It’s officially showtime in Charleston as Spoleto Festival USA began its 47th season May 26 with the annual opening ceremony at noon in Festival Hall.
While the festival generally hosts its opening at Charleston City Hall, it was moved due to the possibility of inclement weather.
“This was the first big opening celebration ceremony we’ve had in four years,” said Spoleto Festival USA General Director Mena Mark Hanna, “and it’s a great time for us to celebrate the joyous, incomparable nature of art.”
This year, the festival celebrated its kickoff with multiple performances from singers and musicians, as well as a few words from notable speakers.
After an opening prayer from the Rev. Eric Childers of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church on the celebration of joyful noise, the audience was uplifted by three performances. “Vanessa” lead Nicole Heaston sang the national anthem, followed by a bright, rhythmic piece by the Igoma Nshya, the first woman drumming ensemble from Rwanda. Then came a student combo from the Charleston Jazz Academy.
Bella Kitsos, 23, a facilities coordinator for the Spoleto Festival, said it was exciting to see the festival and ceremony come to fruition.
“It was pretty successful, seeing it was supposed to be outside, and it was a last-minute plan, but I think it turned out great,” she said.
Speakers at the ceremony also included Alicia Mullen Gregory, Spoleto Festival Board of Directors chair, and Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg. The two danced on stage during the event as the Charleston Jazz Academy played a few lively tunes.
“This festival is unique for shaping both the future of the arts and the contours of our Charleston community,” Gregory said.
The music and Charleston culture are two big reasons that locals Shannon Slade, 30, and Debby Padgett, 71, were happy to spend their Friday attending the opening ceremony.
Slade moved to Charleston eight months ago from New York. Seeing a chance to familiarize herself with one of Charleston’s most notable events, she decided to partake in this year’s Spoleto festivities.
“I’ve heard a lot of really good things about Spoleto, especially paired with Piccolo Spoleto,” Slade said. “I was really excited about this opening address. Mainly just excited to see performers and local and international artists.”
Padgett has been coming to the Spoleto Festival since the 1970s. Originally from Moncks Corner, Padgett moved to Charleston two years ago. She said she was overjoyed to go to festival events whenever she can, especially at a low or no cost due to the festival announcing “pay what you will” ticket sales for shows.
“I have not always lived in places where culture was this accessible,” Padgett said. “I so appreciate that they’re making different free events and low-cost events. It really should not be something that is only available to people with more money.”
Padgett said her favorite part of the opening ceremony was seeing the woman drummers from Rwanda, who wore bright neon braids that whipped in the air as they jumped up and down while beating their drums. During the performance, smiles stayed on each drummer’s face, something Padgett couldn’t help but admire.
“The drumming was thrilling,” Padgett said. “I just wanted to be one of them. I wanted to be enjoying that jumping, the drumming and the feel of that. You can’t duplicate that, you can’t watch that online, you have to see that.”
Similar to Padgett, Hanna appreciated the ceremony as a joyous start to the next 17 days of music, dancing and all things Charleston.
“Just seeing everybody’s faces and sort of infectious smiles when Igoma does the drumming or when Nicole sings the national anthem or when the Charleston Jazz Academy plays, this is how it should feel,” he said. “It’s exciting.”
Timia Cobb is an arts journalism graduate student at Syracuse University.
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