On any day of the year, one could walk through Patterson Park, the gem of east Baltimore, and be treated to views of the
pagoda, the casino, the waterfowl pond and magnificent urban vistas. But for a couple of magical weekends this past summer,
that same stroll yielded all of the above plus dozens of clowns, a lion tamer, accordion music, Cupid and something called a
Love-O-Meter.
These were only some of the ingredients in Cirque de L'Amour, a water ballet produced by Fluid Movement, the brainchild
of Keri Burneston '94, visual arts. The story line was the usual French circus-themed synchronized swimming fare in which a
circus clown, disillusioned by her ho-hum circus clown life, falls for the glamorous lion tamer. Did I mention the entire
thing takes place in a pool?
Many of the actors in the show are residents of the neighborhoods surrounding the park. Burneston realized the importance
of community involvement while on a trip to Italy when she was still in school. "I was a painting and drawing major. In the
past, artists had patrons, but we had gotten away from being beholden to the community. I realized it was up to me to
communicate, and I couldn't be upset if they didn't understand," she says.
When she returned from that trip, Keri's work took a very different turn. "I began to do more installation and video work.
Slowly I got my nerve up," she says.
So far, that nerve has served her well. After graduation she was in a reading group with five fellow artists. But, she
"got sick of talking," and there was "too much angst." Within those conversations was the germ for the idea to form her
performance company, Fluid Movement. An early creation started out quite small. It was Bizet's opera, Carmen, performed
on a puppet stage by hot dogs. Yes, you read that right, hot dogs. The show was a triumph and received the award for the
Best Artscape Event for 1999.
Intrigued? Call Fluid Movement at (443) 742-4942 to join the fun.
