Nimbus Magazine Explores Covid Theater, Filmmaking with Animals

NIMBUS
A SOLAR WIND PUBLICATION
AN ARTS & SCIENCE MAGAZINE
March/April 2021 V1N4
Adventures in the B Movie Trade Featured Artist:
Summer Trade Off Charlotte Fung Miller
International Film Series Late Winter Homeland
Covid Theater Eastern Arts Assembly
Adjust the Procedure Shapeshifter Bettner
The Signal Through The Noise Ron Goes to England
5 Questions with
Meenakshi Ganesan
Just a Little Peace & Quiet

NIMBUS MAGAZINE
Vol. 1 #4
Early Spring (March/April) 2021
CONTENTS
IN THIS ISSUE
Eye On Film 3
Adventures in the B Movie Trade 3
Brian Trenchard Smith
Eye On Performing Arts 8
Summer Re-boot 8
International Film Series 8
Eye On Theater 9
Covid Theater Robert Massimi 9
Adjust the Procedure 10
The Signal Through The Noise 11
ICT 12
5 Questions with Meenakshi Ganesan 12
Spirit Arts 14
Just a Little Peace & Quiet 14
Featured Artist: 15
Charlotte Fung Miller 15
Late Winter Homeland 24
Eastern Arts Assembly 28
Open Forum 29
Shapeshifter Hanna Bettner 29
Virginia Rose
Blasts From The Past 33
Notices 34
Ron Goes to England 34
Tag 35
EDITOR’S NOTE
You’re going to notice some changes in this issue
from previous ones. They may be temporary, but
changes nonetheless. Some of our traditional cate-
gories are gone, such as those relating to our various
associated theater groups. Part of the reason for this
has been Covid. Nothing is currently in production,
and there is not a lot going on otherwise for us to do
follow-ups on happenings. But the other reason for
the changes in this issue is that we had an influx of
other related material we wanted to get out to you,
that don’t fit neatly into said categories. We felt it was
more important to share the information with you than
stubbornly cling to a framework that can’t support it
due to a situation in the world that is out of our con-
trol. We’ll be reporting on the latest actions by all the
SWMG subgroups as we move along through the
year. So don’t worry, those categories will be return-
ing. Meanwhile, enjoy the buffet we have for you, as
there is some worthwhile tidbits in this issue worth
looking into.
There’s Robert Massimi’s take on theater during
Covid. It mostly applies to New York where he lives,
but I’m sure any theater person, and their audience,
can relate. There’s Brian Trenchard Smith’s look
back on his work with animals on camera, that may
make for an interesting peek into a world of cinema
and non-human actors. There’s Borden Davis’ look at
one of the Psalms, and what sort of interpretation he
gets from it. Virginia Rose is back with a report on a
musician activist and her cotillion. And finally
Meenakshi Ganesan talks about teaching an eastern
form of dance in a western world during an epidemic.
Throw in a few surprises, and we hope it’s worth your
while to wade through a few changes.

EYE ON FILM
ADVENTURES IN THE B MOVIE TRADE
by Brian Trenchard Smith
Dogs snout me. Snakes hug me. Cats leap onto my shoulders. Animals like me, and the feeling is mutual. So I have always been attracted to ani-
mal projects. Computer generated animals get more photo-real every year. But there was a time when the actual animal and the lens were all you
had to work with. In the pre-CGI era, I was lucky enough to stage sequences involving an African lion, an American puma, cats, dogs, elephants,
boa constrictors, chimps, spiders, scorpions, cockroaches, a dolphin, a mud crab, a pigeon, and a frog.
Working with All Creatures Great and Small requires planning, flexibility, and infinite patience. I hold in the highest regard the trainers who
helped me deliver the shots. Safety of the animal and the crew is the governing issue when working with exotics. They are wild animals after all,
and things can go wrong. I learned a lot from Hubert Wells and Boone Narr, two of the premier animal trainers of their day.
Hubert started training animals in Hungary during the 1950s and soon moved to Hollywood, where he amassed thirty-one movie credits before
his retirement in 2006. Perhaps his most skilled work with lions can be seen in The Ghost and the Darkness (1996), and with tigers in Jean-
Jacques Annaud’s Two Brothers (2004). Boone Narr started as the orangutan wrangler in Clint Eastwood’s Any Which Way You Can (1980)
and did animal training on seventy-five productions. They helped me break each sequence down into individual shots they could train the ani-
mals to do, when I directed twelve of the twenty-five episodes of the first season of “The New Adventures of Tarzan”.
3

For four months I had enor- mous fun. Sometimes there
was more human comedy going on behind the camera
than in front of it. If the Coen brothers were to
make a Day for Night-style movie about shooting an
animal picture, this might make a good scene: in the
screenplay.
(EXTERIOR. CHIAPAS
JUNGLE, MEXICO—
DAY
An episodic film crew makes the final prepara-
tions for a complicated shot. Dolly track has been laid to
converge on a tree with sprawling roots.
The Director looks at his
watch.
The Guest Star Who Has
Seen It All stands nearby with bemused interest.
The Director looks at his watch again, as if willing
the minute hand to stop, and if possible, go backwards.
Fluff and Buff, the hair and make-up artists, dab sweat from the brow of The Actor, standing at the base of the tree. Given that the temperature is
over 100 degrees, this is a noble but futile effort.
DIRECTOR
Don’t worry about the sweat, he’s meant to look scared.
ACTOR
I am scared.
DIRECTOR
Don’t worry. This is totally safe. Nothing is going to
go wrong.
The source of the Actor’s anxiety arrives on the set, his part-
ner in the scene, a male with dangling testicles each the size
of grapefruit. Sudan, a large African movie lion, is led out of
the bushes on a chain by two Trainers. Two other Trainers
follow, carrying short poles. As the Trainers tether the lion to
a spike embedded beside the far end of the dolly track, Su-
dan yawns, and licks his lips to cool them.
ACTOR
Has he been fed today?
TRAINER
If we feed him, he won’t work.
The Actor's jaw tightens further.
GUEST STAR
I’ve brought an apple for him.
Humor is no comfort.
Everything is in place for the take. The Trainers have been po-
sitioned out of shot to protect both the Actor and camera crew,
should the lion stray from his designated path. The collar round
Sudan’s neck is concealed beneath his shaggy mane, and the
trailing leash masked from camera by his body. The Actor has
practiced limping backwards while swinging a burning fire-
brand to deter the advancing beast. The Director wants the
audience to see the lion and the Actor in the same shot; but not
a static shot, which could be achieved by the elements being
photographed separately with a locked-off camera, then fused
in the lab, with the vertical join disguised by a tree in the close
background. This would spare the Actor any proximity to the King of Beasts. No. The Director wants a Movie Shot, not a get-it-done-move-on
episodic approach, but a sense that the camera is almost mounted on the flank of the lion as it slowly closes in on its prey. The time for this glori-
ous cinematic moment has arrived.
4

DIRECTOR
So, on action: slowly hobble back,
wave the firebrand, shout at it to back
off…feel free to improv…
ACTOR
Back off, you fucker?
DIRECTOR
Something like that, but without the
fucker… Here we go, roll camera.
The Prop master lights the firebrand
again. The 1st AD calls for camera turn-
over in Spanish.
DIRECTOR
Action!
TRAINER
Sudan! Go! Slow, Sudan!
Slow! Good Sudan! Good!
The Director hovers beside the camera,
which keeps pace with the ambling lion.
Sudan is fascinated by the firebrand, and reacts to its movements. The Actor is In The Moment!
Everything is working perfectly. But it is at moments like these that Murphy’s Law will arrive uninvited. Remember O’Toole’s corollary:
Murphy was an optimist.
At this point the Transportation Captain arrives on set to watch the shot. The 1st Assistant Director sees him, and a long simmering feud chooses
this moment to erupt.
1ST AD
(curtly)
No ha puesto los camiones en donde le dije!
Apparently, he hadn’t put the trucks where the AD told him.
TRANSPORTATION CAPTAIN
Cree que es el jefe? Yo soy el capitan de transporte!
Los camiones parquean endonde digo yo!
It’s a territorial dispute.
You believe you’re the boss? I’m the Captain of Transportation!
The trucks are parked where I say they are!
DIRECTOR
Guys! Sshh!
They neither see or hear him. They are in a world of rising steam.
1st AD
Stupido!
Whoa! Bad word in Mexico. Serious escalation. The tension-meter on the set spikes. Hungry lion, anxious actor handling fire, two departments
inching towards civil war, complex dolly shot, etc. It’s understandable. But the net effect of the expanding angst is to push the Actor into the truth
zone. It’s a great performance, swinging from fear to rage and back again. Meanwhile, the other drama continues.
TRANSPORTATION CAPTAIN
Chinga su madre!
The AD is instructed to fuck his mother.
1ST AD
Chinga tu madre!
The AD returns the instruction less politely.
Oh, boy! Now they’re at DEFCON 4, soiling each other’s mothers. The conflict moves to the next stage…The Slap.
5

The Transportation Captain slaps the 1st AD’s face, not to inflict physical pain,
more of a formal gesture, a challenge.
Some men go red with anger. The 1st AD’s complexion goes pasty white.
His eyes blaze. Detonation is imminent. Luckily members of both departments
seize the potential combatants and hustle them to separate corners of the jungle.
The Lion sits down at the end of his leash, awaiting reward of fresh meat.
The Actor has started to enjoy himself. Lions? Hah, they’re pussies.
Whimsical screenplay scenes periodically crawl out of my Id, as you will read in
Adventures in the B Movie Trade, but this actually happened. The Actor was Can-
ada’s Chuck Shamata, whom I have cast in two movies since. The Guest Star was
former Tarzan Ron Ely, cast as a nod to the fans of his 1966-68 series. But violent
movement and angry voices a few yards away might have spooked the lion, made
him feel threatened, aggressive. But luckily that did not happen.
I was often a paw swipe away from Hubert’s principal lion Sudan. Never had a
problem. Or was I lucky? Hubert told me about his close call with Sudan's
brother. The lions had been captured together as cubs when Hubert acquired
them. Training went well as they grew into adulthood. Then one day Sudan’s
brother nuzzled Hubert’s leg in a gesture of feline submission, then suddenly
bit him in the thigh, a playful nip to the lion, but a painful puncture wound to
Hubert, who nonetheless made a full recovery. He gave the lion to a wildlife
park.
Despite this unfortunate incident, Hubert and Sudan had a very trusting relationship.
In one scene I directed, he doubled an actor who was meant to be killed by the lion.
As the cameras rolled, Hubert, in the actor’s costume and hat, showed Sudan a chunk
of raw meat concealed in his hand, held it beside his throat. He ordered Sudan to
charge by loudly calling his name. On cue, Sudan loped forward, gathering speed. He
knocked Hubert over, then nibbled at the meat which Hubert held beside his throat.
Through the lens, with Hubert's legs kicking violently, it really looked like he was get-
ting his throat ripped out, a little unusual for a family TV show. If they write it, I will
shoot it.
6

Food plus positive reinforcement is what movie animals work
for—a reward after each take. We could only work Sudan every
other day. We needed him to be hungry and motivated after a
day on short rations. Not too many takes, either. Once he was
sated, he just wanted to lie in the shade. So we had to get the
difficult shots first. Boone Narr said the most important part of
his job is casting. Just like a director.
"Finding the right animal, with the right look and aptitude can
take time. Then it's largely a matter of training the animal to
react to visual or aural cues, and to move from A to B. It is pru-
dent to choose locations and set decoration that take into ac-
count the behavior range of the animal in question. You always
need a back-up for your lead animal. Animals may look alike
but they have different skill levels and different personalities.
Sometimes every performer has a bad hair day, and is uncoop-
erative. Bring on the double.’
We brought two chimps to Palenque. Archie was a very smart
simian who would peel his bananas slowly and savor every
morsel, whereas Kiko, his backup, would just stuff it, skin and
all, into his mouth. Kiko was capable of much less than Archie.
The trainers on Tarzan indulged my need to be close to the ani-
mals. Normally they prefer the animal's relationships to be solely with themselves as the alphas, and with the cast with whom they interact. Too many
humans in their lives can confuse the animals and make the trainers’
task harder.
I particularly enjoyed working with the elephant. You steer with the
ears. Want to go left, tug on the left ear. I sensed that I was riding a
sentient being that enjoyed interacting with humans. But a decade
later, I met Jane Goodall at a fundraiser for a wildlife charity. I ad-
mired her courage and her lifelong dedication to her work and still do.
Foolishly I told her how much I enjoyed working with chimps in mov-
ies. She looked at me askance, and gave me something of a lecture on
how the use of animals for entertainment is physical and emotional
cruelty under any circumstance. She said that when I require an animal
to be trained to perform tricks for the camera I am just as guilty of cru-
elty as some-
one running a
circus or a
zoo. I am not
often tongue
lashed by
iconic figures.
So I thought
about the
range of ani-
mal rights is-
sues Ms. Goo-
dall raised.
It’s a complex
question. I
don't know the
answer. But it
would be a
sad day for
Cinema if ani-
mal perform-
ers were banned from movie sets altogether, and only digital creatures remained on our
screens.
There are many more movie making stories to be found in my book ADVENTURES IN THE
B MOVIE TRADE. Here's the website and trailer: https://briantrenchard-smith.com/ You'll
certainly have a few laughs
7

EYE ON PERFORMING ARTS
SUMMER CAMP?
COVID STRIKES AGAIN!
Even though the vaccine program has stepped up in recent
months and the amount of infections is going down, and
with at least some school systems opening up to at least
partial in house classes, it is still considered too risky at this
date to do a planned theater summer camp in August with
young people putting on their own programs, much as we
would like to. We have noticed the extra caution being
taken by the local summer festival organizers, as nearly all
of them have been once again cancelled to error on the
side of caution. New variants of the virus keep popping up
with uncertain consequences. And many school boards
may be holding in-house classes over the entire summer,
making scheduling very difficult for people like us. But we
are not entirely giving up. What we are planning to do in-
stead is an extension of the Activity Lists usually printed in Nimbus issues, and developing a series of related
workshops around that. Watch for future news in Nimbus, as well as the Solar Wind website, newsletter, and
on any of our Facebook pages for updates and details as to what is happening and when.
INTERNATIONAL FILM SERIES
AHT, ICT, LAPA, NATA, & EAAA
Partly as compensation for the cancellation of the summer camp, but also to further develop the SWFilmSer-
ies already in the making, and to grab attention and
create community around the SWMGroup Theater
companies, the SWFilmSeries is adding a new
branch to its schedule (already mentioned in our past
issue) around each of the SW theater ensembles,
by focusing on exhibiting films particular to each of
them. ICT (as mentioned) will be first out of the gate,
followed by films for each of the other groups (AHT,
LAPA, NATA, and a new group being added to the
list). While the film series currently plays at a central-
ized location (The House on 87th Street) we will try to
bring these films to locations within their respective
communities for ease of approach for people, when
possible. A complete schedule as well as location of
events will be listed and updated, in Nimbus, as well
as website and Facebook, and notification in our
newsletter.
8

COVID THEATER
By Robert Massimi
In this Covid 19 age, people who are starved for entertainment are turning to Netflix, Prime and virtual theater. Unfortunately the latter is not
very good for a variety of reasons. The first that comes to mind is that you have all the actors in different locations on different web cams. This is
very distractive to an audience member especially if the cast is large. At a theater, an audience member can have their eyes roaming about in one
area, the stage setting. Live theater also gives the audience direction as to how the play or musical will unfold. In virtual theater you have little or
no direction so the acting is all over the place in terms of the actor acts as he or she pleases. I have seen several virtual plays, I critique them at
the behest of the many press agents who want some kind of publicity for the shows that they are representing. Since viewership is low because
they charge for the performances online, many press agents are desperate to get the shows they represent some recognition of note. While bigger
shows that are currently on Broadway can garner bigger stars, the smaller shows are getting a lot of no name actors who struggle to perform their
roles with any kind of deftness or believability. The virtual theater just isn't crisp nor entertaining, however. Even the bigger shows struggle to be
even somewhat effective.
In Moliere's "Tartuffe", a classic by its nature, the cast was very slipshod in their performances and very few looked the part. "Tartuffe" is
about a well to do family; how one can be duped out of one's wealth as the father is the principal matter of the plot line. On stage the costumes
were elaborate, in virtual theater we see these actors in plain street cloths. If virtual theater wasn't bad enough, many actors are reading from the
scripts, only looking up on occasion to meet the cam head on. More like a political speech, the acting is just not effective in any way, shape, nor
form. Rather than sticking to the story as most audiences would remember,
they delve form the stories core plot hoping to get a different effect and this
adds to the confusion of watching a play on a computer.
Each year The Theater for the New City puts on "Merry Christmas, Oy! Ha-
nukah, Happy Ramadan, Merry Kwanza" As a Agitprop theater that puts on
many radical plays such as Bread and Puppet, this show went on farce as the
theme of this production. Why this play failed was it used puppetry and pup-
petry needs to be seen live. Lacking a good camera person, many of the pup-
pets and actors were hard to see. It felt more like watching a play from the
bleacher seats. Beyond the script being awful, the direction in this play (it
was performed on stage with actors present but no audience) was not consis-
tent nor did it have any flow to it. Rather then ebbing and flowing this per-
formance had starts with hard stops and as such had very little entertainment
value.
A show I did attend back in November live was "Temping". The show was
about what it was like to be an office temp for a day. Performed on the
Lower East Side, the show has toured many College's and Universities over
the years. Funny and well thought out, "Temping" was great fun in its im-
mersive genre. Even with all the protocols to see this show, it was great to be
in a live theater where things move before you rather than on the computer.
EYE ON THEATER
9

ADJUST THE PROCEDURE
By Robert Massimi
Many of the current virtual plays being produced are thrown together and seem willy nilly, however, " Adjust the Procedure" was written for
and directed for virtual theater. In its efforts, Jake Shore makes better work of it than the virtual as usual style I have seen so far. Set on a uni-
versity campus somewhere in lower Manhattan, New York (the play mentions Chamber Street); there are four characters, all of whom are af-
filiated with the university. These four characters have
different personalities which adds to the many different
positions that they take. The play is set in Zoom meetings
with sometimes two characters, other times three actors and
for a brief period, with all four being on the call. The crux of
the play shows us the inner workings of a university; how
universities are a very big business. With the Covid pan-
demic, we see four different points of view as how to deal
with the many problems this pandemic has caused.
In Kyle (Adam Files) we see a professor who is hoping to
get tenured. As a former adjunct professor, Kyle is bitter about
the academia and the way some teachers are treated. Kyle has
a deep understanding of the system, yet he is always bucking
with that very system that em- ploys him. After losing a stu-
dent to an apparent suicide, and even more students to depor-
tation, Kyle is perturbed at both his school and the people that
run it. It seems that the Health and Wellness Center at the school has been outsourced and this has caused many problems with the student
body, yet it saves the university money by doing it.
Jake Shore who wrote and directed this play brings forth many of the problems people feel during this crisis; some people blame the politi-
cians; others blame the boredom of everyday life under the pandemic. Shore banters about these issues through the eyes of not only the four
characters but by their different points of view. For the most part the characters
are not known for being liberal nor conservative but by being pro university or
not being so. While we get the impression that the Dean, Frank (Ed Altman) is
more conservative than Kyle, the politics are never front and center in this play.
In the era of virtual theater, "Adjust the Procedure" is a decent play. Not without
its flaws, (the story can be slow at times and the actors being remote are limited
in their movements), Jake Shore does a better job writing the play than directing
it. While Frank is more animated, he still struggles to be believable; Nicholas
Miles Newton's, (Ben) less is more character works better here. While it is diffi-
cult to project a true acting style on virtual theater, Megan Moses delivers a di-
rect yet mysterious tone too her role. While "Adjust the Procedure" has some
flaws, it is the best virtual piece I have seen so far.
Robert Massimi is the Chief Drama Critic for Metropolitan Magazine and
My Life Publications. Massimi has produced 14 shows both on and off
Broadway and is a member of The Dramatists Guild and The Drama League.
10

The Cell gives us Tolerance Party #4, "The Signal Through The Noise".
By Robert Massimi
Joseph Hendel gives the viewer a very interesting play; two main characters with different lifestyles as well as different views of the world.
The entire play takes place in a breakout room where we encounter a total of three characters, two of whom are the main focal point of a well
written play; for the most part. Hendel presents the bohemian actor, Heather Mo Witz as a woman who is educated in a Charter school and has
certain ideas about the world. Although a somewhat radical bohemian, she is not immersed in overly radical ideas; she simply makes her
points and listens for a reaction. She hears more from the noise than her counter part India Menete(~ over the N). India is a suburban house-
wife who sees the world in a different place; this place involves her children, parades and a sense of history that omits the imperfections.
Where India hears a parade, Heather sees slavery, injustice and a global New World Order that is out of her grasp.
What Handel does in his plays thoughts is brilliant; the air conditioner emits songs, chants, people talking, and we the viewer must decipher
what the noises and sounds represent. Hendel is showing us that we hear what we want too hear and our opinion is the only one that counts.
The two woman are polar opposites, from the white outfit of India signifying purity, the purple shirt of Heather showing solidarity of the for-
gotten. While Heather's character is more subdued, she seems to be more in the know as to what is going on today; Hendel makes this evident
in that India is seen quoting a Revolutionary War hero, Nathan Hale.
As far a virtual theater goes, "Signal' is one of the best plays I have seen so far. It is for the most part deep, thought provoking and keeps you
guessing as to where Hendel is taking us. In the last scene it is very well pointed out of the disconnect with society. Is anybody listening? He
shows us the different worlds of two people deftly. If Hendel went a little deeper in the dialogue, he may well have hit it out of the park. When
Heather mentions world leaders, Hendel may have talked about the Socialist "New World Order'. In speaking of minority oppression, he could
have mentioned how our first black president never furthered along minorities. Hendel had endless options and only scratched the surface on
the subjects that he touched upon. With deeper rhetoric we would see more of the characters opinions and why they believe in their philoso-
phies.
11

INDIAN
CULTURAL
THEATER
(ICT)
Got something you want to place that’s cultural Indian?
Contact us at: solarwindmedia@gmail.com
12
5 QUESTIONS WITH MEENAKSHI GANESAN
Meenakshi Ganesan is a performer and teacher of various forms
of classical Indian dance in Madison, Wisconsin.
1. Have you been able to continue business during the pandemic (especially since dance is your subject)
and what sort of adjustments have you had to make?
Yes, I have been able to continue to teach during this pandemic. Although, not my most preferred and traditional way,
Zoom has been the mode. Adjustments have been added in various ways Classes are virtual so there is a big TV set up
in the studio with my laptop to see all the dancers clearly.
I have separated the groups to smaller bits and added more practice sessions to help the dancers learn more efficiently
as physically correcting them is not possible . Recitals have become longer and more solo dances within the school
rather than large group productions
2. How much of a demand has there been for Indian dance (within your home area),
and have you seen it increase or decrease over time?
It has been a real mixed response. When the pandemic hit us, people backed out (a few of them) thinking this
would be temporary and that they would soon return back to in person lessons. I saw a reduction in students due
to this from March - May.
Contrary to this, I started looking for options to come up with opportunities to keep my students who were
continuing to be motivated, I started curating a dance page on FB for live shows by performers with a dance friend
from NJ and a creator of the page from India. This took off really well and my students and I have together performed
for more than 40+ online live as well as pre-recorded shows.
The dance students who had quit earlier due to not being able to make it to in person class due to travel time involved
and other conflicts have started taking lessons back as they can learn from their home now! Students from around
the United States have signed up as it is virtual and geographical location does not bind them anymore.
Although, I personally do miss seeing the dancers in class and the energy in person lessons bring about.
3. Are young people more or less eager to take on and study classical art forms,
or is modern pop culture a real barrier?
The more awareness is created, the more people take up classical arts. I do think young people find classical arts
interesting and appreciate it if they are exposed to it at the right age and if the teacher is able to kindle the interest in them.
Modern and pop culture do appeal to them but youngsters are also aware of the depth and beauty of classical arts.

4. How open have non-Indian people in the state been receptive, either to performance or instruction
to classical Indian dance?
I have seen a lot of interest in the non-Indian students that I have trained so far and continue to. In fact, my first dance tour
to India was with my non-Indian students who not only studied and practiced, but also attended all the workshops
I have arranged, presented their graduation maiden recitals and have taken keen interest.
5. How much have you had to travel out of the city area, or even out of the country,
to engage audiences or students, in your work — for either performance or instruction —
in order to maintain a regular activity in what you do?
I have had to do a reasonable amount of travel. During the year, we normally have productions / performances within
Wisconsin (Fox Valley area, UW Appleton, Oshkosh), Chicago, Minneapolis etc... Closer to Dec / Jan I have made
a few trips to India to perform in the biggest music and dance festival. Each of these trips have been great learning
experiences for the audiences as well as myself and the dancers, as we have met audiences who are familiar
with the art form to those who have seen this for the first time!
Meenakshi Ganesan
(608) 345-5589
meena@kalaanjali.com
Meenakshi Ganesan, Founder & Artistic Director of Kalaanjali Dance Company in Madison, WI since 2003, started her training under Gurus
Prema Nagasundaram & Padmini Radhakrishnan from Mumbai, India at the tender age of 6. She has more than thousand performances to her
credit in various countries like the UK, India and the US was conferred the prestigious title of Nritya Mayuri (“Dancing Peacock”) by the Min-
istry of Education. She has performed at prestigious events and venues such as the United States Mayors Conference, Wisconsin Public Radio,
United Nations World Health Organization, Pre-Parliament of World Religions, Cleveland Aradhana , the World Music Festival and has ob-
tained the highly acclaimed Vishaarad Degree in Bharatanatyam. She has had the privilege of working with Stalwarts in the field of Music and
Dance and currently trains numerous students and has successfully conducted 29 Arangetrams / graduation recitals under Kalaanjali.
Meenakshi has been the recipient of the Folk Apprenticeship Grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board since 2015. Currently with the pandemic
and artists taking their talent to the virtual platform, Meenakshi & her students have presented more than 40 Live performances online. Since
June of 2020, Meenakshi has also been the curator of NatyAkademi, a well known Facebook page for classical dance live shows that has
staged hundreds of live performances and festivals.
13

SPIRIT ARTS
SPIRIT ARTS FESTIVAL
(SAF)
Got something for Spirit Arts?
Contact us at solarwindmedia@gmail.com
14
JUST A LITTLE PEACE AND QUIET
Some Thoughts on the 23rd Psalm
I always hesitate to write something on religion, leery that I will imply that I am more spiritual than others, which I am not.
However, we all have thoughts. GOD did not inspire one bible for the intelligent, one for the poor, one for the fifteenth century,
or one for today's society. I believe HE was involved with the Holy Bible, so HIS spirit could touch a seeking soul.
This is how the 23rd psalm touches me.
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
As a shepherd HE has a responsibility. I will receive what is truly needed. What I desire and do not have, probably is not right for me, or is
not in my best interest at this time.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.
Abundance and times for peaceful restoration are always there for me, but in moments of stubbornness, or because I am unwise, GOD makes
me stop---rest---and lay down.
He leadeth beside the still waters.
Most sheep will not approach turbulent waters. GOD understands me, knows my needs. HE wants me to slow down, and commune with HIM.
He restoreth my soul.
GOD is the guarantor of righteous hope. When I wound my soul with no hope, HE revives my will to live.
HE guideth me in the paths of righteousness for HIS name’s sake.
If I say, I love GOD; my evil actions can blemish HIS credibility. To protect HIS hallowed name, HE leads me to righteousness.
Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for THOU art with me.
This part of eternity, life on this earth, is the valley of the shadow of death. I must walk through it. I will have failures and pain,
but I will not be afraid.
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
A rod can discipline or protect. The staff can guide and prod. Faith in GOD'S perfect use of both adds comfort to my life.
THOU prepareth a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
While the dangers of life are present, GOD is still providing. My confidence in GOD is such, that if HE provides sustenance
in the presence of my enemies, I will sit down.
Thou hast anointed my head will oil.
I am an unworthy visitor; my actions prove that. Yet I am anointed like a distinguished guest.
My cup runneth over.
I not only have enough for myself, but enough to share. Gratefulness is all I need to show.
Surely, goodness, and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life.
Because I endure and persist in my struggle to stay close to GOD; when I err, GOD follows it all with loving
kindness.
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
GOD does not allow a faith, a love that takes us through life with HIM, to become meaningless. We will be with
GOD forever.
Borden Davis is a teacher and mentor in Thousand Oaks , California.

Featured
Artist:
Charlotte
Fung
Miller
Chinese
Brush
Painting
ART
FOR
ART’S
ACHE
Magazine
Cover
Image:
2 Cranes Dancing
15

16
Two Horses 4 Seasons Green Grey French Cut Cat & Butterfly

9 Koi of Springtime
Bird, Moon and Blossoms
17

Green
Wall
With
Terra
Cotta
Soldiers
20

Panda Family Climbing Trees
22

Images from Homeland
Pictures for the declining season
by Ron Schaefer
Photos from Ron Schaefer’s upcoming
Photo Album:
HOMELAND
Notices will be placed in Nimbus, on SolarWindMedia.com,
the SW Newsletter, and SWMG Facebook pages, as to
the book’s availability, pricing, and ordering.
contact us by going to:
solarwindmedia@gmail.com
24

EAST ERN ARTS ASSEMBLY
NEW GROUP IN DEVELOPMENT
SWMG is planning on creating another performance group to add to its siblings.
This one will be dedicated to the arts of the Far East in performance and whatever
accompanying art forms may go along with it.
As with its sister groups (AHT, ICT, LAPA, NATA), the EAA will be starting up
with the International Film Series, as a scheduled listing of film programs
to be enacted over the summer and into the fall. This is partly responsible
because of the Covid situation, but we are finding this to be the best way
to develop interest both in audience and participants.
We will also try to bring the series to the communities as much as possible,
as per the statement regarding the International Film Series.
No dates, times, locations have been set as of yet.
All updates will be placed online at SolarWindMedia.com;
in the SW Newsletter; future issues of Nimbus;
and a new Facebook page will be issued for the EAA,
and ways you can join and assist the community.
Everyone is welcome, and you don’t have to have a deep knowledge
of Asian art, literature, and theater to be a part of it.
Most early notices will be accompanying the Int’l Film Series on show nights.
28

29
OPEN FORUM
Got something you want to yell about? Contact us at….
solarwindmedia@gmail.com
SHAPESHIFTER HANNA BETTNER
By Virginia Rose
It’s December 10th
, 2020, the first night of Hanukkah, and Hanna Bettner and her fusion
dance band Mideast Salsa are playing their last gig of the season outdoors on the UW Li-
brary Mall in downtown Madison for a group of diehard salsa dancers and socially distanc-
ing passersby. A lit menorah graces the makeshift stage, a street cart sells hand-styled jew-
elry, and the music wafts down State Street to the throb of Latin beats. The six-piece band
consisting of keyboard, synthesizer, guitar, bass, congas, and timbales leads the audience
through a series of bachatas, cumbias, merengues, and, of course, salsas. What distin-
guishes Mideast Salsa from other bands that play Latin music is that many of the songs are
sung in Arabic and Hebrew, a product of Bettner’s linguistic skills.

While the term “renaissance woman” puts my subject squarely in the wrong century, it illus-
trates the multi-talents of musician and entrepreneur Hanna Bettner, whose personal odyssey
of myriad transformations defines the course of her life. Founder, singer, and keyboardist for
her band Mideast Salsa and owner of Wearable Archaeologies, a recycled jewelry business,
Bettner has found a way to integrate her two passions by taking it to the street. Every two
weeks last fall she could be found performing with her band on the Library Mall, in addition to
her daily dedication to selling her handcrafted jewelry in her custom-made cart on the Mall and
at music festivals.
Photo: Josh Bettner
“I’m passionate about the environment,” Bettner explains, “and proud to have created a busi-
ness by re-purposing and transforming unique materials from all over the world.” Bettner cre-
ated her formula for successfully marketing her jewelry early in her career. She selects a piece
with historical context and adds a gem for visual punctuation, thereby transforming it into
something entirely new. Much as her music mixes ingredients from various cultures, Bettner
combines pieces of jewelry to design one-of-a-kind creations. She sold her jewelry at the
Madison Farmers Market, where she was a staple for 35 years until 2019. She holds the rec-
ord as the seller with the most longevity at the Market.
30

Bettner’s first personal transformation occurred following her high school graduation when
she metamorphosed from Illinois farm girl to Israeli kibbutznikit in 1968. Her love of the cul-
ture fostered her conversion to Judaism.
“I lived on a kibbutz for three of
my five years in Israel. It was a
feeling of going back in time. No
telephones, no drugs. It was a
safe and healthy environment. I
felt at home in a culture where
people loved to talk about ideas.
It’s a solution-oriented culture,”
she elaborates. “My time was
spent working half a day, then
studying Hebrew. The experi-
ence on the kibbutz made a
lasting impact, and I try to recre-
ate that in my home today.”
Bettner’s next journey took her
to Kyoto, Japan for two years,
where she studied Japanese
and embraced the culture.
When she returned to the
United States, she made her
home in California, beginning
her explorations into entrepre-
neurship by importing kimonos
and recycling denim into fash-
ionable articles of clothing. Dur-
ing this time she also married
and bore a son, but soon found
herself a single mother. She
made the decision to move to
Madison in 1985 to raise her
son in what she felt would be a
healthy environment.
Bettner continued to weave the
fabric of her identity with the in-
ception of her musical career in
2001 when she co-directed the choir at Beth Israel Center. Her first band, Salaam Shalom,
incarnated in 2003 and featured Arabic and Jewish music and belly dancers. It was a natural
product of her time in Israel. That band segued into Mideast by Midwest in 2010,
continuing to focus on the music of the Mideast.
VIRGINIA ROSE otravase@aol.com, www.reverbnation/essensual_beatz
Virginia Rose is a multimedia artists who expresses herself in realms of music, theatre,
performance art, photography, and the spoken word. Her forte is the epiphany of any
costumed body. She is a singer, guitarist, & songwriter in the music duo Essensual Beatz.
31

Directed by Bettner, Mideast Salsa fuses Mideast, North African, Latin, and American music
and affords Bettner the opportunity to sing in five different languages, sometimes within the
same song. For instance, Bettner performs her arrangement of “Be My Baby” not only in Eng-
lish, but in Japanese and Spanish as well, featuring a Latin beat.
The pandemic has caused Bettner to rethink her performance philosophy, opting for the fluid-
ity of the Library Mall environment. “I’m never going to perform inside a building again,” she
asserts. “Marketing is such a challenge for musicians and artists. You have to get people
through the door. It’s all about money. Playing outdoors feels psychologically healthier. Music
is a means of creating pockets of grace. In spite of everything, I’m very positive about the fu-
ture.”
Bettner is currently on her winter break from both selling and playing.
She promises to resume her performances and jewelry cart business at the Library Mall this
spring. In the interim, you can check out Mideast Salsa’s website:
https://www.mideastsalsa.com/
32

BLAST FROM
THE PAST
33
DEAD POKER
A group of would-be high stakes rollers play in a secret and
illegal game of cards, where the promise of winning big
is huge, but so is the risk, as losing out could cost you
your life.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/CgqDQhd307I
Film: https://youtu.be/A21yQRKdGcs
ENRAPTURED
A nurse suddenly develops healing powers
and she is soon believed to be the Virgin Mary.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/uBdHWAyESo0
Film: https://youtu.be/e_ebbwVC4kk
VALLEY OF THE SHADOW
A seminarian tries to save his wayward brother
by unintentionally offering up his own soul
to the Devil in place of his brother.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/ypOg3zxOLwo
Film: https://youtu.be/Vg-7L-1mosU
All Solar Wind Films can be found by going to our website:
www.solarwindmedia.com
Or You Tube page at:
www.youtube.com/solarwindmultimedia

NOW IN PRINT
The Boss Goes to England
Ron Schaefer’s first two plays:
JORDANA DAVIS
&
FARCICAL FABLES
are now in print by the British Publisher:
SMITH SCRIPTS
You can take a peek (or even order a copy) by going to:
https://www.smithscripts.co.uk/product/jordana-davis-by-ron-schaefer/
ALSO:
Ron Schaefer’s latest:
SOCRATES
is also now available at Amazon.com on Kindle.
You can find that and copies of all his works at:
Amazon.com/authors/RonHSSchaefer
RIGHT NOW:
RON’S PODCAST
is featuring his book:
COLLECTABLES
Also featured on the site are:
PULSAR
TABLOID MAN
Ron’s Podcast is at:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4plKWTKjJz95bARK0iIrzI
...or wherever you get your podcasts.
34

Previous Issues of Nimbus are still available…
Go to our Nimbus page link
on our website at…
https://nimbus-magazine.constantcontactsites.com/
sign up form:
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/FI8wgim/solarwindmedia
35

Nimbus Magazine Explores Covid Theater, Filmmaking with Animals

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