Magazine Draft #1

A Voice of Native Woman
Charlene Hunt
Lumbee Tribe, North Carolina
Watch and Listen Here:
https://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=YNdglBB2EVg
Her Experiences Sharing at the Ruby Slipper
Fringe Festival
A tangible silence hung in the dark void in the third-floor theater of the Milton Rhodes Center for
the Arts on Feb. 19 as about 30 people gathered around a large mat of
paper covered in dirt and pieces of trash, watching — spellbound — as
two dancers writhed around in the mess, the only noises the sound of
clumps of dirt hitting the floor, the crinkle of plastic bags and their
heavy breathing. It was a dance performance so intense, so bizarre, it
could only be happening here at the Ruby Slipper Fringe Festival “Here,
people are given such free rein,” she said. “It’s a safer place.”
On Feb. 19, the poetry and storytelling showcase featured a diverse
lineup, including a Native-American heritage piece, a poem on food,
grief and beliefs, a hilarious tale of airplane misadventure from a former
Piedmont Airlines flight attendant and a multimedia piece involving
clowning about a Cuban immigrant learning her way around American
culture.
“This is my first time ever doing spoken word,” Charlene Hunt said
during the artist feedback portion. “My story’s always been in here,” she said, gesturing to her
chest. Her confession drew applause from the packed house.