More than 100 people gathered midday Friday outside Charleston City Hall to celebrate the opening of the annual U.S. Spoleto Festival, which has been held some 40 times so far.
“This important international arts event, a fixture of Charleston’s cultural scene for nearly half a century, marks a significant and exciting new chapter,” said Spoleto Board Chair Alicia Mullen Gregory.
The opening ceremony, which began with a reading by Charleston Poet Laureate Asia May, offered a glimpse of what Charleston has in store for the festival over the course of 17 days. Romeo and Juliet Suite It was presented by the LA Dance Project and opened for the Charleston Jazz Academy.
Mena Mark Hanna, general director of Spoleto Festival USA, emphasized the role of the community in organizing the festival and its reception.
“It’s the lifeblood of the city,” he said. “It’s the connective tissue of Charleston.”
A proud teacher
Jazz Academy President Alba Anderson and her husband, Allen Weinberger, looked on proudly as the young musicians concluded the ceremony. Anderson has attended the festival for eight years, but this year’s opening ceremony holds special meaning for her because it’s the first time she’s been able to watch her students perform.
In addition to seeing her students perform at the ceremony, Anderson said she is looking forward to seeing other performances at the festival itself.
“I don’t usually go to ballet, Romeo and Juliet “Tomorrow I’m going to the Dianne Reeves and Terri Lynn Carrington concerts, and I’m looking forward to the Trombone Shorty concert,” she said.
A family tradition for many
For attendees, what attracted them to the ceremonies and festivals was not just the performances, but the deep local traditions and bonds that have continued for nearly half a century.
“It’s a family tradition,” said Margaret Summers, who has been attending the festival since 1978. “My mom, my dad and my cousins who live in Folly Beach came, so it was a little family reunion.” [This year] My brother is coming from California, so we decided to meet up here.”
No matter who Spoleto performs, Summers said she and her family plan to continue reuniting with the festival as a backdrop, even if only to hear her favorite, “The Bells of St. Michael’s Church.”
Friday’s ceremony ended with a bang as confetti rained down on the crowd, marking the start of this year’s Spoleto festival season.
Shirin Gupta, Brandon Wallace and Jayden Wilson are graduate students in arts journalism at Syracuse University.
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