Calgary Tower - I stood in the sky!

It will be fun to look at the city from top of the tower. Why not? It's a few steps away from The Vertigo Theatre,  where I performed for the weekend. I walked up to the elevator.

The tower is 626 ft high. Hard to imagine! All I can say is that the height reminded me helicopter ride once I had. You are looking down all the sky scrapers.

The tower has 360 degree view with glass floor.
I felt like floating in the sky.

Standing up was even stranger than sitting down!

The tower swayed slightly and it took me a while not to scream, harrrrrrrrrrr~

In Calgary: On the way to my show #2

 I didn't know much about Calgary except Olympic 1988. If I had more time, I'd have gone for sightseeing.

The color stood out!

What are they talking?

Cafe DeVille was a block before the theatre and when I have extra time, I sat for a cup of cappuccino.

Though Calgary is a modern city, I saw nice old buildings and cathedrals.

Finally my walk is over. My theater is at the foot of Calgary Tower.

Hope I took you to a walk with me. In my next post I will take you to the tower top, 626 feet high. Whhhh!

In Calgary: On the way to my show #1

 The Vertigo Theatre where my shows are, locates in the heart of Calgary downtown . From my hotel it took about 12 blocks, about 2 miles of enjoyable walk.

The city is filled with art objects among skyscrapers.

Not to get lost I had this sign to mark. Well, it's not my hotel but it was across the street from mine. I called it honey comb.

Calgary is near mountain and snowy city. So they added 15 feet high walkway like a tube between buildings. It allows you to walk pretty much everywhere in downtown without going outside. Perfect for freezing days!

Calgary is not an old city, offers new parking way.
.

  Hey, another art object!

I thought this was the another art object. Ooops, it's a post-box.

Calgary transit runs throughout the city. Wonderful thing about this is for free and you can just hop in without going tickets and hassle of figuring out because you can see exactly where it's heading. How awesome!

Enjoyed so much I have more photos. More on nest post!

Shows in Canada - at Vertigo Theatre

Thank you Calgary!!!

Day after day I had a great time with my audience at this vibrant Vertigo Theatre. I was impressed with young ones who came to public shows. You had a great theatre manners!! The Vertigo Theatre Y Stage producer, Nathan Pronyshyn, announced that the city of Calgary is now chosen to be the cultural capital of Canada 2012. You deserve that crown!

The staff members were very nice to work with and all of them worked hard.

On the stage the light and sound was operated by Patrick, who did everything! I mean everything! He even cleaned the stage before every show. So clean that I could kiss the floor. The microphone sound was clear and natural. The lighting was warm and beautiful.

Theater is a team-work. There are many people behind to make it happen.

I took some photos to show you more about Calgary.
More on later!

PS: To people who was eager to know more about origami I have some pictures and writings in this blog - please click this link.

http://kunikoyamamoto.blogspot.com/search/label/Origami

PS2: To people who was asked me about the origami model that swirl/spin, as I said in my show it was created by an amazing origami artist, Chris Palmer. You can visit his website to see more!

http://www.shadowfolds.com/

Photos from my October trips

I had a great October show tours, Kansas>>> Denver >>> Ontario Canada.

Kansas had big prairie toward west where I was driving to Denver. Above the little shack caught my heart. Can I sit inside, on a stack of hey and read mid-west folk tales and Carl Sandburg poems? Or can I bring my friend in, chat about everything, play some games and forget the time?

10月のショーツアーはカンサス→デンバー→カナダ。よう動いた。
上の写真は私が一番好きな写真。カンサスの大平原の小屋。中に入ってカール・サンドバーグの詩集を読みたいな、友達を呼んでおしゃべりをしたり、ゲームをして、時間を忘れてしまいたいな。

Mid-October was trees Fashion Week. Who's got a best?

空高い秋。

From my hotel door, Alas, a handsome antique car!
Tell me where have you been?

ホテルを出ると、ハンサムなシボレーの昔の車。
どこからきたの？

At Kansas Art Education Association Conference, I saw a master weaver from Kenya.
I bought ocean blue scarf from him.

カンサスの美術教育教師会のイベントでショーをした後、他の部屋でケニヤからのアーティストが機織をしていて、海の色のスカーフを彼から買いました。

I flew to Denver airport to see my shakuhachi flute teacher, David Wheeler. He lives in Boulder and my first day in Colorado was green and mountainous.

デンバーに向かい、私の尺八のデービッド勘輔師匠にレッスンを受けに行き、緑と山のコロラドに目を見張りました。

Then the temperature dropped 40 degree and snowed all night long.
Unbelievable!

あんまりや～、２０度の秋晴れから、氷点下に落ち、雪が一晩中ふったぁ～

Adios to the snow at sunrise. I head out for Ontario Canada.

朝焼けの雪にアディオス。次はカナダ。

This is my 3rd time to Canada. I was really looking forward this Ontario Contact showcase.

オンタリオでのショーケースは楽しみ。

The show case was held at Stocky Center for the Performing Arts in Parry Sound 2-3 hours drive from Toronto airport.

この劇場であったのですが、一見リゾートホテル。風光明媚な湖畔にある。

 This tall beautiful theater was narrow and it was unusual for me to looking up all the time from the stage. The showcase was 18 minutes of each and 50 artist/group performed. Every one of them was fantastic and blew me away in excitement. That's what performing art is about. I love performing art and happy to be a part of it.

中は木の目が優しい風合いのいい劇場で、ショーケースは５０組のアーティストが１８分ずつする。１８分？　短いのがショーケースの特徴で、オーディエンスは劇場や団体のバイヤーです。
要するに、みなさん、パフォーマンスの買い物にきているのであります。こういうショーケースによって次のシーズンのショーの仕事が決まっていきまる。
で、私の断然の楽しみは他のショーケースを見ること。カナダのパフォーマーはすごい。めちゃめちゃすごい！興奮してしもうた！興奮、、、それでこそパフォーマンスやなぁ。

Kansas Schools - Blue Valley School district

We rocked!
 I said 'we', it was a team effort with the teachers. Louanne Hein, So Choi and Tara who just had a baby (hooray!) wrote a grant to their school district and made it happen. Teachers conducted pre-visit-lesson-plans and when I entered each school, I saw Sumi-e, Japanese paint brushing and Gyataku, fish prints, on the walls. Louanne and So helped me every minute of my visits to schools.

More is on their school page.

http://www.bluevalleyk12schools.org/kuniko-yamamoto-brings-her-talents-to-stages-in-blue-valley

On my last night  So took me and Louanne to a Korean restaurant. We had Kimuchee, Bulkogi and Bibibap.  So's family is from Korea and explained details about the food. It was a lot of fun! Can we do that again?

Love to you all,
Kuniko

Ohio Tour!

Traveled to perform in northwest of Ohio,

Springfield >> Newark>> Greenville >> Pemberville

From a school show to cafe gig and magnificent theatres, they're all breathtaking experience. Even a regular schools show that I've done so many, every school is different and kids are always hilarious and surprise me with unexpected.

Springfiled arts council staff members and Greenville Center for the Arts arranged a week of school residency each. Whenever I have this length of block-booking, I find a great power of community. Both of them are enthusiastic about arts in education and community has a history of supporting it. The volunteer people helped me getting around the town from one school to another. I thank you all sincerely!

 

When I entered the Midland Theatre, it was breathtaking. Built in 1928, renewed 4 years ago, 1200 seats and high sealing with gorgeous interior deco. But the marvelous time has not started yet. Meet their stage technicians, not only they are super professional making the stage light and sound magical but they are hilariously funny. I should have known this delight from the moment I met the assistant director Nancy,  at OAPN showcase. She and I had a funky time with a tarantula - she knows what I mean... yeh ♪

Pemberville Opera House was my last destination. It was another historical theater. I just imagine how nice to have an opera house like this in town. Carol and Jeff keep this theatre alive and I hope I was able to put something into it.

The color of trees was beginning to change when I got there and now it must be full beauty.
Thinking of Autumn in Ohio.
Love to you all.
Kuniko