Flash Mob Dances Through the Palace Theatre in Stamford

Friday night the Stamford downtown community gathered at the Palace Theatre for a kick off party for the ARTWALK.

Restaurants sampled food, musicians performed and artists mingled with guests. James Finn of Cos Cob, who recently graduated from Emerson College in Boston, joined Greenwich Free Press to shoot some video.

Before I Die…

In the Palace courtyard, the ever-sunny Meg Dalton offered jumbo colored chalk for a project originally she said started in New Orleans by Candy Chang.

Dalton’s wall-size chalkboard invited people to share their “Before I Die” wishes. Once the lines filled up, wishes were chalked between the lines and in the corners.

“The reason I love it is because the answers range from concrete like traveling the world or eating pizza and pasta all day to more abstract, like ‘Telling Nikita I love her,’ or ‘Falling in love again,’ or ‘Just letting go,'” Dalton said. ” The responses are very humorous, insightful, emotional. They’re very intimate as well. It’s shocking how people reveal part of themselves on this. It becomes a mirror of the community around it.”

Dalton will have the “Before I Die” project outside the Ferguson Library from 12:00 to 5:00 on Saturday, June 28.

James Finn shares his ‘before I die’ wish on the chalkboard outside the Palace Theatre at Friday night’s kick-off to ARTWALK. Credit: Leslie Yager

Mia Schipani, Director of Business Development at The Palace Theater with George Boyce at the kick-off to ARTWALK on Friday night at The Palace Theatre. Credit: Leslie Yager

Inside the Palace Theatre, which was open to the public, friends and neighbors sampled food and drink from local restaurants and rested up for the evening’s gallery stroll.

Mia Schipani, the Business Director at the Palace explained that the ARTWALK kick off was conjunction with the Downtowner.

The Downtowner is an event of the Downtown Special Services District (DSSD).

“All the residents of downtown, all the apartment buildings are invited to meet the restaurants and meet the bars,” Shipani said as people streamed through the open Palace Theatre’s doors to sample food and drink and watch musicians perform.

Trenchcoated Flash Mob Invades Palace Theatre Lobby

The lobby burst with excitement when a dozen teenage dancers emerged through a door by the elevators. It took a few moments for the guests to realize they were in the midst of a flash mob.

A dozen teenagers wearing trench coats, moved through the crowd as the theme from the Pink Panther echoed through the foyer.

At the far end of the foyer, the girls danced for an enthusiastic crowd, who were invited up on the carpeted platform to dance along.

And dance they did, jumping onto the stage to join the fun. Among the crowd who braved the stage was Jackie Wetenhall of the SDSSD.

At 7:00pm, seven galleries hosted wine and cheese receptions and Franklin Street Works, just opposite UConn Stamford, was schedule to host live performances in their galleries.

ARTWALK in Stamford downtown continues through Saturday. The two ay event is filled with fine art, artists, art galleries retailers and restaurants. ARTWALK is free to the public and promises a variety of activities and surprises.

____________________________________

Subscribe to the daily Greenwich Free Press newsletter.
_________________________________

ARTWALK, created by Stamford Downtown Special Services District, showcases 95 artists, photoraphers and suptors. All the art is available for purchase and the majority remains on display until July 7.

Saturday offers a full day of ARTWALK activities. For details go to Stamford-Downtown.com