When I pack for tour, I have to get EVERYTHING into two 50-lb bags – and I mean everything … including my instrument.

So when the Sensoria Festival invited me to perform a piece from my one-woman musical “Electra’s Lyre” at my April 11th concert, there was no way I could get the 15-pound harp stand I usually use into my luggage.

That’s why I asked for a human harp stand.

Little did I know that one request would turn into a dance-theater collaboration.  But when dancer DeMaya Sanders and I started working on the piece, I realized she could be sooooo much more than just a stand!

She could become a character –  many characters: the goddess Diana, the princess Iphegenia.  She could dance with the harp, she could show it to the audience in ways I can’t myself.  Here are images from the rehearsal of “Electra’s Lyre”:

Electra tells the story of her family …

“But hey, I’m a myth,” she says, “You can read my life like an open hieroglyph.”

Electra tells of how her father sacrificed her sister Iphegenia to convince Diana to release the wind so he could “sail, sail, sail away”

… and how when he came back her mother’s anger led to murder.

“And when you tell my story … my story’s telling you.”

Will I ever go back to using my metal harp stand? Not if I can help it.

To explore the possibility of a collaborative residency with your ensemble or university, email my office at info@hipharp.com.