Wednesday, 12 July 2000
Page 16
Photo caption
Choreographer Arthur Hall leads by example during rehearsal for a performance of Once on this Island in July of 1998.
Grief began in Camden and rolled outward through New England, across the country and around the world with the passing of Arthur L. Hall, 66, of Camden. Hall died of cancer July 6 at the Camden Health Care Center.
Hall leaves behind a legacy of lives touched during his five decade career as a dancer, teacher and choreographer ... [follows biographical information available here]
Locally, Hall served as the artist in residence for a number of schools including Nobleboro, Bristol and Great Salt Bay. GSB art teacher Karen Hight met Hall shortly after he [arrived in] Camden. Hight was heavily involved with dance at the time, later becoming one of the original members of the People to People Company.
"Of all the people I have known, Arthur Hall is one of the most important, most influential people in my life," Hight said. "He was a huge influence on my life. I loved him and will always love him. He taught me a lot, not only about dance and honoring another culture, but also about spirituality."
Bristol guidance counselor Daria Capobianco echoed Hight’s comments. Capobianco was instrumental in bringing Hall to the Bristol Consolidated School in 1997 where he was the first artist in residence during the school’s now annual Diversity Week.
"He was really the person who started this whole African dance movement in Maine," Capobianco said. "It was always a dream of mine to have him come to the Bristol School."
Capobianco said this will be the first summer in 15 years she and her daughter will not dance with Hall during his summer sessions. Capobianco said her daughter studied under Hall and later majored in dance during college.
"I feel we were very lucky to have him in the state of Maine," Capobianco said. "What was wonderful about him was he always said, If you can walk, you can dance."
There will be a celebration of Hall’s life at a date to be determined ...
