From the red leaf that fell from the part of the
tree
that was maple, grew
a face, and a body that danced.
From the black leaf that fell from the
part of the
tree that was oak, grew
a face, and a body that beat
on
logs of wood.
From the yellow
leaf that fell from the part of the
tree that was poplar,
grew
a face, and a body with
great lungs and lips to sing.
From the white leaf that fell from the part
of the
tree that was birch grew
a face, and a body and a mind
that
loved to speak of geat things.
And amidst all the bodies and faces and
colors that grew
at the foot of the tree there was joy and harmony.
There
was singing. There was dancing. There was drumming. And life was good."
Excerpt from the "All Together Now" poetry of Thomas
Rain Crowe.
"All
Together Now" was a multi-cultural, multi-arts presentation designed to bring a
better understanding of the common links among cultures. The poetry of
Thomas Rain Crowe, written especially for this show, spoke of the depth of each
culture, how the roots reach through time and space: Crowe's poetry opened each
section of this presentation with a lyrical introduction to the richness of each
specific culture. The diversity of native culture was highlighted through
traditional storytelling, string
music drumming, dance, song, poetry, costuming and visual art.
Henry Queen, Extrodinary
mountain musician
Within the performance the basic
core of humanness was demonstrated—likened to the roots of a tree—and linked.
This awakened awarenss of common bonds brought about mutuality in hopes to
eliminate conflict and promote creativity and growth.
Conceived by CSA's Doreyl Ammons Cain, this production traveled all
over the South from 1991 until it's most unforgettable climax, a performance at
the Mountainside Theater in Cherokee (on the hallowed grounds of Unto These Hills) on June 22, 1997. (The
pre-show, consisted of flutist Michael Youngwood, Jody Cooper, and the "Voices in the Laurel" 46-voice children's
choir.)
In this picture, entertainers are: Back row, l-r: Michael Youngwood,
Jody Cooper, and All Together Now's Henry Queen, Tina Looks No More Pheasant, Doreyl Ammons Cain and Amy Ammons
Garza. First row, l-r: Margorie Skwara, Daniel Spotted Horse Pheasant and
Paul Contin.
(Not shown here, but in the photograph above is Kamuina
Badimu.) Soon after this performance, the group "All Together
Now" disbanded as each entertainer followed his/her own endeavors. What a great
time we had together!
Paul Contin.... Set Director
& Costume Designer
In and around 1990, we were introduced to an
exceptional person, Paul Contin, top costume designer with 24-years experience
on New York's broadway. He had come to visit a friend in our mountains, and
loved the area so much he decided to stay for a time. While he was here he
volunteered to work with Catch the Spirit of Appalachia's programs. He assisted,
conceived, produced, contributed in the success of CSA's summer camps,
festivals, All Together Now, The Child of Christmas (designing and creating over 20 costumes for this Christmas
Show), Samantha Bumgartner and the History of String Music, The Snow
Queen Float, and much more. He designed costumes for children and adults, then
made them himself or assisted others in the job. When we could not find the
correct actor, he jumped in and did the part.
He made the royal robes for our King and Queen of the
Greening Up the Mountains Festival (which we still use today) and then made
their float wonderfully special!
Catch the Spirit will forever be
in his debt for his assistance and the very honor of working with such a
professional.
The Wild World of Weather and
Music
On
February 11, 2001, in it's 44th season, Robert Gutter, Music Director and
Conductor of the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, wanted to present the first
storytelling to music that he had ever conducted. He contacted Amy and Doreyl
with a proposal for Amy to tell mountain stories with his chosen music with
Doreyl illustrating the complete symphony. He provided Amy with a CD of the
proposed program. She listened to the music, the tempo, and then chose the
stories to match what she heard. For example, Adagio from "Summer" The Four Seasons, she
chose "When Cottonwood Puffs go Flying Through The Air." For Shaker Tune from "Appalachian Spring," she
chose to do "My Cucumber Doll." With the Waltz
of the Snow Flakes from "The Nutcracker," she chose "Footsteps in the
Shadows."
The
most favorite choice for Amy was "The Legend of
Horseshoe Rock" to the Storm Movement from "Pastoral Symphony." Along
with the music, the storytelling, the fabulous songs sung by outstanding
artists, Dorely's artwork fascinated the audience which contained a whole troup
of scouts. Afterward, the Ammons Sisters were bombarded by the children. What a
great experience!!
The Art of Story A Celebration of how stories shape our
lives
June 23, 2001
At Union College Campus in Barbourville, Kentucky,
the Ammons Sisters were featured as the fanale of a daylong storytelling
celebration. Over thirty storyshops, arts and crafts, demonstrations and the
"Hip-History Theatre" filled the day.
Quote for the celebration:
"It is through
development of our ongoing stories—the evolving of our converstations—that we
discover, define and express our humanity.
Special indeed!
"The Child of Christmas" Here, Ray
Menze, CSA Board Member
shone as King Herod.
December,
1996
Catch the Spirit of Appalachia presented a Christmas production of the
story of the birth of Christ, entitled "The Child of Christmas." 60 players from
the communities of Waynesville, Cullowhee, Sylva, Dillsboro, Franklin, Whittier,
Tuckasegee, Cherokee and Glenville, represented actors/actresses ranging in an
age span from 4 - 80-plus. Paul Contin designed the set, the costumes, and directed much of the
performance. During the production and the intermission, a choir of young voices
added the music.
The play traveled from WCU's recital hall in Cullowhee, to the Fine
Arts Center in Franklin, and finally to the Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place
in Asheville. The play made the cover of "This Week" in Asheville.
A
worthy endeavor, most of the board for Catch the Spirit of Appalachia were part
of the cast and crew.
"The
Trail of Light" and "Mary Did You Know?" Beginning as an outdoor Drama, "The Trail of
Light" interfaith Christian production was the conceived by CSA Board member
Etheree Chancellor. At the
time the secretary for Cullowhee Baptist Church, she asked Amy Garza, a member,
to consider writing the drama about the lineage of Christ, from Adam and Eve on
down through the ages until the birth of Jesus. Amy accepted the challenge, and
completed a script, along with the research of ministers and some chosen members
from local Baptist and Methodist churches. Catch the Spirit of Appalachia
donated all the costumes made by Paul Contin for their earlier play, "The Child
of Christmas."
In the fall of 1999, the two women set forth to produce a
drama that soon gleaned from 5 counties 150 cast and crew to continue through
until 2005, when the Trail of Light Drama Team decided to add to the creation
story, "Mary Did You Know?"
In
2005, 50 people drawn from the cast of The Trail of Light, produced this new
play "Mary Did You Know" that brought the story from the Christ's birth to a
grown man.
In 2006, a new cast was
chosen, with a new director, Teresa Eberly, who once again brought the story of
the life of Jesus alive in "Mary Did You Know." Here are some of the pictures
from the play. If you'd like to see the complete story in pictures, go to http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~beberly/tol/2006/mdyk06.htm
Below
you will see Jesus portrayed at birth, at two years old, at twelve years old,
and as an adult
Foley, Alabama/Maggie Valley Cultural Exchange, Foley,
Alabama CSA represented Western North Carolina in a the first ever Cultural
Exchange for the state of North Carolina.The town of Foley, Alabama presented an
national award winning festival idea to Maggie Valley, to exchange the culture
of each area with one another. In July, 2004, Foley brought a scrimp boat to
Western North Carolina with whistle stops throughout the area, bringing their
food and entertainment to a final festival destination at Maggie Valley, NC.
In turn, Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce desired to return
the favor with entertainment and vendors from Western North Carolina.
Bill Miller, Executive Director of Maggie Valley’s Chamber contracted Catch the
Spirit of Appalachia to put together the entertainment of the area for Heritage
Harbor Days in Foley on November 4-7, 2004. Amy Ammons Garza wrote a
script “The Settling of the Smoky Mountains” and put together a group of entertainers to reflect the pioneer story.
The trip was hugely successful, with the Foley Chamber
stating that it was the best
entertainment they had ever had because
of the education involved. Entertainers were: The Ammons Sisters,
Joshua Bulla, Emily Geisler, John Grant Jr, the McDowell Family Band, Judy
Rhodes, The Bravehearts—about 30 people in all.
The Bravehearts & Josh Bulla
John Grant, Jr., Cherokee Storyteller &
Dancer
The McDowell
Family
Judy Rhodes, Folksinger
Foley Welcomes the North Carolina Troup with a
banquet for the whole town!
The Storytelling
Quilt
Conceived, designed and hand quilted by members and founders of the
Board of Directors of Ctch the Spirit of Appalachia, Inc, in celebration of 15
years service to the community. The project was directed by Etheree
Chancellor; appiqued by: Doreyl Ammons Cian, Etheree Chancellor, Amy Ammons
Garza, Vera Holland Guise, Gail Briggs Nolen, and Linda Owen Vinson. Quilted by:
Etheree Chancellor, Amy Ammons Garza, Vera Holland Guise, Terry Michelsen and
Linda Owen Vinson.
Each
square tells a story, the story of the wilderness of the mountains, the Native
American, teh coming of the settler, their families, the land, their homes.
Finally, the quilt itself captures the past, stitch by stitch, for the future of
Appalachia—it's children.
Wins 1st
Place at the 2005 and 2nd place at the 2006 Mountain State
Fair
The Storytelling
Quilt, a centerpiece to the 2005 Mountain State Fair Community Booth
Reflecting their work in the Jackson County and the Western North
Carolina region, Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, Inc., captured the first place
award (for the 4th time) in the “Community Booth” section of the 2005 Mountain
State Fair in Fletcher, N.C. Showcasing the 2005 booth was a “Storytelling
Quilt,” conceived, designed and hand quilted by members and founders of the
Board of Directors in celebration of 16 years of service.
The booth also demonstrated the wide sweep of communities
covered by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia and its involvement in an ongoing
thrust to honor and preserve the heritage of the area and its people, yesterday,
today and tomorrow.
2nd place winner
for 2006
This is an image of the Catch the Spirit
of Appalachia 2004 Mountain State Fair Community Booth 1st place
winner.
From the red leaf
"All
Together Now" was a multi-cultural, multi-arts presentation designed to bring a
better understanding of the common links among cultures. The poetry of
Thomas Rain Crowe, written especially for this show, spoke of the depth of each
culture, how the roots reach through time and space: Crowe's poetry opened each
section of this presentation with a lyrical introduction to the richness of each
specific culture. The diversity of native culture was highlighted through
traditional storytelling, 
string
music drumming, dance, song, poetry, costuming and visual art. 
n June 22, 1997. (The
pre-show, consisted of flutist Michael Youngwood, Jody Cooper, and the 
Paul Contin designed the set, the costumes, and directed much of the
performance. During the production and the intermission, a choir of young voices
added the music.
At the
time the secretary for Cullowhee Baptist Church, she asked Amy Garza, a member,
to consider writing the drama about the lineage of Christ, from Adam and Eve on
down through the ages until the birth of Jesus. Amy accepted the challenge, and
completed a script, along with the research of ministers and some chosen members
from local Baptist and Methodist churches. Catch the Spirit of Appalachia
donated all the costumes made by Paul Contin for their earlier play, "The Child
of Christmas."
CSA represented Western North Carolina in a the first ever Cultural
Exchange for the state of North Carolina.The town of Foley, Alabama presented an
national award winning festival idea to Maggie Valley, to exchange the culture
of each area with one another. In July, 2004, Foley brought a scrimp boat to
Western North Carolina with whistle stops throughout the area, bringing their
food and entertainment to a final festival destination at Maggie Valley, NC.
In turn, Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce desired to return
the favor with entertainment and vendors from Western North Carolina.
Bill Miller, Executive Director of Maggie Valley’s Chamber contracted Catch the
Spirit of Appalachia to put together the entertainment of the area for Heritage
Harbor Days in Foley on November 4-7, 2004. Amy Ammons Garza wrote a
script 
Conceived, designed and hand quilted by members and founders of the
Board of Directors of Ctch the Spirit of Appalachia, Inc, in celebration of 15
years service to the community. The project was directed by Etheree
Chancellor; appiqued by: Doreyl Ammons Cian, Etheree Chancellor, Amy Ammons
Garza, Vera Holland Guise, Gail Briggs Nolen, and Linda Owen Vinson. Quilted by:
Etheree Chancellor, Amy Ammons Garza, Vera Holland Guise, Terry Michelsen and
Linda Owen Vinson.
