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we dance - stephen flaherty lyrics

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[storyteller 1, spoken]
welcome to an island where rivers run deep

[storyteller 2, spoken]
where the sea, sparkling in the sun, earns it the the name jewel of the antilles

[storyteller 3, spoken]
an island where the poorest of peasants labor

[storyteller 4, spoken]
and the wealthiest of the grand hommes play

[storyteller 5, spoken]
two different worlds on one island!

[storyteller 6, spoken]
the grand hommes with their pale brown skin and their french ways, owners of the land and masters of their own fates

[storyteller 7, spoken]
and the peasants, black as night, eternally at the mercy of the wind and sea, who pray constantly… to the gods

[storyteller 1]
asaka, grow me a garden

[storyteller 2]
please agwe, don’t flood my garden

[storytellers 3 & 6]
erzulie, who will my love be?

[storytellers]
papa ge, don’t come around me

[storyteller 1, spoken]
ah, such powerful, such temperamental gods rule our island

(four storytellers step forward to play the parts of the gods.)

[asaka, spoken]
asaka, mother of the earth

[agwe, spoken]
agwe, god of water

[erzulie, spoken]
erzulie, beautiful goddess of love

[papa ge, spoken]
and papa ge, sly demon of death

[women]
asaka, grow me a garden

[men]
please agwe, don’t flood my garden

[women]
erzulie, who will my love be?

[storytellers]
papa ge, don’t come around me
please, agwe, don’t flood my garden
asaka, grow me a garden…

[women]
we dance–

[men]
we dance–

[storytellers]
to the music of the gods
the music of the breezes
through the green plantain
the murmur of the river
and the roar of rain
and if the ggods decide to send a hurricane

[women]
we dance–

[men]
we dance–

(two storytellers lift the little girl high, encouraging her to join the dance.)

[storytellers]
to their everchanging moods

[storyteller (asaka)]
we know the gods are happy
when the green things grow

[storyteller (agwe)]
they’re angry when the river
starts to overflow

[storytellers]
and since we never know
which way their winds will blow
we dance to the earth
we dance to the water
the gods awake and we take no chance
our hearts hear the song
our feet move along
and to the music of the gods
we dance!

(two storytellers separate themselves from the group and -ssume the elegant postures of “grands hommes.” they will play the parts of daniel beauxhomme and andrea devereaux)

[andrea, spoken]
on the other side of the island, safe behind high walls and iron gates, the grands hommes dance to a different tune

[storytellers]
la la la la la la la la!

[daniel, spoken]
the drink champagne, entertain tourists at their fine hotels, and tell their servants, “polish up the mercedes!”

[storytellers]
la la la la la la la la!

[storyteller 7, spoken]
two different worlds
never meant to meet

[storyteller 2, spoken]
the peasants labor

[storyteller (asaka), spoken]
the grands hommes eat!
[andrea & daniel]
how fine our clothes are!
how fast we drive!
we dance at parties… [storytellers]
we dance
we dance

while we are dancing just to stay alive

(andrea and daniel rejoin the group, becoming peasant storytellers again.)

[women]
we dance–

[men]
we dance–

[storytellers]
what else is there to do?

[storyteller 2]
but plant the seed
and pull the weed
and chop the cane

[storytellers 6 & 8]
and bear the child
and bear the load
and bear the pain

[storytellers]
and as the rich go racing
to their own refrain
we dance to the earth
we dance to the water
the gods awake and we take no chance
our hearts hear the song
our feet move along
and to the music of the gods
we dance to the earth
we dance to the water
the gods awake and we take no chance…

(the storytellers who will play daniel and ti moune separate themselves from the group and begin to move slowly toward one another. the storyteller who plays papa ge steps between them.)
[papa ge, spoken]
two different worlds

never meant to meet

but if the gods move our feet [storytellers]

ooh la!

ooh la!

(ti moune and daniel embrace.)

[storytellers]
we dance!
we dance!
we dance!

- stephen flaherty lyrics

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