Dance, Art, and Music
Dance, Art, and Music
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La Mais on Bleue (Blue House) of Euclideas Da Costa, Dives Sur Mer, France
On an obscure side street in the small village of Dives Sur Mer, Normandy, France is an inspired oddity. A reminent of an era long since gone, a passionate reminder of one’s home land carved into the small space of new surroundings. Euclides da Costa Ferreira made his home away from home in Dives Sur Mer during World War II. Da Costa , a mason by trade, made his way to France from his home land in Portugal looking for work. Born in 1902 in Porto, Portugal, he traveled to France at the age of 22. He was 57 years old when he was diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) and now…
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Dives Sur Mer and the Venetian Fairy Festival
Located only 30 minutes from the city of Caen in northwest france, not to be confused with Cannes in the south. The location between resort villages Cabourg and Deauville is the small village of Dives-sur-Mer, in the department of Calvados, in the region of Normandy France. It is a charming port city with approximately 6000 inhabitants. The history of Dives is famously linked to that of of William the Conqueror Guillaume, who gathered his fleet there before leaving for the conquest of England in 1066.Although Normandy is best known for its WW II D-Day history, the history of Dives Sur Mer goes further back even before its most famous inhabitant…
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Quadrille dancing: St. Croix U.S. Virgin Islands
What is it about dancing that stirs the soul? It’s fun, that’s what!!!! One cannot help but tap the feet, sway the hips and clap the hands rhythmically to the beat. A couple years back I visited St Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands for the first time and fortune smiled after meeting and seeing the traditional quadrille (folk)dancers. Dancing…..music In general has always been a means of joy and uplift to many people in history and quadrille is no different. Basically it’s very similar to square dancing with its’ origins coming from 1700 France using St Croix ‘s traditional Quelbe music which originated from African slaves. The dance made popular in English society was brought…
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Easter and the Traditional Bolantes of Luzaide-Valcarlos, Spain
I first hiked the Camino de Santiago Camino Frances route in Spain in spring of 2018. Due to a large amount of snow on the upper Pyrenees route I was forced to take a lower alternate route which runs thru Luzaide-Valcarlos, in the Navarre region of Spain. As I came around a corner down into the small town I was initially looking for cafe for a quick breakfast before continuing on my journey as I was having coffee I heard music and the jingling of little bells. I quickly finished up and rushed outside only to see colorful ribbons and bells on local dancers passing in a parade. I had…
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Salzburg, Austria
How could I sum this amazing city in one word “su·per·ca·li·fra·gil·is·tic·ex·pi·a·li·do·cious” !!!! Yeah it was that good! Made more famous for the film The Sound of Music, this amazing little city was one of the best places I have visited. Salzburg is definitely one of my favorite things. Normally I would explore on my own but I decided to take the cheesiest tour I could find, yes one that includes all the filming locations for the movie “The Sound of Music”. Fun fact most of the city residents have never seen the movie. The tour did not disappoint, there was singing, and oooing and awwwwing in many languages. This tour ends in the heart…