Ballerinas Take Over a Corridor Bus

By Francesca Merwin, staff writer

To round out May’s In Motion series and celebrate graduation weekend, the Connective Corridor will feature an evening of music, photography and the human form on the bus in collaboration with Syracuse University, the Ballerina Project and the Tech Garden.

This unique event will feature actual ballerinas, a professional photographer and live music. The bus will leave the Warehouse at 6:30 p.m., Friday, May 11 and travel to Syracuse University. The group will exit the bus at College Place bus stop at 6:50 p.m. for s short live street recital, and then re-board the 7:12 p.m. bus for downtown.

The Ballerina Project started as a photo series, currently on display at the Tech Garden, which features images of ballerinas posing in front of various local architecture and structures. The artist behind the exhibit is Kay Lavonier and The Ballerina Project is her first solo exhibition.

The project began when Kathleen Rathbun’s dancers (of Syracuse City Ballet), who had often worked with Lavonier, proposed an intriguing collaborative idea. They discovered an internet phenomena involving photographs of dancers posing against city scenes.

Influenced by the work of Dane Shitagi and Jordan Matter, Lavonier thought this would be a great concept to bring to life in Syracuse and Central New York, an environment that has been inspiring her for the last decade. The work is an exploration of human form and how it interacts with nature and architecture, and how these things emulate and juxtapose each other.

Ty Marshal, Artist in Residence at the Tech Garden, partnered with the Connective Corridor to bring the photography exhibit to life. Four ballerinas from Syracuse City Ballet will pose throughout the bus ride and Lavonier will be with them, photographing the ballerinas in a different, urban setting.

To compliment Lavonier and the ballerinas, SU student band Frères Jumeaux will perform contemporary and classical music on the cello and violin. Frères Jumeaux (“Twin Brothers”) is comprised of Anthony and Eric McGriff (SU class of 2016). The brothers have performed at various events with the Tech Garden before, and delighted the crowd with both covers and classics.

The evening will be a culmination of the successful “In Motion” spring semester series, which featured an acting installment with the Media Unit, poetry readings with both an

SU Literary Urban Studies course and Verbal Blend slam poetry group, and musical offerings from the Bill Horrace Jazz Trio and The Euclid Zoo.

The spring schedule was coordinated by Syracuse Connective Corridor Engagement Fellow Francesca Merwin, who established diverse music and performance programs, as well as coordinated monthly mobile art galleries on Corridor buses featuring visual art by community artists, schools and nonprofit agencies. Three Connective Corridor buses featured these monthly mobile community art installations.

Don’t miss the grand finale: The Ballerina Project performance, Friday, May 11, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at The Warehouse, on the Connective Corridor bus.

Project: Letter from Board Chair for College Magazine

Friends,

There is a saying I have heard quite often throughout my life—attributed to the Boy Scouts but one that resonates deeply with Quaker philosophies—that one should “leave the world better than they found it.” On behalf of the Earlham Board of Trustees, I can share that Anne Houtman, this fine College’s 20th president, has done just that.

The leadership that Anne has displayed is without question. When she began her tenure, it was a tumultuous time for Earlham. Anne took on the unenviable task of making difficult financial decisions, including a reduction of staff, in order to secure the college’s future. During the pandemic, she maintained Earlham's commitment to in-person living and learning and provided steady direction during great uncertainty. And during the Richmond fire emergency, Anne embodied the virtues we have come to expect from her: grace, courage, and compassion.

Her hand proved just as steady during prosperous times. Anne initiated the creation and full launch of the Epic Journey, which sets us apart from our peers and underscores the value of an Earlham education. She worked with faculty to launch new majors and championed the development of new athletics programs. She collaborated with the community to spur the Revitalize Richmond initiative, securing a $25 million grant to ignite a redevelopment of the city’s downtown. She oversaw the most ambitious fundraising effort in the college’s history, the For Good campaign, which is on track to exceed its $85 million goal. Under her guidance, the college has created a strategic plan for admissions growth, and Earlham's new student enrollment has already made impressive strides forward.

There is no doubt that Anne is leaving Earlham College in a better place than she found it, with a solid and clearly articulated plan for the future. Thank you to Anne, her husband, Will, and her family for the remarkable work in service of our wonderful home.

Dear «Salutation»,

Talent Development changes lives, though I don’t need to tell you that.

For many, including me, Talent Development made the dream of earning a college degree a reality. As a first generation college student from a low-income family, I know that I would never have made it to this point without the financial and academic support from TD.

Thanks to TD and a supportive campus environment, I am now 3⁄4 of the way done with my sophomore year of college, majoring in kinesiology while maintaining a job as a student Phonathon caller.

When I graduate, I plan to go on to medical school and eventually work as a pediatrician, travelling to poor countries to help those in need.

I will forever be grateful to the Talent Development Program for the social, academic and personal growth the program gave me, and I am so proud to be a member of TD Nation. I have always believed that it is important to help others, especially students like me, who receive financial aid and may need the support.

As an ambassador of the URI Foundation, I’m excited to help introduce a new giving option, geared at helping students like me: Fund for URI: TD Nation. Gifts made to this fund will assist in special student needs and projects, which may include travel and conference assistance. The newly established TD Student Advisory Council, a group aimed at increasing the on-campus presence of TD and empowering students, will also have input in how the funds are distributed.

As one of the 2,900 members of the TD family, I invite you to join with me in this movement and make a gift today. Even as a student, I show my support through a small contribution to the Fund for URI. Your gift to TD Nation — no matter if it is $10 or $250 — will make an impact and continue to move this important program forward and impact our amazing students. Please make your secure online gift today by visiting urifoundation.org/giveonline, or feel free to use the enclosed reply envelope.

Thank you so much for your consideration and your support of the Talent Development Program.

Sincerely,

Franshelyne ’17
Sophomore, Kinesiology
Proud TD Nation Member

P.S. URI’s fiscal year ends on June 30, 2015. Please consider making your gift today so that it will go to

work immediately to provide students with important programs and services.

Desired length: 1 minute or less

Tone: Fun, upbeat and informative

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D: Hi, I’m Dakota Smith.

S: And hi, I’m Sarah Jones.

D: And we’re here to answer all your burning questions on Revitalize Richmond in this Google

Autocomplete interview.

S: Are you ready?

D: I’m so ready.

S: Alright, let’s get this party started.

Rubs hands together in excitement

Card is passed to Dakota from offscreen

D: Here are some of the most commonly asked questions we’ve gotten about Revitalize Richmond.

S: Will Revitalize Richmond… actually do anything?

D: Hah! You bet it will. We’re putting over $100 million into downtown. The project has three main

aspects: Build, Activate, and Connect. We’re taking a holistic approach to make this city a better place

to live.

Pan to both giving up a thumbs up.

D: Was that cheesy?

S: A little bit.

S: Will Revitalize Richmond… include a Zipline?

D: Yes. I mean, there’s going to be a ton of updates to Whitewater River Gorge Park, including a new

riverwalk, better parking, and conservation work. But the zipline might be my favorite. Not going to

lie.

S: Zip-ah-dee-doo-dah.

D: Did you really just say that?

S: I did.

D: Will Revitalize Richmond… construction last for my entire lifetime?

S: Quoting Titanic: It’s been eighty-four years….

I’m just kidding. The project has a five-year timeline, and you’re going to be able to see the city

transform so quickly. And what’s cool is that this is going to spur so much other development around

the city. It’s going to be like, bam, bam bam.

D: Will Revitalize Richmond… ask the community what it needs?

S: This has been a very inclusive process and we’re so proud of that. We’ve used community surveys,

and data, and worked with community representatives from the government, nonprofit, and business

sector to find out how we can truly address the needs of Richmond residents.

D: That sounded really good.

S: Why thank you!

D: Will Revitalize Richmond… make our city unrecognizable?

S: Like, are we going to become Gotham?

D: Or Hawkins?

S: Or… shudders Indianapolis?

D: Nooo. There’s a lot that’s going into the preservation of historic buildings and bringing back events

and festivals that make Richmond special. If anything, this project is us getting back to our roots.

S: Thanks so much for tuning in!

D: If you want to learn more, check out the Revitalize Richmond website.

S: Bye, thanks!