More than 100 people gathered at noon Friday outside of Charleston City Hall to do something they’ve done about four dozen times – kick off the annual Spoleto Festival USA.
“This important international arts event, a fixture on Charleston’s cultural scene for almost half a century, is turning a significant and exciting new page,” said Alicia Mullen Gregory, Spoleto’s board chair.
The opening ceremony, which started with a reading by Charleston Poet Laureate Asiah Mae, gave a little Charleston taste of what is to come throughout the 17-day festival with a teaser performance of the Romeo and Juliet Suite by the L.A. Dance Project, which opened for the Charleston Jazz Academy.
Spoleto Festival USA General Director Mena Mark Hanna emphasized the role of the community in curating the festival and its reception.
“It’s the city’s tonic,” he said. “It’s Charleston’s connective tissue.”
Proud tutors
The jazz academy’s chairman, Alva Anderson, and husband Allen Weinberger watched proudly as the young musicians closed the ceremony. Anderson has been going to the festival for eight years, but this year’s opening has a special meaning – it’s the first time she could watch her students perform.
Other than seeing her students playing at the ceremony, Anderson said she was excited to see other acts at the festival itself.
“I usually don’t go to ballet, but I’m going to Romeo and Juliet tomorrow,” she said. “And we’re going to see Dianne Reeves with Terri Lynn Carrington. We’re also excited about seeing Trombone Shorty.”
A family tradition for many folks
For attendees, it is not merely the acts that attracted them to the ceremony or the festival – but deep community traditions and bonds that have lasted for nearly half a century.
“It’s a family tradition,” said Marguerite Summers, who has been coming to the festival since 1978. “My mother, father and … cousin who lives on Folly Beach came down and we had a mini family reunion. [This year] my brother is coming in from California and we just sort of meet here.”
No matter the Spoleto acts selected,Summers said she and her family will continue their reunion with the backdrop of the festival, even if only to hear her favorite thing, the “bells at Saint Michael’s Church.”
Friday’s ceremony ended in a bang with explosions of confetti cascading across the crowd signifying the start of this year’s Spoleto Festival season.
Shirin Gupta, Brandon Wallace and Jaden Wilson are journalism graduate students from Syracuse University covering the festivals for the City Paper.
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No newspaper subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations from downtown to North Charleston to Johns Island to Summerville to Mount Pleasant.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.