The Dance of Mairig

The Dance of Mairig, a work in progress was presented at The Main Street Church in Phoenicia, New York, at the gallery opening of painter Ani Tashjian.

Created by dancer Heidi Stonier with musician Maggie Parent the piece plays with themes that arise from the rich tapestry of Ani’s artwork. When looking at the painting “Mairig,” which means mother in Armenian, Heidi and Maggie ask: “what have our mothers given to us?” Besides giving life, itself, there are so many things our mothers have taught us, spoken and unspoken. They have passed down our history from the beginning of time. They taught us how to “be” in this world. Sometimes they hid themselves and taught us how to wear the masks that would make us acceptable to the world. But love and art peel away the masks and force us to look at ourselves. There is the beauty of creation and the joy of its bounty, our inheritance, this earth. There is childhood and innocence. And there is loss, so much loss, as mother’s all over the world weep. And there is chaos out of which a mother’s love must tether us to our own hearts and to each other. In the end, the life our mothers gave us become the dance itself.

Acknowledgements

It is such a special time to be alive, when all the good and all the bad are manifesting and the choice is ours which way to go. Equally important, is who we choose to go there with.  Ani’s art is the inspiration for The Dance of Mairig. Without her courage to paint from her heart and without her kindness in asking me to dance in front of it, there would have been a missed opportunity to choose. I’ve known Ani since childhood, and she is a true artist. Her work has always sought to connect to the deepest part of herself and in doing so invites us to do the same. Her work is generous because she cares about the world. Ani and I have had many discussions about the role of art and the themes of her paintings, these discussions have infused the dance of Mairig. Another artist and contributor to the dance is, Lisa Rifkin, who’s mentoring has been invaluable. Finding Maggie and the sensitivity she brings to her musicianship became another valuable link. I am grateful to the tapestry of connections woven by the Divine Mother. This dance is dedicated to Her.