When I am away from home, I often find myself explaining to loved ones, friends and strangers about the beautiful alpine village of Idyllwild, where I live, work and play. Admittedly, sometimes I simply say that I am from “Southern California” in order to save the breath of explaining exactly where in the world Idyllwild is. Although, I have to admit that I feel like a bit of an impostor when I do this, because most peoples’ image of Southern California is sun, beaches, surfing and tanned/toned bodies. Not that Idyllwild doesn’t have it’s fair share of athletes and beautiful people, but surfing and beaches are not at all what Idyllwild is about.
Tucked away in one of the most beautiful and pristine areas of California, the town of Idyllwild is located in an area that was once simply called, “Strawberry Valley” for the abundance of wild strawberries which border the natural creeks in the area. Lily Rock, the distinctive granite monolith that looms above the quaint, still unincorporated village has long attracted climbers, hikers and naturalists alike. Many a climbers have trained on this rock in preparation to ascend some of Yosemite’s most difficult climbs.
But that is not Idyllwild’s only claim to fame. In the 60′s and 70′s Idyllwild began to attract hippies, musicians and artists, and to some extent, it has remained an artist colony. For a town with a population of less than 5,000 people, the number of people you will meet here who consider themselves artists is staggering. And, these are some of the most accomplished artists in this country and the world. On any given evening, you may enjoy a meal out and hear live music from musicians like Paul Carman, an accomplished Jazz saxophonist who once toured with Frank Zappa.
Perhaps it is because of this amazing concentration of artists and musicians that the Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts (ISOMATA – now simply called the Idyllwild Arts Academy), was established here in the early 1950′s. The boarding school, designed for high school students provides intensive training in music, theater, dance, visual art, creative writing, moving pictures and interdisciplinary arts for some 300 students from over 22 countries each year.
Each weekend in Idyllwild is filled with artistic activity. So, it is in this amazing community that I have decided to hold Tribal Rendezvous; a community that I know can fully appreciate and grasp the beauty and breadth of this dance.
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I want to come!
Please come! It would be great to see you!
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