On these beautiful August days, Bethesda Fountain can take on a circus atmosphere. The big bubble man waves his foamy netting and huge bubbles float up and over the heads of squealing children. Bubbles, like the ballerina \u2013 who was not here today \u2013 danced to the music from the arcade. Begging Buddhists snaked through the crowd, shoving prayer flags at people. Softly, from 2 shady corners around the fountain, came the calls, \u201ccold water here,” “agua fria.\u201d And now, ladies and gentlemen, appearing in the center ring, Mr. Ukulele.<\/p>\n
A troop of 4-year-olds in blue tee shirts were being herded down the path to the fountain by 2 adults. \u201cHas this group got time for a hula?\u201d<\/p>\n
I put 8 kids in leis, then had them trade off with 8 more for the second verse of \u201cThe Hukilau Song.\u201d They were a day camp from Brooklyn. The leader, having rounded everyone up after the dance, gave me a 10-dollar bill, a sure sign of Brooklyn\u2019s gentrification. As often as not, I get bupkis from the outer boroughs. <\/p>\n
A half dozen girls from Uruguay danced the hula, followed by 2 adolescent sisters from Israel, each with a dollar in her hand. At some distance, a woman was catching it all on video. She walked off, then came back with a donation. A 20-something man with a camera leaned against a stone block at the end of the benches and listened. After a few songs, he walked over, dropped 2 singles, walked back and continued listening. <\/p>\n
Off to my left a scruffy guy, shirt off, pant legs rolled to the knees, stepped into the waters of the fountain. I figured he was trolling for silver, but when I saw him again he was soaked from head to toe, as if from a shower. He stretched out in the sun to dry. Later, he pulled up in front of me on a bike, took out a money clip and peeled off a dollar.<\/p>\n
A thin, tall woman with fire-red hair passed in front of me a few times, scoping me out. She finally came up to me and said, \u201cI want to dance.\u201d Her accent was Russo-Slavic. \u201cBut first I get someone.\u201d She gave me a dollar, to reserve her dance, then walked off to the benches. She came back with a middle-age man, positioned him, gave him some last minute instructions about recording, positioned herself, then gave me a nod to begin. This was no hula; instead she waved her arms, leapt and landed in grotesque postures, all fingers and eyes. At the finale, she collapsed into a tangle of limbs. I title her interpretation: “Dracula Goes to the Hukilau.”<\/p>\n
I left the park with $26 and change, and the satisfaction of having put on a good show.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"