horse Ballet

The dancing was enchanting.


Rider and Horse

This rider was absolutely amazing, riding bareback without reins. Her horse did her every bidding, prancing, lifting its feet and then slowly lying down and nuzzling her. Then it got up and continued its graceful dance.

It was well worth the baking in the sun.

More photos