{A Wee Bit of Dancing}

Friday nights, just outside the northeast perimeter of London’s Regent’s Park, Celtic music echoes through the neighborhood’s quiet residential streets.   Each week, the Cecil Sharp House, home to the English Folk Dance and Song Society, hosts The Ceilidh Club.  Ceilidh (pronounced “kay-lee”), the Gaelic word for gathering, is just that, but more – rather it’s a Scottish country dance party, inviting people of all nationalities, ages, and dance experience levels, to partner-up and pair down the line.

I was initially a little intimidated by this venue, as I don’t own any tartan except a long, oversized nightgown.  And despite being an American, I have never once attended a square dance.  However, my fears were soon relieved after I saw that much of the attending crowd donned jeans and tees, and knew as much about Scottish line dancing as me – which was nothing.

After a quick pint of beer and an even quicker instructional session, given by the band, I joined the party, hand-in-hand, with my husband in Black Watch trousers to my left and a random man in a plaid kilt to my right.  Linked together in an eight-person circle, we ran to the right, then to the left, intermittently dosey-doeing and jigging in the center.  The next 20-minutes were a visual and mental blur, leaving me exhilarated from the fun and thirsty for another pint.  Overall, a wee bit of dancing = quite good fun!

Here are a few snapshots from my Scottish soiree experience…  See if you can spot me!

{A French Affair}

 "Jane Avril au Jardin de Paris, 1893."

Poster by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.



Last week I attended an event at The Courtauld Gallery, featuring a night of French flare – music, dancing and Toulouse-Lautrec. 

Located just past the hubbub of Trafalgar Square, this small museum might just be my favorite in London.  The gallery’s rooms, homes to the works of Rubens, Van Gogh, and Manet, among many other famed artists, are actually works of art themselves, given their painted walls, intricate white moldings and ceiling murals.

This summer, The Courtauld Gallery proudly presented Toulouse-Lautrec and Jane Avril: Beyond the Moulin Rouge – an exhibition that I was thrilled to catch.  I am a huge fan of Toulouse-Lautrec, ever since college, after I studied his works for a graphic design class.  His figurative studies, color combinations, and depictions of Paris’s bohemian nightlife in the 19^th century continually romance me.  Having attended this exhibition, I have a new appreciation for his works and a further understanding of his subjects – specifically that of Jane Avril. 

Jane Avril, a frequent muse to Toulouse-Lautrec, was a prominent can-can dancer at the Moulin Rouge.  Toulouse-Lautrec, an aristocratic trained artist, was hired to paint adverts for the nightclub.  His carefully constructed depictions of the dancer catapulted her into stardom.  However, aside from the Moulin Rouge’s posters, Toulouse-Lautrec also painted various portraits of the dancer, both in the club and in her home, proving an inherent intimacy.  The artist and dancer were depicted in various group portraits together as well, further showcasing that their kinship was beyond a working relationship. 

Although tickets are no longer available to this exhibit, I want to share with you a brief but fascinating article from the gallery that highlights their research and insights into this “new found” relationship.

{Beyond the Moulin Rouge}

With this all this information, one has to wonder… what drew the artist and dancer together?  A love to party?  A romantic spark?  A je ne sais quoi?

Having perused the collection, it occurred to me that both Toulouse-Lautrec and Avril suffered from debilitating physical ailments – he from bone development issues; her from a neurologic disorder.  While each was drawn to the glamour of boho Paris, each identified with a deeper understanding of life and its challenges.  It seems almost natural that she, who is famed for her legs, and he, who is famed for his hands, would bond to together as kindred spirits.

And with that thought, I moved along through the gallery and lost myself at At The Moulin Rouge.

"At the Moulin Rouge, 1892-95." Painting by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

{Row, Row, Row Your Boats… to the Thames River Festival}

With the end of summer comes the beginning of autumn and with that – the annual Thames River Festival, a weekend “block” party celebrating art, culture, food, and of course, the Thames.  Along the waterfront, from Westminster to Tower Bridge, pennant flags wave over the south bank.  Market vendors, pop-up theaters, and interactive art installations line the bank’s perimeter.  Swarms wander along the route, popping in and out booths, perusing the handmade crafts and homemade food.  Kids wearing brown paper hats fashioned à la Dr. Seuss, dart through the crowds, laughing, as they pull each other into designed “play” areas.  Friends relax at tables on Blackfriars Bridge, overlooking St. Paul’s Cathedral, while indulging in a cup of Pimm's and some paella.  A parade of boats ensues, capturing everyone’s attention.  Bagpipers on a barge sail by, filling the air with music, urging the merriment on, all weekend long…

Here are a few pics of my Saturday afternoon along the river, moving gently down the stream…

…merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream. 

{Postcards from Hong Kong}

Hong Kong, as seen from The Peak

Hello from Hong Kong!

With two weeks behind me, my Asian adventure ends in Hong Kong – another cosmopolitan city with commanding skylines, comprised of a plethora of skyscrapers and a tropical island backdrop (imagine Manhattan, only larger, plopped down in the middle of Hawaii).  Whether from its famous Victoria Peak, the Stanley waterfront, a chic city bar, or from the back seat of one of the city’s many red taxis, the cityscape charms me with its beguiling views, by day and by night.  While the city’s modernity is apparent, especially when seeing commuters embark on their daily inclined track of escalators, the island’s culture remains present.  One day, I took a short subway ride to see Hong Kong’s Big Buddha, a sight made visible via a cable-car ride over the city’s mountainous terrain.  My outer-island trek, followed by a traditional Dim Sum lunch of freshly-made dumplings and noodles made for a dually cultural Chinese experience.  The incitement for my trip, and perhaps the cherry on top of my vacation, was the wedding I was invited to here in HK.  The affair, a mix of Eastern and Western traditions, such as the bride wore red, white, and purple gowns, perfectly proves how blended Hong Kong is in design, tradition and culture – a delightful discovery to leave China with.

Yours, Jenn



Red taxis driving through HK



The Stanley waterfront



Escalators in Soho



Cable-cars en route to Big Buddha



Big Buddha at a distance



The bride all dressed in purple



HK by night