When We Believed in Magic

A visit to South Florida in 1995 prompts Leah to reflect on her early years in Miami, beginning with her childhood in the mid-1960s. To help with her memory work, she conjures up a troupe of spectral dancers who stand in for her at different phases of her life. Known by the colors of their costumes, Dancer in Rose, Dancer in Blue, Dancer in Plum, and Dancer in Gold recreate scenes from an ongoing drama. Diaries and archival treasures inspire the performances. Blending the real and imagined and combining genres, the story Leah tells unfolds chronologically, yet each "act" can stand on its own. A travelogue, a memoir, and a screenplay all in one, When We Believed in Magic can also be read as a preliminary script for interactive digital platforms or as a sketch for an actual dance performance. This retrospective highlights the performative strands of Arella's Repertoire, a novel by Elayne Zalis.