In Memoriam
Remembering Sarah (Sally) Stackhouse by Livia Vanaver
In 1967 I was dancing with Fred Berk's Hebraica Dancers, the resident company at the 92nd Street Y, . At age 16, I was the youngest member of the Company, There were several dancers who were going to the American Dance Festival that summer at Connecticut College in New London. It was the first summer ADF included a special teen program. The Jose Limon Co was in residence there. I fell in love with them . . . but most especially with Sally. I followed her around like a puppy. I snuck into the . . .
From a postcard in 1967 at American Dance Festival/Connecticut College, New London.
Sarah Stackhouse dancing with Louis Falco & Jose Limon. photo: Getty collection
Image restored by Shiloh Vanaver
Remembering Sarah (Sally) Stackhouse
Words by Livia Vanaver
In 1967 I was dancing with Fred Berk's Hebraica Dancers, the resident company at the 92nd Street Y,. At age 16, I was the youngest member of the Company. There were several dancers who were going to the American Dance Festival that summer at Connecticut College in New London. It was the first summer ADF included a special teen program. The Jose Limon Company was in residence there. I fell in love with them.... but most especially with Sally. I followed her around like a puppy. I snuck into the theatre, watched all the rehearsals and came to every performance..... then and subsequently for years.
Her expressivity, and depth of feeling touched me to the core. Her dancing was soulful and transcendent and she inspired me and so many of us dancers.
Years later after Sarah and her husband, Nano, moved up to New Paltz, where Bill and I had been living since 1974, we found to our delight that our houses was only 10 minutes away! Since the 90's, our Company and Youth Company have loved dancing in her studio above the garage. Many dances were created there. We shook the rafters. Sarah was always welcome to join us, and always gave great feedback. She inspired many of our young dancers during one SummerDance teaching the Essence of Limon. . Her welcoming, encouragement and generosity will always be appreciated. Sarah was on the Board of Advisors of The Vanaver Caravan for many years.
I loved just being with her. In 2022 we decided to practice Miss Craske's 8 port de bras from Cecchetti ballet. We both loved the iconic arm movements. When we couldn't remember them exactly, we zoomed in Diana Byer, our mutual friend and the keeper of Miss Craske's vast knowledge and Cecchetti sylabus. This past year, our relationship included matzo ball soup which I enjoyed making for her knowing that this was something she could eat . Those matzo balls were filled with my love for her. Indeed every interaction I had with Sarah was full of love. She engendered that feeling in all of us.
[The photo at the top of this post] was a postcard from 1967 with Sarah, Louis Falco and Jose Limon, when we were at Connecticut College for the American Dance Festival. I carried it with me for years. Two years ago, I asked my son, Shiloh (who does amazing photo restoration work) if he could restore it.
I gave a nice blown up and framed version to Sarah for her birthday and the first thing she said was, "My feet were so dirty, but I guess that's how every dancer's feet were in those days".
We will miss her deeply. Her life was a blessing to all who knew her.
Arts-Ed Reflections
This past Friday marked the 33rd Annual Calico Ball in Beacon. The entire third grade of the Beacon City School District (12 classes and over 100 students) took to the stage of the Pete and Toshi Seeger Theatre at the Beacon High School—eight and nine-year-olds dressed up in Lederhosen and Carnivale masks weaving through the current of high school students between bells to get to the backstage wings. The high schoolers had all been part of the Calico ball when they were in third grade, of course, so none of this seemed out of place.
“When I come into the High School,” reflects Livia. . .
Calico Ball students singing their song finale.
2023 Arts Ed Reflections
Last Friday marked the 33rd Annual Calico Ball in Beacon. The entire third grade of the Beacon City School District (12 classes and over 100 students) took to the stage of the Pete and Toshi Seeger Theatre at the Beacon High School—eight and nine-year-olds dressed up in Lederhosen and Carnivale masks weaving through the current of high school students between bells to get to the backstage wings. The high schoolers had all been part of the Calico ball when they were in third grade, of course, so none of this seemed out of place.
“When I come into the high school,” reflects Livia. “Students stop me in the hallway and start doing the steps of their third grade dances right there. It’s a riot!”
Backstage snap shot of the Calico Ball song Finale.
For those of us who didn’t grow up in the Beacon School District, the Calico Ball is the first school dance program established by The Vanaver Caravan. Caravan teachers go into the elementary schools and teach each class a different dance from a country or region around the world. Classroom and special area teachers work with students on special art projects, songs, stories, and research. At the end of this two month cultural immersion, all the school staff, students and their families gather at the High School to perform their dances and share what they’ve learned. This year’s Calico Ball took the audience to Germany, Brazil, China, Ghana, South Africa, Côte D’Ivoire, Ecuador, Argentina, Greece, Egypt, Puerto Rico, and the outback of Australia.
The Calico Ball has grown into a steadfast community tradition–integrated deeply into school curriculum, from the superintendent to the custodial staff, everybody celebrates together. It is so integrated, in fact, that the current principal of Sargent Elementary School herself performed in the inaugural Calico Ball and more than half of the students have parents or siblings who have passed through third grade and marched onto the stage to proudly celebrate the beautiful music and dance that the world has to offer.
While the Calico Ball is our oldest residency, it is not our only residency. This year saw The Vanaver Caravan in 29 schools, with over 3,000 students. Our growing team of Teaching Artists took the classrooms with aplomb, sharing the change-making power of the arts with children and adults alike. At Arlington High School, where we run a full year dance and yoga elective for sophomores-seniors, students reflected that the Dance program was one of the only places they felt truly safe to be themselves.
Arlington High School Dance Studio. Dance teachers: Miranda (Moo) Way, Mara Lileas, Debra Waner, and Cedric James
Yesterday, our Arlington High School students philosophized: “I feel so comfortable with all of you here–like we’ve all been through a trauma and it’s made us closer–except it wasn’t traumatic, it was fun! Why is that?” Eventually, they came to the conclusion that dancing together and being really present in their bodies made it way easier to shake off the walls they put up to protect themselves from judgment or hurt.
Teaching dance in schools is important. We have worked hard to ensure that our dance and music programs are available to schools. In a climate where schools are banning books and erasing history, it feels more vital than ever to make sure the stories and movements of all peoples are represented and honored with integrity. So, as we celebrate the end of the school year, we also acknowledge that there is so much more work to be done. And we are here for it.
India 2023
Unity Through Diversity: Shakti Caravan, India 2023
Reflections from Livia Vanaver
In the 70's and 80's The Vanaver Caravan toured for the US State Department as Cultural Ambassadors of Good Will. Over the years, we continued to do this representing New York State and Ulster County. Truly, we are still doing that wherever we go. I have always been drawn to India and never imagined how it would affect me and broaden the work of The Vanaver Caravan until we began in 2011. Every time we have visited India, I never know what to expect . . . but I do know that something unexpected and miraculous will happen every day. This was our 4th time working with the Aikiyam faculty and students grades 1-8. For 2023, they asked us to create something special for the whole school to celebrate Republic Day . The theme this year was Unity Through Diversity.
In January, we worked with the faculty and 200 children from the Aikiyam School, one of Auroville's seven schools, which serves the village of Kuyilapaliam, bordering Auroville in Tamil Nadu. We chose eight countries that represent the peoples and cultures who reside in, and helped to build, Auroville. Created by Sri Aurobindo and his main disciple, known as The Mother, Auroville is an idealistic community with a vision to model global unity. West Africa, Germany, Brazil, Italy, France, China, South Africa and the USA were the cultures of choice. Each class/grade level studied and portrayed these countries through dance, music, song, and history.
One of the highlights for all of us was working with the teachers and having them perform dances from Greece and Israel. After the school day (and after chai and unwinding together), we rehearsed. The teachers were received like rock stars by the entire student body. You should have heard the audience cheering! The crumbling theater on the property next door to Aikiyam was renovated, and refurbished to accommodate this event and the whole school performed and shared their dances and all that they learned. Hopefully the space will now serve as a lovely performance area for future events.
You may know that every Thursday morning since April 2020, a month after the Covid lockdown in India, we began weekly world dance classes with the students at Malarchi home, the boarding house for Aikiyam and the high school. When it's 6:30 AM here, it's 5:00 PM there: a perfect time to Dance for Joy (their title for the class). That class still continues remotely today. Bharat Verma (an amazing dancer and body percussionist whom we met 11 years ago when the Company first went to Udaipur, India to work in the schools there) is currently teaching Rajasthani folk dance, Bollywood and body percussion to the students. We are all so happy to see each other on Zoom every week to dance. Last week we were ALL thrilled to dance together in person for the first time in 3 years!
Jill Ann Schwartz and I were the Teaching Artists. Chelsea Needham and Bill were the musicians extraordinaire. Jonah Grossman and Kyan Malone, two of our Youth Company, assisted in teaching these dances to the entire school, and they had the time of their lives. We all performed together at SAWCHU in front of their main theatre, Bharat Nivas, which brought people from throughout the Auroville communities together for the concert and participatory dancing. It was a true celebration of global connection and continuing to build community, in the way Auroville was intended. Big shout out to Laura Stotz and Marc Grossman, the two VanaParents on board for this tour, documenting and supporting the experience.
New Year's Tidings
A year ago, our artistic founders, administrative team and board of directors gathered to envision the future we hope to see for this nonprofit. We worked together to understand the impact and possibilities that exist within the Caravan’s legacy. The emerging vision for the future is one in which this organization continues to thrive, inspire, and nurture community for another half a century. We enter into 2023 with an important shift in company leadership: the Vanavers are officially passing the torch to the next generation. Never fear . . .
New Year, New Tidings: A Letter from the Incoming Executive Director
Miranda (Moo) Wilde Way
A year ago, our Founders, Artistic Directors, Administrative Team and Board of Directors gathered to envision the future we hope to see for this nonprofit. We have since worked together to understand the impact and possibilities that exist within the Caravan’s legacy. The emerging vision for the future is one in which this organization continues to educate, inspire and nurture community for another half a century.
We set out to do this with a collective agenda to shake up the traditional non-profit structure—moving away from top-down leadership to team-led decision-making. This has been a peaceful evolution for us: the nature of The Vanaver Caravan has often defied convention in search of a more beautiful and true way of being. As we plan for the future, we plan to use our artistic creativity to break down social barriers and build a more inclusive and loving world. These concepts are not new to the Caravan, but they are actively being woven into our strategic planning process today—through the fabric of our organization, across every fold and fiber.
And so we enter into 2023 with an important shift in company management: the Vanavers are officially passing the torch to the next generation. Never fear! Livia and Bill aren’t going anywhere (well, actually, they fly out to India next week to teach and produce a school-wide dance performance for India’s Republic Day!). But they remain steadfast in their roles as co-Founders and Artistic Directors—guiding my generation through the labyrinth of nonprofit life.
The need for clear leadership roles and tangible infrastructure has emerged with the growth of the organization. It is no secret that Livia and Bill have lovingly carried the Caravan mantle for 5 decades—sometimes through sheer force of will and powerful optimism. They have shlepped and housed every musical instrument, costume, dancer, musician, leaf of sheet music and errant tap shoe in their home, cars, and memories (and sometimes their neighbor’s homes, cars, and memories😉) from the get. Now, the company expands beyond the capacity of Vanaver family’s household—but everyone is still welcome for dinner.
It is with great humility, gratitude and commitment that I step into the role of Executive Director for The Vanaver Caravan this year. I come into this role knowing that I am not filling anyone’s shoes, but rather charting a path alongside the village of incredible artists, activists, friends, family, colleagues, and elders who have paved the way for us all.
What began from a seed of love and a yearning to celebrate our incredible world has evolved into one of the most unique, long-standing, and change-making nonprofits the world has seen. Livia said it best, “We never planned for any of this to happen. It just felt right, and we just kept going”. And now, we, the people who love and celebrate this organization, have the chance to lead the Caravan forward, with integrity and intention.
So, this New Year’s, I’d like to share some resolutions for the Caravan.
Exciting new projects are on the horizon! In addition to our Dance Institute programs and year-round performances, our goal is to build a home base. The Caravan Center will create a much-needed four season space for our classes and workshops. It will be an accessible hub for artistic excellence, community belonging, and creative education in the Hudson Valley. The capital campaign officially launches this month and we will need the support of our community to realize this visionary space. Learn more.
In 2023, the company also aims to expand its music program, train new teaching artists, and provide tangible curricula for our beloved arts-education programs (read: Bill & Livia are writing a book!).
As the Caravan stretches into new ways of being, we honor the central tenets of why we exist and how we operate. This company began as a family whose values revolve around togetherness, vibrancy, adventure, and joy. Built into the very heart of The Vanaver Caravan’s mission statement is the recognition and celebration of our own humanity.
Thus, the ethos of the company will continue to prioritize the health, well-being, and happiness of our employees, performers, and communities. We aim to make sure that the actions this organization takes ensure that the people and places with whom we work are treated with dignity, respect, and love. And, last but not least, we plan to have a whole lot of fun along the way. We hope you, our community, will join us!
Three cheers to many more years of whimsy, wonder, and good work.
Happy New Year,
Miranda (Moo) Wilde Way
CARAVAN CENTER
This is a very special year for the Center for Symbolic Studies and The Vanaver Caravan--and we need your support. Please consider making a contribution to our campaign to Build the Caravan Center at Stone Mountain Farm. Your donation will help build a new forever home for The Vanaver Caravan and a much-needed four-season creative space for a myriad of wonderful classes, workshops, performances, and local/international artist residencies.
CARAVAN CENTER
A SPACE FOR THE ARTS TO THRIVE
This is a very special year for the Center for Symbolic Studies and The Vanaver Caravan--and we need your support.
Please consider making a contribution to our campaign to Build the Caravan Center at Stone Mountain Farm. Your donation will help build a new forever home for The Vanaver Caravan and a much-needed four-season creative space for a myriad of wonderful classes, workshops, performances, and local/international artist residencies.
Hudson Valley One Magazine Article::
Read full article at: https://hudsonvalleyone.com/2022/08/19/vanaver-caravan-center-for-symbolic-studies-seeks-permanent-hq/
Vanaver Caravan, Center for Symbolic Studies seek permanent HQ
Young performers from Vanaver Caravan’s Summerdance event rehearse at Stone Mountain Farm in Tillson. (Photo by Lauren Thomas)
. . . Celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding in the Hudson Valley this year, with a mission to “inspire, through dance and music, the harmonious co-existence of world cultures and traditions,” the Vanaver Caravan has become a fixture in the cultural landscape of this region, especially via the generations of children who have participated in its arts-in-education programs. Its partnership with CSS over the years includes co-organizing the pageantry of the much-loved Beltane Festival that takes place at the Farm each year on the weekend closest to the first of May.
Miranda [Way], Interim Executive Director of The Vanaver Caravan, stands on the site where there are hopes to build a theater at Stone Mountain Farm in Tillson. (Photo by Lauren Thomas)
“A new generation of Caravan veterans is now stepping up to the plate, prepared to shepherd in the next phase. . .”
Like many not-for-profits founded in the 1960s and ‘70s by young idealists steeped in counterculture values, the Caravan is facing the same issues of generational transition as CSS. Co-founders Bill and Livia Vanaver will undoubtedly go on making music, dancing and teaching until they drop; but like the Larsens, they’ve reached the age where it becomes necessary to ponder who’s going to take up the torch when they’re gone – not to mention how to ensure that the organization’s mission will remain relevant in the decades to come.
The Caravan has a small rented office in New Paltz’s Water Street Market, and much of the planning process over the years has happened at the Vanavers’ kitchen table, but finding class and rehearsal space for dance has been an ongoing challenge. A new generation of Caravan veterans is now stepping up to the plate, prepared to shepherd in the next phase. And that includes the dream of a “forever home,” co-owned by the organization.
“We’re interested in having a physical space to dance year-round,” says interim executive director Miranda [Way], known to the troupe as Moo since she began taking dance lessons with the CaravanKids as a preschooler. “A natural evolution that feels very organic is building a four-season space…It’ll make it possible to do a lot more collaborations like Beltane.”
Presuming that its $125,000 pricetag can be raised through grants and donations, that space will be a round yurt 50 feet in diameter, made of insulated canvas by an Alaska-based company called Nomad Shelters, according to Gwyneth, who’s handling the construction logistics. “These things have serious R-value and can take a heavy-duty snow load. Some people in Alaska live in them year-round.”
Dance-friendly marley vinyl flooring will be installed atop a platform of structural insulated panels supported by Sonotube piers. The yurt will be wired for electrical service, with mini-splits for heating and air conditioning, and the ceiling will be high enough to accommodate aerial dance classes in inclement weather. Part of the plan is to make the Caravan Center available for residencies at an affordable rate to other artists for about a third of the year, says Moo. “It’ll be a space for all of the arts to thrive.”
On Saturday, capital campaign director Chelsea Miller took Wellness Festival attendees on tours to the location where this new facility is proposed to be built: in what is now a meadow, just before the first parking lot on the south side of the access road to Stone Mountain Farm, at the terminus of River Road Extension. The building site is opposite (though out of sight of) the Rail Trail Café, and there’s a bathhouse near completion right next door. Proximity to the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail will make it feasible for New Paltz and Rosendale residents to bicycle to the Caravan Center, grab a quick shower before class or quaff a local microbrew at the Café afterwards.
Organizers of the project say that a few anonymous donors have put up seed money for the campaign, whose goal is to raise $125,000 . . . “We want to close out the fundraising by the year’s end and break ground as soon as it thaws,” says Miller. . .
