The Summer of Your Passing
Happy National Poetry Month from Stance on Dance!
BY EUGENE WILLIAMS; ILLUSTRATION BY CAMILLE TAFT
There were angels and dragons in the sunset
Lightning bugs rose in waves over the beans and corn
From the woods, the screech owl called
telling us your journey was smooth
Under the full moon the Corn Maiden danced
Eugene Williams was a wonderful dancer, steadfast disability rights advocate, enthusiastic friend and exceptional human who suddenly passed away in March 2017. He wrote this poem after visiting Zuni, Hopi and Navajo lands. He described seeing the Corn Maiden: “Her face was the full moon atop the tassels of eight-foot high corn stalks.” This interview was conducted with him shortly before his untimely death. He is much missed.
Camille Taft is an 18-year-old dancer living in Longmont, CO, who has trained throughout her life in primarily ballet and modern dance. With both her parents as visual artists, she has always appreciated the excitement that comes from a collaboration of mixed media, and was thus overjoyed to have the opportunity to work with Stance on Dance.