Well, here we are again! Remember that particularly conspicuous day when Lisa, Rodney, and Katherine, along with their Student Artists and Youth Participants, trekked the journey to the Excelsior Building and had some good old-fashioned paint-flinging and dancing fun? Remember the pictures of our endeavors--the dancers looking fit for a boy band in their matching jumpsuits, goggles and bandannas, the pit filled with watered-down pastel paint? We had so much fun throwing paint on poor, helpless children in a pit that--gasp!--we decided to do it again!

Throughout the week after the first paint job, Rodney invited our group over to his dance hall to plot our second installment of this classic activity. The Dancers and the Painters banded together to throw paint upon Rodney and another dancer--equipped with brilliant hues of paint!--with a twist. The last time we got to pelt people with paint, we threw paint any way and at any time we could. The easiest way to say it was that we had absolutely no organization. But we loved it, and we reached our goal (to paint the Pit of Doom and some dancers at the same time).

The difference with the second installment is that Rodney specifically choreographed how, when, and the amount of paint that we would throw. Divided into groups, the area from which the paint was thrown and who threw it was choreographed to match with the music. We would throw paint in groups, in cannon, as a solo--however it may work with the music. Rodney had a member of the Dance group call the commands, and we followed them. Even the paint itself matched the music!

As the tango music began, light blue paint in smaller amounts was thrown into the Pit of Doom. Once we rotated the groups' placement, pink paint was thrown with a little more gusto. And once the haphazard, crazy ending began, violet paint was thrown into the Pit, and ended as abruptly as it started.

On Monday, we threw the colorful paint after the scheduled time for Blue Sky--from 4:00 to 5:00. Given that word had spread about the Pit of Doom Part One, the public was very interested! Guests were invited to come join us and watch the process of the thrown paint and the dancers below. After a couple of runs without the paint, it was showtime. Sadly, Rodney's dance partner was not able to make it, so Rodney instead performed a solo in the Pit of Doom. Altogether, it turned out very well, and after two runs with paint and us on the first floor and the guests in the basement, they were invited to go the top of the Pit and peer down at Rodney and us as we threw paint from the basement. This third run, though, we ran out of our lovely paint, so Rodney continued to mix the existing paint without us adding to the amount.

This second installment was a ton of fun to partake in, and if you were able to join us, I hope that you enjoyed it as much as we did. Be sure to join us for our final exhibition, as we have some wonderful plans in store for the paint inside and at the top of the Pit of Doom. Stay tuned for more updates!