Top 10 Professional Highlights of 2021

Every January, I take some time to compile all of the previous year's professional highlights and determine the top ten. Each time I do this, it begins with me saying the same thing: "I didn't accomplish anything this year professionally. How embarrassing that I won't even hit ten..." And yet, by the end of this annual ritual, I inevitably find myself surprised at how many steps forward I actually did take and, fortunately, this Covid-ridden year was no different!

1. RIDER UNIVERSITY GUEST CHOREOGRAPHER

2021 marked my third year choreographing for Rider Dances as a Guest Choreographer at Rider University. While Rider Dances 2020 remains one of my last in-person performances pre-pandemic shutdown, Rider Dances 2021 was 100% virtual. Rather than create a traditional screendance, I employed my newfound 360 videography editing skills to create a new virtual reality work titled Kaleidoscope. This short, 360-degree VR dance experience celebrates diversity and individuality, while reuniting dancers across multiple continents, time zones, and Covid quarantine statuses. You can experience Kaleidoscope in 360 here.

2. THE TIME TRAVELER'S LENS

On April 19, 2021 (Patriot's Day), I launched The Time Traveler's Lens—my first AR/VR immersive performance illuminating the history of the colonnade ruins at Princeton Battlefield State Park in Princeton, NJ. Serving as both my MFA thesis work and Luminarium's 2021 Cultural Community Outreach Project, The Time Traveler's Lens invites parkgoers and remote viewers to experience five 360-degree extended reality (XR) films that merge history, technology, and contemporary dance into an immersive performance unfolding around them. As a former historical interpreter at Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House (Concord MA) and Paul Revere House (Boston MA), I am thrilled that this work is now a permanent feature of Princeton Battlefield State Park per invitation of the NJ State Park Service. Whether you're a Jersey local or on the other side of the globe, I invite you to experience The Time Traveler's Lens's five 360-degree XR films here.

3. PRESENTER: OUR WORLD HERITAGE & HARVARD UNIVERSITY

April was a busy month. Not only did The Time Traveler's Lens become accessible to the public both onsite in Princeton NJ and remotely elsewhere, but I was invited to present on the work twice. I first presented "Heritage in Motion" at Our World Heritage's international Globinar 2.0, discussing my MFA research and decade of interdisciplinary work with dance and historic preservation in relation to my annual Cultural Community Outreach Project and The Time Traveler’s Lens. The presentation resulted in meaningful dialogues with organizations in California, Connecticut, Canada, and Benin (West Africa) to discuss possibilities for collaboration between my work and their own historic sites. I next presented “The Time Traveler's Lens: Using AR/VR and Choreographic Tools to Enliven Historic Ruins” for Harvard University Virtual/Augmented Reality (HUV/AR), a group of staff and faculty who are all exploring 360-degree, 3D, and immersive spaces at Harvard University. Again, the presentation has since resulted in fascinating dialogues with researchers at the university.

4. NEW YORK CITY ELECTROACOUSTIC MUSIC FESTIVAL COMMISSION

Also in April 2021, I created a new screendance film. Dance with Violoncello and Electronics was written by composer and colleague Melika M. Fitzhugh as a music/choreography collaboration with me back in 2017. The piece was reworked for film this spring, with myself as performer and played by internationally-acclaimed cellist Madeleine Shapiro. The film made its international debut at the prestigious New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival (2021), and was additionally screened as part of the international Global Water Dances event (2021). Choreographically, this work explores the quiet existence of water as it relates to community and ecosystem, performed in relationship to a manmade pond in central New Jersey, USA. Although manmade, this pond serves as a life force for wildlife ranging from deer to herons to water striders, and is a daily sanctuary for its human neighbors as well. Here, dance and sound echo the essence of this body of water—at times tumultuous, at others serene.

5. MASTER OF FINE ARTS, DANCE

In May, I officially defended my thesis and received my MFA in Dance from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. My thesis explores what I have termed as the “palimpsest of self.” The term palimpsest originally refers to writing that has been rubbed out, yet traces of it remain. My creative and scholarly research investigates the notion that self can be viewed as a layered entity, much like how tree rings or rock striations illustrate a visual history or palimpsest of the whole. My current research expands on this by examining past identities of an historic site, while employing a combination of site-specific choreography, film, and 360-degree virtual/extended reality tools to create a viewing experience that is both immersive and co-produced between the participant and myself. 

A huge thank you goes out to all the faculty, staff, and dancers who were involved in my thesis work; to my cohort-mates for their camaraderie; and to the incredible family and friends who attended my defense for their virtual support—thank you!

6. CHASING LIGHT EXHIBITION

July through August, I was thrilled to have my choreography like mercury in the palm of my hand included in Gallery 263's regional exhibition Chasing Light, which featured the work of 31 artists from across New England who utilize light as material or subject matter. This show was juried by Leah Triplett Harrington, curator for Now + There and editor-at-large of Boston Art Review. My 2019 duet like mercury began as an artistic abstraction of the “Janus molecule,” whose rare properties make it both medicinal and lethal. It has since grown to encompass the Panoptic nature of the microscope, observing versus being observed, and the implications of exposure. The piece is performed by Luminarium artists Victoria Kreutzer and Karina McKenna.

7. KINETIC JOURNAL: TANZANIA

In August, I was fortunate to travel across Tanzania with local big cat biologist Sosy Maira (The Wild Source) creating a series of site-specific screendances in response to the ecosystems of Tarangire, Ngorongoro, and Serengeti National Parks. These "kinetic journal" entries take inspiration from the parks' landscapes, inhabitants, and daily events. All but one are now complete—stay tuned for their official release in 2022!

8. RIDER DANCE DAY

I was delighted to present my work with dance and technology at this year's Rider Dance Day—an annual event for current and prospective students at Rider University. Speaking alongside my impressive colleague Yoshi Tanokura, my presentation focused on the work I created on Rider students earlier that year (Kaleidoscope) using 360-degree videography and editing. As always, it was a joy to watch viewers engage with this virtual reality work, as their movements while twisting and turning to watch were equally choreographic in nature!

9. INTERNATIONAL FILM AWARDS & SCREENINGS

In the past, I would have listed each of these international film screenings as its own top-ten achievement, but 2021 was rich with film festivals both here and abroad. Instead, I'll consolidate them into one, noting that my films made their Japanese, Indian, and Georgian debuts this year, in addition to a myriad of other exciting screenings around the globe. Also of note, The One I Keep was awarded “Best Experimental of 2020” and For you, to mentor me was awarded “Best Art Narrative of 2020” at Teknochat Festivals’ VIP Fest: Best of 2020 in Barcelona, Spain, and Resistencia, Argentina, at the start of 2021!

The One I Keep and What seems so is transition, 7ArtsCafe Women in Dance Film Festival – Yokohama, Japan

For you, to mentor me, Visualis Film Festival – St. Petersburg, Russia

Semi-finalist

          like mercury in the palm of my hand in Chasing Light, Gallery 263 – Cambridge MA

In Revolution, Show Up & Dance – Verona NJ

Dance with Violoncello and Electronics, New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival – New York City NY

Dance with Violoncello and Electronics, Global Water Dances – International event

Passage, Crown Wood International Film Festival – Kolkata, India

The One I Keep, Circe Dance Film Exhibition – Tbilisi, Georgia

For you, to mentor me and The One I Keep, Teknochat Festivals’ VIP Fest: Best of 2020 – Barcelona, Spain, and Resistencia, Argentina

“Best Art Narrative of 2020” Film Award (For you, to mentor me)

“Best Experimental of 2020” Film Award (The One I Keep)

For you, to mentor me, Sensus Film Festival – St. Petersburg, Russia

Semi-finalist

10. FROM PROFESSION TO PROFESSOR

Having taught master classes across the Northeast over the past decade and acted as a Guest Choreographer at various universities, I'm no stranger to working with students in higher education. Yet, to be hired as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at both Rutgers University and Rider University in 2021 to teach full semester-long courses on choreography, I found myself deeply fulfilled. I feel honored that these institutions view me as someone capable of this role. The students I worked with across both semesters were open and eager to learn. I so enjoyed helping these students further their own choreographic voices through this process, and look forward to future opportunities to help young choreographers navigate their artistic paths and grow. Thank you to my students for your willingness to experiment, laugh, and dig deep! (Above: My Rider students with my famous pup Banksy!)

And that's a wrap! Here's to another year of "not accomplishing anything professionally" in 2022!

 

Que vous avez inspiré...

I've spoken these words on my blog in the past, and I'll say them again: I may not be "religious" in the traditional sense, but I am a firm believer in the power of synchronicity to make me pause and appreciate the interconnectedness of this complex universe of ours as a whole.

This summer I found myself caught in the swirl of one such synchronous moment—so personally profound that that I'm documenting and sharing it here. Sean and I traveled to Quebec this summer for a wedding, and while there, came across an artist's work that spoke to us both. Yet as the weekend went on, and Sean debated purchasing a piece, I was surprised to find that this artist's work meant more to me than I initially realized. Perhaps the best way to tell the story is to simply share the email I sent to the artist once we returned home. Here it is, in my rusty French, and then translated into English below.

IN FRENCH

Subject: Bonjour d'un artiste que vous avez inspiré...

Chère Sonia, 

J'ai récemment acheté une de vos magnifiques œuvres d'art, et cela m'a causé une expérience très émouvante. Quelques mois plus tard, je prends maintenant le temps de vous écrire et de vous raconter comment vos œuvres d'art sont importantes pour moi depuis mon enfance. Cette note est émouvante pour moi d'écrire, et j'espère que c'est bien reçu! 

Quand j'étais une jeune fille, mes parents m'ont emmené avec mon frère et moi en vacances à Québec, à partir de notre maison à Boston, MA, États-Unis. Je me souviens de tomber amoureux de la vieille architecture de la ville, de son histoire, et surtout de ses ruelles cachées pleines d'artistes de rue. À Boston, je n'avais jamais vu des artistes montrer leur travail dans les rues, alors c'était spécial pour moi. 

Mes parents sont des partisans des arts et ils m'ont aussi inculqué l'amour de l'art. Un jour de notre voyage, nous sommes retournés à la ruelle avec des stands d'art, et mes parents m'ont invité à choisir une œuvre d'art pour ma chambre. De toutes les œuvres d'art de la rue, l'une d'elles se détachait: une gravure minimaliste de deux ours bruns qui marchaient dans la neige. À l'époque, tout dans ma chambre était lumineux et joyeux, avec des papillons et des ballerines décorant mes murs. Pourtant j'étais là, tenant une gravure sombre, brune et blanche, contrairement à tout ce que j'avais déjà exprimé mon intérêt. 

Surpris par mon choix, mes parents m'ont demandé si j'étais sûr que c'était celui que je voulais, et pas l'arbre à fleurs qui était à côté de cela qu'ils envisageaient d'acheter. Je me suis immédiatement découragé et j'ai retourné les ours, mais je l'ai toujours regretté.
Seize ans plus tard, je suis maintenant un danseur professionnel et un artiste interdisciplinaire, avec un amour de l'art visuel. Il n'y a pas de fées dans ma chambre, mais mon mari (Sean) et moi avons décoré nos murs avec des œuvres d'art que nous avons collectionnées dans le monde entier. 

En juillet, Sean et moi sommes allés au Québec pour un mariage (juste un mois avant notre propre mariage!). C'était la première fois de Sean au Québec, et ma première fois depuis 2001. Chaque fois que mon mari voyage dans un nouveau pays, il cherche un «souvenir» fidèle à la région, signé par l'artiste, et idéalement il rencontre l'artiste. C'est parfois difficile à accomplir! Mais cela devient un ajout mémorable à notre maison. 

Quand nous avons trouvé une rue avec des artistes (y compris de nombreuses gravures à vendre), il est devenu très excité, tout comme moi. Nous avons tous deux convenu que le premier artiste était de loin supérieur en détail et imagination aux autres gravures que nous avions vues. Mais Sean hésitait à acheter l'œuvre car elle représentait des sites que nous n'avions pas visités.

Cette nuit-là, il m'a demandé mon avis, et je lui ai parlé de la belle gravure d'ours qui ne correspondait pas tout à fait à mon style habituel, mais que j'avais toujours regretté de laisser derrière elle. "Ironiquement", ai-je dit, "c'est arrivé ici au Québec, et c'était une gravure de technique similaire à ce que vous aimez." 

Le lendemain, nous sommes retournés au stand d'art. L'homme qui regardait le stand se souvenait de nous et a montré à Sean plus d'œuvres d'art, jusqu'à ce qu'il en trouve un qui combinait notre amour de l'histoire et l'idée de la ville de Québec «alors et maintenant». C'était parfait. 

Il a ensuite demandé si nous étions familiers avec la façon dont les gravures sont faites, et a commencé à nous montrer de vieilles photos des travaux en cours. En feuilletant le livre, mon cœur s'est arrêté. Là, dans l'une des photos, il y avait mes ours bruns perdus depuis longtemps dans la neige, en cours de création. Je ne pouvais pas le croire! J'aurais dû dire quelque chose, mais je me suis figé. Je ne pouvais littéralement pas croire que toutes ces années plus tard, nous avions trébuché sur la même ruelle et étions tombés amoureux du même artiste. 

Sean a acheté votre œuvre et maintenant elle est encadrée avec nos autres œuvres d'Europe et d'Asie. 

Une semaine plus tard, j'ai raconté toute l'histoire à mes parents. Ils ont trouvé l'information originale avec l'œuvre d'art qu'ils ont achetée en 2001, et bien sûr, il y avait ton nom: Sonia Gilbert. Mon père (qui se sentait mal de ne pas avoir choisi les ours à l'époque) a localisé ton site web et l'oeuvre dont je me souvenais.

Se rendre dans une ville étrangère en tant qu'artiste en herbe et tomber amoureux du travail d'un artiste professionnel, puis tomber amoureux du même artiste seize ans plus tard (maintenant que je suis moi-même artiste professionnel) fut une expérience émotionnelle pour moi. Je voulais partager cette histoire avec vous afin que vous sachiez que les touristes qui passent devant votre stand n'oublient pas votre travail. Pour certains spectateurs, votre travail les inspire pour les années à venir. 

Je vous remercie,
Merli

IN ENGLISH

Subject: Thank you from an artist you inspired...

Dear Sonia,

I recently bought one of your beautiful works of art, and it was a very moving experience for me. A few months later, I am now taking the time to write to you and tell you how your art has been important to me since my childhood. This note is emotional for me to write, and I hope it is well received!

When I was a girl, my parents took my brother and me on vacation to Quebec, from our home in Boston, MA, USA. I remember falling in love with the old architecture of the city, its history, and especially its hidden streets full of street artists. In Boston, I had never seen artists show their work on the streets, so it was special for me.

My parents are supporters of the arts and they also instilled in me the love of art. One day of our trip, we returned to the alley with art booths, and my parents invited me to choose a piece of art for my room. Of all the works of art in the street, one of them stood out: a minimalist engraving of two brown bears walking in the snow. At the time, everything in my room was bright and cheerful, with butterflies and ballerinas decorating my walls. Yet there I was, holding a dark, brown and white engraving, contrary to any of my prior interests.

Surprised by my choice, my parents asked me if I was sure it was the one I wanted, and not the flower tree that was next to that they were considering buying. I immediately became discouraged and returned the bears, but I have always regretted it.

Sixteen years later, I am now a professional dancer and an interdisciplinary artist, with a love of visual art. There are no fairies in my room, but my husband (Sean) and I decorate our walls with works of art that we have collected from around the world.

In July, Sean and I went to Quebec for a wedding (just a month before our own wedding!). It was Sean's first time in Quebec, and my first time since 2001. Whenever my husband travels to a new country, he looks for a "souvenir" true to the region, signed by the artist, and ideally he meets the artist. It is sometimes difficult to accomplish! But it becomes a memorable addition to our home.

When we found a street with artists (including many prints for sale), he became very excited, just like me. We both agreed that the first artist was far superior in detail and imagination to the other prints we had seen. But Sean was reluctant to buy the work because it depicted sites we had not visited.

That night, he asked me for my opinion, and I told him about the beautiful engraving of a bear that did not quite fit my usual style, but that I had always regretted leaving behind. "Ironically," I said, "it happened here in Quebec, and it was an engraving similar to what you like."

The next day we went back to the art booth. The man who was watching the stand remembered us and showed Sean more works of art, until he found one that combined our love of history with the idea of ​​the city of Quebec "then and now." It was perfect.

He then asked if we were familiar with how the prints were made, and started showing us old pictures of the work in progress. Leafing through the book, my heart stopped. There, in one of the pictures, were my brown bears long lost in the snow, being created. I could not believe it! I should have said something, but I froze. I literally could not believe that all these years later, we had stumbled onto the same alley and fallen in love with the same artist.

Sean bought your work and now it is framed with our other works from Europe and Asia.

A week later, I told the story to my parents. They found the original information with the artwork they bought in 2001, and of course, there was your name: Sonia Gilbert. My father (who felt bad about me not choosing the bears at the time) located your website and the work I remembered.

Going to a foreign city as an aspiring artist and falling in love with the work of a professional artist, then falling in love with the same artist sixteen years later (now that I'm a professional artist myself) was an emotional experience for me. I wanted to share this story with you so that you know that the tourists who pass by your booth do not forget your work. For some viewers, your work inspires them for years to come.

Thank you,
Merli

Much to my excitement, I soon received the following reply.

IN FRENCH

Je suis très émue !!! 

Votre courriel a rempli de fierté ma fille et mon amoureux..., ce qui me touche énormément ! 

C'est une belle histoire et c'est une grande récompense pour mon labeur. 

J'ai inculque l'amour des arts à ma fille et ça me touche que d'autres suivent ce chemin qui élève le cœur et l'esprit des humains. 

Je fais la même chose que vous lorsque je voyage. J'encourage les artistes ! 

J'aime, à la fin de la saison, me rendre sur la Rue du Trésor pour rencontrer les gens, mes gens. Cela me donne beaucoup d'énergie et votre courriel me remplie de bonheur. 

Vous êtes très belle ! 

J'aimerais votre adresse postale si cela ne vous ennuie pas. 

Merci beaucoup.
Sonia Gilbert

IN ENGLISH

I am very moved !!! 

Your email has filled with pride my daughter and my boyfriend ... it affects me tremendously! 

It's a great story and it's a great reward for my toil. 

I instills the love of art with my daughter and it touches me that others follow this path that elevates the heart and mind of humans. 

I'm the same as you when I travel. I encourage artists! 

Like at the end of the season, go on the street Treasury to meet the people, my people. This gives me a lot of energy and email filled me with happiness. 

You are very beautiful ! 

I would like your mailing address if you do not mind. 

Thank you very much.
Sonia Gilbert

A few months later, I received in the mail an intricate, tiny print of a hummingbird. Such a gorgeous gesture! In turn, I sent Sonia a small bundle of seed packets (Botanical Interests uses artwork on all of their seed packets—simply beautiful) to attract hummingbirds to her garden. Sure enough, she replied that she does love to garden and looks forward to planting them in the Spring.

So there it is: Another moment, seemingly just like any other, until that swirl of energy catches you up and you realize you've been here before. Only this time, you realize you did take the bears home with you after all—in fact, you've carried them with you every day since.

Sorry, Sean. You're stuck with me.

The not-very-Merli wedding bouquet I was gifted pre-Ubering.

Not long after getting engaged, my friend Jenny set us wise to the wonders of engagement events hosted by venues throughout Boston as a ploy to lure young couples into their pricey grasps. One such event—at a venue I’ll refrain from revealing—threw quite the impressive shindig, complete with full buffets on every floor and open bars around every corner. Having been kind to the florist in attendance, Sean and I were handed their display flowers at the end of the night: a boutonnière for an already dapper-looking Sean, and a luscious bouquet for me. Hugging Jenny goodnight, we hopped into the back of our Uber shared ride, and proceeded to head to the driver’s next pickup. An older woman soon climbed into the front seat, did a doubletake at the two of us—dressed to the nines and flowers in hand—and finally asked “I’m sorry but…did the two of you just get married?” Sean laughed and shook his head as I immediately blurted, “It’s so funny you ask! I was just telling Sean we’ve got the flowers and look amazing…why not get married tonight?” “Well what are the odds,” our stranger replied, “I’m a minister!” “And I’m a witness,” chimed in our otherwise grumpy driver.

At this point, I apparently turned wide-eyed to Sean who, ever the voice of reason, calmly reminded me that “everyone we know would kill us.” Recognizing defeat, I thanked our fellow passenger, and continued to smile in the dark at the thought of a spontaneous, cost-free wedding.

...

Over the years, I’ve seen friends post their thoughts on weddings, be it their own or in response to society’s view of them in general. Some view it as a chance to realize their childhood fantasies of the “perfect, magical day;” some deem it a religious necessity; and others argue that getting married isn’t an “accomplishment” and should not be exalted as such. Whatever your own views may be, here are my own: I agree that marriage is not an accomplishment, but I do view it as one of the most important commitments one can make (or not make, if that’s your choice!). It is the formal recognition that not only have you found someone you value to the point of sharing your life with them, but also that you agree to be their partner emotionally and physically from this day onward.

Personally, I never dreamed of my wedding. I never crooned over wedding dress magazines or thought about how I’d style my hair. In fact, I downright laughed when one popular wedding website (who bought my email from who knows who) sent me an Urgent Reminder! that my wedding was only 365 days away and in order to stand any chance of looking beautiful for my ceremony, it was imperative that I start my wedding beauty regimen now! Can you imagine? 365 days of torture! But I digress… No, for me the perfect marriage—I thought at the time—was a quiet, simple, meaningful elopement, sharing my vows with Sean and Sean alone, outdoors surrounded by the sounds of nature and the eyes and ears of only the one marrying us. My fiancé on the other hand, was the one who had selected his groomsmen back in middle school; had visions of me walking down the aisle in a white dress; and represented our friends and families' pleas for a traditional wedding.

My view from the barn, early Saturday morning. Those gorgeous deep blue-gray clouds soon drifted away before returning at the end of the ceremony.

They say marriage is often about compromise, so compromise we did. I got my outdoor ceremony (on an alpaca farm, no less!), and everyone else got the rest. Yet the kicker is this: I loved every minute of it. Maybe it was the quiet Vermont setting, or the last-minute drop in numbers on our guest list, but our ceremony actually did feel quite intimate. I found myself turning to my friends standing by me and my family and framily in the rows along the lawn, laughing as Sean and I displayed our clear differences as people—him: earnest, meticulous, and at times, cautious; me: gregarious, spontaneous, and at times, impatient—and choking up as Sean revealed his secret ability to kick my ass at writing vows. 

The totally-Merli wedding bouquet I was thrilled to carry. Shout out to Fast Pony Flowers for creating the most insanely stunning bouquet I've ever held, and for answering my initial outreach email with "Haphazard is my specialty." Thank you, Melissa!

So although I didn’t have my Uber-ride elopement, I did have the perfect wedding. Sean and I made a good team, from site visits to tastings to décor planning, and those who attended or sent their love from afar made the weekend that much more powerful. Even Mother Nature gave us each what we desired: for Sean, a rich blue sky with a few puffy white clouds (his exact request), and for me, a sudden deluge of rain as our guests raced inside the reception barn, while Sean and I laughed our way through fields and covered bridges. Compromise at its finest.

Another shout out to our incredible weather-defying photographer Somerby Jones!

In the end, I am grateful. Grateful to Sean for committing to a lifetime of shenanigans with me, and for pushing me to include our incredible network of friends and family in this important life event; grateful to my family for making it financially possible for us to spend an entire weekend visiting with our guests (nothing felt rushed, and no one felt missed); grateful to our amusingly renegade officiant Wayne for balancing humor with solemnity; and grateful to all those closest to us who took the time out of their busy lives to travel to middle-of-nowhere Vermont and celebrate this commitment. Truly, I could not have asked for a better partner, nor a better way to legally kick off our partnership.

To everyone in my life: Thank you. To Sean: Let’s do this!

The Terrycloth Travelers

When you're sailing the Caribbean for seven days with picturesque views floating across the horizon, the last place you'd likely want race back to is your windowless cabin below deck. But when that same cabin is home to an ongoing battle of creativity, resourcefulness, and comedic panache, well, suddenly it becomes the highlight of your trip.

Sean and I first met our friendly cabin steward Don in the hallway, where he greeted us by name, recommended a few activities, and parted ways with a broad smile. In the evening we returned to our first of many towel creatures, sitting stoically on our bed. Cute! I shouted, But what is it? A dog? A bunny? I set it aside carefully on the nightstand and thought no more about it.

Day 1: Dog-bunny

The next day we returned to find our dog-bunny gone, and a new towel friend in its place. Ok, we agreed, this one's easier. It's an elephant—very cool! Again, the childhood stuffed animal collector in me didn't want to see our new towel creation unravel, so I gingerly lifted it and set it aside on the nightstand.

Day 2: Elephant

By evening three, Sean knew the best way to convince me to swing by our room to drop off a few things was to taunt me with the mystery of what tonight's towel surprise would be. Sure enough, the thought of a new one quickened my pace and we soon navigated the maze of hallways and disconnected floors back to our room.... And both immediately burst out laughing.

Day 3: Manatee

A manatee, wearing my shades (and looking pretty fly, might I add), was sitting in its predecessor's stead. Giggling, we dashed off a note and headed out the door just in time to be greeted by Don from down the hall: Hello, Sean and Merli! How is your stay? You are having a wonderful time? We quickly assured him we were, with Sean adding, By the way...love today's manatee. Got a kick out of that!

Apparently a little acknowledgment of his talents and appreciation of his skill was all Don needed. Thus began our 3-day battle to out-clever each other in the field of creative towel folding...

Our note to Don.

Don's note to us.

First came the following little gem: A Playboy Bunny, blowing a kiss.

...and the accompanying "Sexy Playboy Bunny."

Day 4: Blowing a kiss!

One day and one towel folding class later, Sean and I concocted the following:

Game on.

Day 5: Meet Donatello.

What a sassy pair they make! Note the "shell" made of a towel thieved from
the pool, and the perfectly constructed tail thanks to our towel folding class.

That night we came home to find the TV blaring and two unexpected cabin guests relaxing on our bed...

Day 5, evening: Well, well, well... Who do we have here?

"I was hoping you'd walk in thinking it was the wrong room!"
-Don

"The eyes? Oh yes.... I cut up a mardi gras necklace."

As a parting gift, we left a final note and repurposed our monkey's head for a slithering snake, but as always were shown at the end of the day how it's really done.

A note goodbye.

Day 6: Monkey turned snake!

Our final reply...

Day 6, evening: ...and a far better snake.

So while Sean and I certainly spent our fair share of time sipping free champagne and perusing fine artworks, it was our terrycloth travelers that really added the creative touch to our Caribbean adventure.