Getting 'Spiritual' About My Time At The Kennedy Center (plus Crocheter's Notes on the perfume atomizer)

    

If 'Spiritual' by John Coltrane was the soundtrack for my experience working at the Kennedy Center, the clashing cymbals would sound to represent raw energy....

in the backstage operations of a premiere of a major production such as Little Dancer

of the performers with their sheer extremes of athleticism that it took for them to perform their roles

of the talent, production, principals, and audiences that created an all-consuming momentum and excitement.

Conversely, the wailing sax notes would have to accompany the miracle of ....

arising after two hours sleep (long commutes and mandatory soaking of muscles cut into sleep time) in order to work round the clock for another day

and "working out at the gym" which was backstage.  Up and down the stairs.  Down and right back up again, countless times each day

of course there was the elevator, which was virtually ignored when it came down to a matter of urgency - which was, mainly, all the time.

 

And the staccato, rapid-fire beats of the drum in 'Spiritual' would keep time....
with the costume changes - there were nights I would bolt straight up in bed in the middle of the night with a dart of fear in my heart that I'd missed a costume change
and the sound of dancer's running feet as they scurried to change costumes and get back on stage.
and the myriad microscopic stitches that went into the vintage perfume atomizer shown below that I was commissioned to refurbish
(Crocheters:  This was worked in single crochet with three strands of varying shades of beige sewing thread (to create a matte, aged look), and the world's tiniest crochet hook that doesn't even have a size on it (it's a very old hook I inherited - vintage hook for a vintage project).  Although, if I had to guess its size, I would say it was a 2.25 mm B hook.)

 



And, finally, the wonderful piano notes in 'Spiritual' would set the tone for the acts of kindness, and the overall sense of camaraderie that develops when a group works so closely together for so long, with the mournful bass sounds playing in the background during our final goodbyes when the show wrapped.

 

xo

Vanessa 





P.S.  I'm getting around to the book, setting the stage right now (so to speak, ahem).  Although, Kella, in Kella of Opulent Faith would definitely love Coltrane's 'Spiritual', and own at least one perfume atomizer...