It’s not often one gets to see the queen and indeed, wave at her. Semaphore-ly speaking. It’s one of those opportunities that crops up, and before you know it you’re standing on the roof of the Royal Festival hall, two large (and heavy) flags in hand with rain threatening and thousands of people standing on the bank below you.
The opportunity to work with Lea Anderson was amazing; such a gentle and down-to-earth soul. Ideas stream from her with an excitement that’s contagious, and it’s what led thirty-odd people to vibrantly learn an alphabet lost to most, but not the (navy trained) Prince Phillip or, hopefully, the Queen herself.
Sometimes what makes a great performance is not how challenging you find the work, sometimes it’s the opportunity to step out of your usual bounds and meet some amazing people. Whether I get to see these wonderful dancers of all ages and nationalities again is questionable, but the candidness with which they spoke when we were waiting to perform was heart-rendering. There’s a special in-between space when virtual strangers open themselves to a dialogue, and it’s something I wholeheartedly love to engage with.
Beyond the conversation, the flag waving, spelling “Attention! Happy Diamond Jubilee Queen Elizabeth! We heart you!” – yep. Semaphore speak. Artistically rendered. Ta-da!
And you know what? Though the wind nearly tore the flags from our numb fingers and it began to rain, having Lee smile over to us, describing the confusion on the Queen’s face before she heartily (well, I’m imagining it so) waved back was something that cannot be lived twice.
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