Accomplishing More Together

06.29.21

Dance company transforms parking deck into theatrical wonderland

Dancers in parking garage

Dear TRENDS Diary - 

For any dance company, real human connection with an audience has been nearly impossible since the pandemic shut down live performances. But, given the slightest crack in the closed door of daylight, we at 3rd Law Dance/Theater burst the door open and took to the great outdoors for the fourth rendition of our biannual Elision Project. Specifically, we took to the tri-level parking garage at Boulder’s 29th Street Mall for a site-specific concert that transformed an ordinary parking garage into an immersive, theatrical wonderland over four nights.

We at 3rd Law took our biggest theatrical challenge to date and turned it into a thrilling creative opportunity. We had so many logistics to overcome, from sound quality to gritty dancing surfaces to audience comfort to weather. We had a plan A, B, C and D. And somehow, we made magic with dramatic lighting, live music and thoughtful original choreography spread over multiple parking levels.

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06.07.21

Pride Month centers on importance of community and connection after year of big changes

Mardi Moore sitting in car at parade waving rainbow flags

Dear TRENDS Diary -

Long before the pandemic, it was true that the LGBTQ community suffers from greater loneliness and isolation than others. So Pride Month, and the loosening of restrictions on public gatherings, could not come at a better time for our community.

Pride commemorates the catalyst of the modern LGBTQ rights movement. And in a year of big changes, Out Boulder County is excited to announce a big shift in how Pride is celebrated here. We will be bringing the entire county together by combining our Longmont and Boulder Prides into one expanded celebration from June 7 to 13.

Our events, both virtual and physically distanced, will center on the importance of community and connection. The schedule includes Rainbow Storytime, a video-game tournament, an LGBTQ family-planning seminar, a vaccine clinic, a drive-in film screening of “P.S. Burn This Letter Please” and more. Our biggest events will be three motorcades on Sunday, June 13: 9 a.m. in Longmont, 1 p.m. in Boulder, and 4 p.m. in Lafayette. The full schedule of events is at outboulder.org/pride.

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05.25.21

Coming of age as a lesbian amidst home-grown oppression in Boulder and Colorado

Sue Larson

Dear TRENDS Diary -

I know Boulder well. I’ve had a perfect vantage point for seeing what life here is like for a lesbian. Not that I knew I was a lesbian early on. I didn’t have a name for who I was, but I knew what I was not. Being in a group that is hidden does that to people—interferes with their awareness of who they are.

I knew that Boulder’s 1974 electoral rejection of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual (LGB*) rights was somehow relevant to me, but I couldn’t say why. Oppression interferes with clarity. I knew it felt bad.

When I returned to Boulder after college, I still wasn’t sure who I was though I was aware I was “tense a lot.” I saw a therapist who helped me to name myself: “I’m a lesbian.” When I came out to my family, my brother said: “Sue was the last person in the family to know.”

Once I had put that important information into words, I had access to the LGB community. Life was different; I was less tense. I worked on Boulder’s 1987 campaign for LGB rights—and we won! That was followed by wonderful community engagement.

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05.21.21

"Cultural Caravan" offers fresh vision to revitalize community

Josh Halpern with arms draped on instrument

Dear TRENDS Diary - 

Local businesses have struggled to survive the COVID-19 pandemic, and major arts organizations have closed their doors until further notice.

But culture, human connection, and the health of our communities have never been more important. 

After so much isolation, the Cultural Caravan offers a fresh vision to revitalize the community: bringing small businesses that have struggled to survive the pandemic together with the countless artists whose unique voices have been silenced for over a year.

When people hear I’m a classical cellist, they assume that the Cultural Caravan will consist of string quartets all around town. I’m all for string quartets, but one surprise of creating the Caravan is that it’s led me to meet such a wide diversity of artists. 

We’re bringing together musicians who specialize in Indian Raga, Brazilian Jazz, music of southern Africa, and more. What you’ll hear from us will be different than anything you’ve heard before. 

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