A Gathering

(Community Matters) A Gathering: The Dallas Arts Community Reflects on 30 Years of AIDS – Charles Santos’ 30 year remembrance of AIDS. In Austin, from 1991 to 2000, Charles produced the Austin Festival of Dance which raised over $1 million for AIDS, bringing in dance companies from around the world and engaging a wide range of Austin dance, AIDS and arts benefactors in the mission of remembering and helping those living with HIV & AIDS.

(pic on left is Heather Crosby & Alexander Kotelenets, Tx Ballet Theatre dancing to Vladimir Vavilov’s “Ave Maria”)

On Tuesday night, Charles (along with his two co-producers) engaged 11 arts/dance organizations plus many individual artists to remember 30 years of AIDS..

the Bruce Wood Dance Project’s performing to Joni Mitchell’s “Blue”

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This was different. During the Austin Festival, dance companies and Charles usually selected an existing piece to present. This year, Charles drove, walked and played around wearing ear buds running through his favorite songs, imagining one long thread of song, dance, narrative in homage to those who have died, those who live and those who have done so much (not that the last is mutually exclusive from the formers).

Tana & Joe Christie & I drove up for the performances. Tana & Joe chaired the very first Austin Festival – Steven & I chaired the last. Tana, Joe & I worked on everyone of them with Charles (Steven came into the picture the last two years). Lee Manford & Casey Blass attended too. Lee was executive director for AIDS Services of Austin, the Austin Festival’s beneficiary.

(photo: Kimi Nikaidoh of Bruce Wood Dance performing to Chopin’s “Prelude in E Minor”)

First review of program, 26 acts – ugh, just kill me now I thought. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The thread was seamless, effortless, beautiful. The narratives were succinct and poignant. Charles imagined the order of music and commissioned composers to choreograph specific dancers for those songs – ditto the Turtle Creek Choral songs, the written narratives spoken by different Dallas influencers inbetween each act. Very proud of my dear, dear friend – an extraordinary night of remembrance.