MICDS seniors, juniors, and eighth- and fourth-grade students gathered on Lilly’s Field on May 7 for a picture-perfect May Day Celebration. A Mary Institute tradition since 1912, this annual festival has been held at various locations throughout St. Louis, including Washington University Chancellor’s Garden and Forest Park’s Municipal (Muny) Opera stage before finding its permanent home on the MICDS campus nearly a century later.
After a lovely entrance to Simple Gifts from Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland, the juniors performed their traditional Daisy Chain dance to Carillon from L’Arlesienne Suite No. 1 by Georges Bizet. The seniors then entered the field, where they were presented with a sprig of ivy by the juniors signifying the graduate’s living link with Mary Institute and Country Day School.
Fourth graders performed a beautiful scarf dance to Waltzing Doll by Arangelos Chamber Ensemble, and eighth graders led a ribbon dance to Dance of the Tumblers by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, where they used their ribbons to weave small-scale maypoles. Finally, the seniors commenced the official weaving of the main maypole to the music of Fantasia on Greensleeves by Vaughn Williams. Click here to view the complete May Day program.
After the maypole dance, Coronation Pages Erica Engelhardt ’23 and Anagayle Senn ’23 began their journey around the circle of seniors, ready to deliver flowers to the chosen May Queen. Student Council Co-President Peyton LaMartina ’22 crowned Katharine Mikulec ’22 as the Class of 2022 May Queen before classmates rushed in for an enormous group hug.
In keeping with the MICDS Mission, the seniors requested that gifts be made in their honor to a charitable organization, and this year, they chose the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Foundation, Inc.
Many thanks to May Day Director Emily Huber ’89 and Assistant May Day Director Josh Baumgartner for creating such a special day for our students. Congratulations to Katharine and all members of the Class of 2022! Please enjoy the video and photo gallery below.
