Nightlighters Dance: Midsummer's Night's Dream

If a June night could talk, it would probably boast it invented romance.  ~Bern Williams

Time To Meet And Greet 08/13/2016 (Page One)

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach

Did You Know? - Shakespeare was a giant dance fan. Of his 37 plays, more than a dozen explicitly call for dance performances: Think of the maskers at the Capulet ball in "Romeo and Juliet," and the fairy circle that guards Titania as she sleeps in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (not to mention the dancey rhythms of that play's poetry). "As You Like It" and "The Tempest" contain festive masques with dancing. Dance references appear throughout his works.

You Are Invited!

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
Our tables were beautiful and Roberta prepared special centerpieces
Butterfies, Dragonflies, and magical blue fairy lights!

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
Arriving at the dance...

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
Big smiles!

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
"I wonder if I was invited?"

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
Welcome... Dancing will begin shortly

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
I do believe I see Tinkerbell!

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
You must listen carefully

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
Our tables were named after the key characters in Shakespeare's
"Midsummer Night's Dream"

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
"We are warmed up and ready to go!"

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
"I am going to tickle the keys all night long!"

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
Nice to be back together again!

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
Gary and Sue... A pair to draw to!

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
Serious conversations do occur... But not too often!

Did You Know? - It is unknown exactly when A Midsummer Night's Dream was written or first performed, but on the basis of topical references and an allusion to Edmund Spenser's Epithalamion, it is usually dated 1595 or early 1596.

Shakespeare had probably already completed Romeo and Juliet and had yet to start working on The Merchant of Venice.

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
Around and around we go... Where we stop nobody knows!

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
Wonderful dancers enjoying great music from The Rhythm Kings

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
They played a little of everything this evening....
Excellent planning by Joe Barille

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
Hold on... That butterfly was not there a few minutes ago!
(Must be some magic in the night!)

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
The tempo is picking up...
Everyone is eyeing the oxygen bottles in the corner of the room

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
They make it look so easy

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
"Watch out... Here we come!"

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
Watch out for the sharp turns...

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
We knew it... There was a "dip" directly in their path!

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
Fireflies? or Fairies?

Did You Know? - According to Thomas Keightley, the word "fairy" derives from the Latin fata, and is from the Old French form faerie, describing "enchantment". Other forms are the Italian fata, and the Provençal "fada". In old French romance, "fee" was a woman skilled in magic, and who knew the power and virtue of words, of stones, and of herbs.

Faie became Modern English fay. Faierie became fairy, but with that spelling now almost exclusively referring to one of the legendary people, with the same meaning as fay. The word "fairy" was used to in represent an illusion, or enchantment; the land of the Faes; collectively the inhabitants thereof; or an individual such as a fairy knight.

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach
The centerpieces added to the magic of the evening

Quotation To Remember: "To live a barren sister all your life,
Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon
." — Theseus' warning to Hermia of what could become of her if she doesn't agree to marry the man her father has chosen for her. (A "barren sister" is a nun.)

Get Your Program... You Can't Tell The Players Without A Program

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach

Quotation To Remember: "The course of true love never did run smooth." — Lysander tells Hermia that they are not the only true lovers who have had troubles.

Nightlighter's Midsummer Night's Dream dance in Redondo Beach

Did You Know? - At two separate times, Felix Mendelssohn composed music for William Shakespeare's play, A Midsummer Night's Dream. First in 1826, near the start of his career, he wrote a concert overture (Op. 21). Later, in 1842, only a few years before his death, he wrote incidental music (Op. 61) for a production of the play, into which he incorporated the existing Overture.

Playing: The Overature To Midsummer Night's Ream