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Dear Friends,
In 2011, I was commissioned to create new dances for the Feast of St. Francis/The Blessing of the Animals at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. This service, one of the highlights of the cathedral's liturgical calendar, takes place this Sunday, October 7, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. My dances were the first new choreography made for the event in 30 years. This project was one of the most exciting and challenging of my career to date: St. John the Divine is the largest cathedral in the world.
The service is accompanied by Paul Winter's 1981 commissioned score Earth Mass/Missa Gaia, performed by the Paul Winter Ensemble with a choir of 325 voices under the direction of the cathedral's new music director, Kent Tritle. The event culminates with the famous and beloved Living Earth: The Silent Procession of Animals and the Blessing of the Animals, which this year will include, among many others, a llama, a yak, and a camel.
People of all faiths are welcome, together with their pets. Directly after the service, cathedral clergy will be available for individual blessings at the Fair on the Close. The Fair's themes---celebration of Creation, compassion, and faithful stewardship of the Earth---align with St. Francis's vision and work.
For information on passes to the service, click on the links above or at left. My dancers and I hope to see you there.
Preparing for the climactic Silent Preocession of Animals
The Living Earth:
The Sillent Procession of Animals
Choreography
Christopher Caines
Dancers
Robin CamposElisa Toro Franky Jacline Henrichs Mike Hodge Aynsley Inglis
Paul Monaghan Katie Moorhead Leigh Schanfein
Christian Serrano-Godén
