Saturday, May 11, 2013

SALON DE JEANNE D'ARC 2013

Media Contact: Amy Kirk Duvoisin, joanofarcparade@gmail.com or (504) 251-5046
 
 

SALON DE JEANNE D'ARC 2013

 
An all day conference about Joan of Arc
Free and Open to the Public
 
 
PRODUCED AND PRESENTED BY THE JOAN OF ARC PROJECT,
 

Sunday, May 19th 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

 
No registration required for discussions; RSVP's encouraged for 1 p.m. workshop

 
Doors Open at 10 a.m.
All events will be held in the Vieux Carre Room, first floor, Bienville House Hotel
320 Decatur Street New Orleans, LA 70130

 
10:30-11:30 a.m. Francophile Walking Tour of the French Quarter by licensed tour guide James Geraghty. Begins and ends at the Bienville House Hotel. Please arrive by 10:15 a.m. to ensure your space. Limited to 22 people. French Quarter Tour led by James Geraghty, licensed tour guide and Francophile. Experience the storied streets of the Vieux Carre and three hundred years of French presence in the Crescent City. Your tour includes such sites as New Orleans' birthplace, the Mississippi River; early colonial history at the Ursuline Convent and Madame John's Legacy; the French Market (America's oldest public market); Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral; the identical, block-long Pontalba Buildings; the statue of Joan of Arc at New Place de France; and unique locations covering topics such as Degas in New Orleans, French opera, jazz, and Creole cuisine.
 
11:30 a.m.-12 noon. CROISSANTS WITH THE KREWE DE JEANNE D'ARC. Complimentary coffee, tea & croissants. A time for members and members-to-be to pick up membership information, ask questions, and join the krewe! We'll have a membership table open all day...but now is a good time to catch us between panels and workshops to talk about all things related to the Joan of Arc Parade, held annually on Joan of Arc's birthday, January 6th.
 
12 noon to 12: 45 p.m. More than "Just" a Parade: What it feels like to portray Joan of Arc, King Charles VII, Queen Yolande of Aragon, and other historical persons in our parade. An informal and lively talk with Betsie Gambel (Queen Yolande 2013), Rene Bajeux (King Charles 2013) and Caye Mitchell (Warrior Joan of Arc 2009-now!) about how their parade role has transformed them, what they learned, and other ways this parade is unlike any other Mardi Gras parade. Moderated by Parade Marshal and Mardi Gras historian/collector Rafael Monzon about how this "new" parade is more like parades of yore.
 
1:00-3:00 p.m. Heraldry Workshop with Nora and Antoinette. This workshop, led by our krewe costume designer our krewe "officer in arms", will involve exploring meaning and symbolism in heraldy and house badge, seal, or signet creation both on a personal level and for the segments of our Krewe. Nora will be training us in the correct ways to emblazon our gear and garb with iconic images we create.This will lead into a discussion of long term themes for each segment of the krewe. TO REGISTER, EMAIL JOANOFARCPARADE@GMAIL.COM. This is a free workshop, but limited to 20 people.
 
 
 
3:30-4:30 p.m. Panel Discussion: THE AGE OF JOAN OF ARC with members of Loyola University's Medieval Studies program. Panelists will discuss the musical culture of late medieval France and other female visionaries of Joan’s time. The panel will feature Dr. John Sebastian, Associate Professor of Medieval Literature and head of Loyola’s Medieval Studies program, and Dr. Alice Clark, the Rev. James C. Carter, S.J., Distinguished Professor of Music in Loyola’s College of Music and Fine Arts.

 
4:45 to 5:30 p.m. Cocktails with THE KREWE DE JEANNE D'ARC. Complimentary wine and cheese with members of the krewe. Another opportunity to drop in and meet and greet members, ask questions, and get a calendar of events for the rest of the year, leading up to our 2104 parade.


 
For more information about the Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc and the annual Joan of Arc Parade, visit http://www.joanofarcparade.com and fan us on Facebook at JOAN OF ARC PROJECT.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

 
WORDS FROM OUR FIRE DANCER, CAT LANDRUM
See her peform at 5:30 p.m. before the parade tonight, January 6th
 
 
Dancing with fire is like dancing with a partner;  there must be a balanced relationship between the dancer and the element. Before I discovered the art, my relationship with fire was far from what it is now. One year I had lost all my belongings in an apartment fire caused by a gas leak. The next year fire threatened my life again when a neighbor in my duplex had a cooking accident. These experiences caused me to feel intimidated and resentful towards the element. It was when I first discovered the art of fire dancing that my thoughts changed. Watching dancers move the element to create patterns of light and shadows made me realize how beautiful fire could be. I thought that attempting this myself would help me overcome by negative feelings. This took time as well. At first, I tried dominating the flames as if making the dance into a form of revenge for my earlier experiences with fire. This resulted in a few scars. Finally I learned to respect the element and develop a relationship with fire that allows me to use it's beautiful glow to express myself through movement. The fire that is my dance partner is not a fire of destruction, but a shining light that reflects the fire burning within.