(bright music) - [Jim] A lot of people find Cahokia Mounds inspiring, hard to put into words, but when James Lee first saw it, he opted for music (gentle orchestral music) - And I knew immediately that I wanted to write an orchestra piece on this topic.

- [Jim] And that's just what he did.

(people cheering and whistling) We stopped in at a grocery store.

What's the big deal, we'll tell you.

(upbeat dance music) And St. Louis' ballroom scene.

Be prepared to strut your stuff.

- It's the Olympics of dance and fashion and creativity.

(crowd cheering) - [Jim] It's all next on "Living St.

Louis."

(crowd cheers) (upbeat dance music) (bright piano music) (bright piano music continues) (bright piano music continues) - I'm Ruth Ezell.

One of the highest compliments performing artists can receive is to have a work created just for them.

That was the case recently with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

Earlier this year, the orchestra performed the world premiere of a symphony inspired by an ancient culture that once thrived in this region.

(suspenseful music) Many a visitor to the Cahokia Mounds in Collinsville, Illinois has made the trek up to the top of the largest mound, Monks Mound, and gazed out at the expanse that was once the largest Native American settlement on this continent.

(suspenseful music continues) The mounds are especially inspiring to composer James Lee III.

His latest orchestral work, "Visions of Cahokia," weaves a musical tapestry, intended to transport the listener back in time to about the 11th century.

That's when thousands of indigenous people built a network of earth and mounds that anchored an advanced civilization long before the arrival of European settlers.

- I had been doing some research about American Indian history at some point, and I realized that I hadn't heard as much about ancient ruins from North American cities as I knew in Central and South America.

And as I began to read on this topic, I discovered the Cahokia Mounds, and I was so taken by what I read, especially having found that that was a civilization that was a city that was even larger than some European cities at the time.

And I knew immediately that I wanted to write an orchestra piece on this topic.

(dramatic orchestral music) - [Ruth] We stopped in at Powell Symphony Hall during a rehearsal of "Visions of Cahokia" prior to its world premiere in January of 2023.

It was commissioned by St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Music Director, Stéphane Denève, who has a professional history with Lee.

- Because I love James Lee III, and I conducted actually many pieces of him here, and I really said, "Please, please, please, "Let's do a new piece together," and what an honor that it was this piece for our orchestra, obviously with a very special connection to where we are in this place.

And he was fascinated by the Cahokia, amazing, amazing place, and he wrote something that is really, really good.

- [James] I kind of like that though, I do.

- Well, what I love with James Lee III is that he has a unique voice, a distinctive voice.

So what is interesting is whatever he composes, whatever theme you can feel, his own qualities, which is a very lush orchestration, a sense of layering the orchestra in a very creative way.

(dramatic orchestral music) - [Ruth] "Visions of Cahokia" is a three movement, 13 minute symphony.

- The first movement is called "Cahokia's Dawn."

And it is in that movement where the idea of this civilization that will eventually grow into like, maybe a term we might use, is mega city.

And then we have the second movement, which is one of devotion where the various woodwinds, once again, they are singing in their devotion to their god, Chahoua.

That was the name for god in the (indistinct) language.

And then the last movement, "Chukoshkomo," is actually a word from the Chickasaw Tribe.

And that is a word for like frolicking, games, and playing, and that's really a lot of fun and celebration in that last movement.

- [Ruth] Prior to the premiere of Lee's work, the Baltimore-based composer toured the Cahokia Mounds Interpretive Center.

Its displays include artifacts like pottery and tools for farming, hunting, construction, playing games and making music.

(gentle orchestral music) - [James] Yeah, rattles drums, flutes, whistles.

- [Ruth] At its peak, the mounds had some 50,000 inhabitants.

By the 1400s, the population was zero.

But its once great culture is now celebrated in music, and that brings joy to Stéphane Denève.

- For me, it's all about emotion.

And we said before that I program a lot of music of our time but I choose very carefully the work that touch my heart and the works that can have a direct emotional aspect to the audience, and it's really wonderful.

It's a bit like cooking to friends or to people you love, family.

You just want to have something that you first adore to eat and to share.

And so, I only conduct pieces that I'm totally convinced by, pieces that really make me enthusiastic, and then I can share my enthusiasm.

(gentle orchestral music) (gentle orchestral music continues) (soft music) - In a lot of areas, the opening of a new grocery store means another option, another choice in the neighborhood.

But Jim Kirchherr's story is about a store opening that drew a crowd, drew press coverage, because it was not just another store.

(people talking) - [Jim] On the afternoon of March 27th, workers were still putting the finishing touches on the new Fields Food store in Pagedale.

Just inside the entrance, people were already lining up to start shopping after the ribbon cutting.

The press was there, which is not typical for a grocery store opening, but this was a big deal and not an easy deal to swing.

- My name's Chris Goodson, I'm the owner of Field Foods, and I really, on behalf of everyone at Fields and the folks behind me, thank you for being here tonight on this rainy day.

Looks like it's held off... - [Jim] Fields Foods is a local company with several stores in urban neighborhoods, like Lafayette Square and Dogtown.

But they've moved into a building in Pagedale that one grocery store already moved out of, the Community Development Organization Beyond Housing was able to bring Save-A-Lot to Pagedale in 2010, but it pulled out a couple of years ago.

And beyond Housing's, Chris Krehmeyer, then set out to find a replacement to find a partner and make a deal.

- Look, this work is hard.

None of this stuff is easy.

- [Jim] Krehmeyer approached Fields Foods, but Chris Goodson says he was in the process of opening two new stores at the time and couldn't commit.

- But then we reengaged again, and Chris approached me, and after several conversations, I said, "You know what, our mission should be aligned."

What is that mission that we like to do?

We like to take food deserts and make 'em former food deserts.

We've done that in areas across...

This is exactly... Pagedale may not be in the city of St. Louis, but it's just like a mini St. Louis with the same type of challenges, the same type of opportunities, and so we talked and brought those two missions together.

- [Jim] But the deal had to be sweetened.

Beyond Housing offered free rent, for now it owns the building, and additional backing had to be lined up.

- Thank you to St. Louis County for funding to help make this happen.

We had two other great foundations who lent us some financial support to make this happen.

- So the economic model is our success, the community's success is based upon the grocery store being successful.

Again, don't punish this private sector business who wants to be here, is choosing to be here, by saying, "Well, shouldn't he pay rent?"

And, "Why is he getting all this support?"

Well, if we don't give him this kind of support, this service that's truly needed and wanted by this community is not going to happen.

- This is the kind of place that we need to do, where we have fresh fruits and vegetables.

We have a display of groceries and things like this.

- [Jim] Also speaking at the grand opening, St. Louis County Councilwoman, Rita Heard Days, one of the supporters of the project.

- Very appreciative to Fields Foods for actions taken... - [Jim] After the speeches were done, it was time to open for business.

- One, two, three!

(crowd cheering and clapping) - [Jim] Many of the first time shoppers were older folks who live just across the way at a senior citizen residence, and they walked here.

So where did you shop after Save-A-Lot closed?

- My daughter did it for me.

- I think the store's real nice.

It's organized real nice and prices are competitive... - [Jim] This does not have the look of a cut rate store, and that could attract mid-county shoppers who might have passed on Save-A-Lot, but it also has kind of an upscaled feel that could turn others away.

- I hear that comment all the time.

And let me tell you, I actually, I'm smiling right now, because it gives me a good feeling.

I believe, and you're gonna get some opinions from me, 'cause that's just me, right?

Life's too short, I tell it like it is.

I believe you should be able to be a bus driver, or you can be a hot shot lawyer, but you gotta have the same environment to shop in.

- [Jim] The real test, will people shop here?

This needs to be a business that works as well as a resource that strengthens a community.

- But the symbolism of the store closing, of the gut punch, and this community getting up off the canvas yet one more time and saying, "Nope, we're still here."

(people talking) - And joining us to talk about issues like food deserts, food insecurity, food access, is Dr. Laura Landfried, St. Louis University Health Sciences.

You focus on nutrition and dietetics.

Food desert, I hear that term used a lot.

Is it in the official world of nutrition, an official term?

Are there criteria for what defines a food desert?

- There are, the USDA defines a food desert as in an urban area, a half a mile from a grocery store, up to 20 miles in a rural area depending on the income level.

So it's like a low income, low access, and we're defining supermarkets and large grocery stores as the defining factor for food deserts.

But this doesn't really capture the entirety, because we know that if you look at the city of St. Louis, the North City is declared a food desert.

But when we look at the access points, there are community gardens, there are other food outlets that are contributing to food access.

And so there's a lot of, just talk about the term, using the term food desert and really thinking about more about accessibility and also just the political infrastructure that supports it.

And a lot of food justice activists are suggesting food apartheid be the more appropriate term, because of political structures put in place to prevent access or to allow access for particular areas.

- Right, and it's not that there's not food available.

And I know Chris Krehmeyer in our interview had talked about yes you've got convenience stores, gas stations, fast food, you can get two sandwiches for $5, so it's not that there's not food available.

What's the issue from the nutrition dietician standpoint?

- Well, it's definitely lack of healthy food options.

There may be some fruits, vegetables at the grocery, or at the convenience store or even the gas station, but it's not gonna be the same level of variety.

There's also, just thinking about the affordability component as well.

Is this produce going to be more expensive at this local store, or are they going to be able to purchase as much as a larger grocer that can bring in a large amount of produce at one time and aggregate that cost, as opposed to a local convenience store owner that has to purchase a smaller amount, and so that aggregated cost compounds the issue.

- Yeah, you've been talking to folks about what they need or why they can't get what they need.

So you've had some focus groups, so you're not just sitting in your office, you guys are out talking to folks.

What are they telling you?

What's the problem?

- Yeah, so the city of St. Louis Department of Health received a grant from the CDC to address the social determinants of health addressing food security.

And with that, they partnered with us to have focus groups, and the vast majority of the individuals that participated in the focus groups had lower income, participated in some food, like SNAP or WIC or other food supplement programs.

And they brought up the things that we just assume, food access, if they don't have transportation, transportation is a huge limiter as far as for the families to take a family of six in a bus to a grocery store to get food and then have to carry it back, and they may have to walk a distance to get to the grocery store.

- So you're defining the problem, so now let's fix the problem.

And you've got an effort, and I'm gonna read it, the Food and Justice Action Collaborative, 'cause there's multiple issues here.

It's not just the lack of a store, it's the lack of transportation, it's lack of time, it's lack of whatever solution, and what's this collaborative about?

- So the Food and Justice Action Collaborative came through Big Ideas Research grant at St. Louis University, and we got funded to increase collaboration with regards to food security efforts.

And so this collaboration is really a great opportunity, because it's allowing the different departments and people at SLU to work together, collaboratively on these food issues.

And just as an example, Gerardo Camilo is in biology, and he looks at bees, and so his research on bees translates to food, because we know that we need bees to survive.

And so being able to touch different entities where nutrition obviously makes sense, public health makes sense, but then to work with people in the School of Law about policy and just that justice component of getting people access to food and healthy food and how do we navigate the different, you know.

- So the work continues, and I appreciate the work, and we hope things improve.

And as I always say, fortunately or unfortunately, it's steady work for all of us, but it's an important issue in this entire community.

So Dr. Laura Landfried from St. Louis University, thanks again for joining us, appreciate your time.

- Yeah, thank you so much.

- Our next story is about, well something different, a local ballroom scene, but don't think waltz or foxtrot.

Veronica Mohesky takes a look at a very different kind of ballroom culture.

It's not mainstream and frankly, it doesn't really wanna be.

(crowd bantering) - [Veronica] Maven Logik Lee is what is considered a legend in the ballroom scene.

No, I'm not talking about the ballroom with slow songs and evening gowns.

(upbeat dance music) I'm talking about voguing, runway walks, and eye-catching costumes.

For those unfamiliar with ballroom culture, Maven compares it to the Olympics.

- Oh, it's the Olympics of dance and fashion and creativity.

Okay, the Olympics has different countries, and they have a coach for some of the teams, whatever.

So ballroom is like, you have ballroom, and you have the houses who are like the different countries and ballroom has vogue and runway and best dressed, and so you compete against them very similarly, and so I feel like it's just like the Olympics of this culture.

- [Veronica] But to break it down a little further, balls allow people to compete in several categories.

Popular ones include runway, face, realness, and the most popular, vogue.

Competitors can win a category by having the best dance moves, outfits, walk or a mix of all of these.

Winners can earn prizes such as cash or trophies.

And Maven has made it his mission to expand the ballroom scene in St. Louis.

He does this through his arts and entertainment company, TENS, which hosts balls and events around St. Louis.

- I think it's on the rise.

I think it's more diverse than it's ever been.

Ballroom here was definitely just like Black and Brown folks.

But now, it's totally diverse and very eclectic.

- [Veronica] While elements of ballroom culture are now popularized online, ballroom used to be a small subculture, specifically for LGBTQ people of color.

- So in the early 60s, a woman named Crystal LaBeija stood against a trans woman (indistinct).

(crowd cheers) walked off the stage of a pageant, because she was tired of putting all her money and walking these categories and walking these pageants and losing to her white counterpart.

- [Veronica] Jack Gucci is a ballroom icon and was a writer on the FX show, "Pose."

He also is a co-executive producer on HBO Max's "Legendary."

He gave a quick synopsis of the history of ballroom culture at the FUTURE IS FEMME BALL on March 4th.

- And she decides that they are going to create their own community and that they did.

And it was a safe place for people of color, queer people of color to come and congregate - [Veronica] To help new performers understand the history, another organization founded by Maven, called The Shades Project, held a ballroom 101 course to prepare for an upcoming ball competition.

- So we got tap, (upbeat dance music) something like this, we just kind of tappin'.

- [Veronica] That's Jeter Gorgeous Gucci.

He was the instructor for the Ballroom 101 course.

Jeter was featured on the HBO Max Show, "Legendary," which is one of the many recent shows that has brought ballroom culture to the mainstream.

- Tonight was a workshop for all things ballroom, the history itself, the categories.

I just kind of wanted to give everybody a little bit of a prep, kinda see what everybody had that they were working with and just kinda get people out there and excited about the ball coming up on the 4th of March.

- [Veronica] And while growth is great, Maven says it's important for participants to understand the roots of ballroom culture.

- I think for white folks, ballroom is definitely a space that they can participate in and be a part of as long as you respect the fact that it was something that was created by people of color, you honor that, and you lift that up, and in spaces, you create space.

- [Veronica] On March 4th, many of the students who came to the ballroom class came out to dance or walk the runway.

They were also given the opportunity to watch ballroom legends walk and perform.

Keekee Kardashian, a commentator at the ball, said she was thrilled to see new people try it out.

- Because this ball is gonna be different than the usual.

You have people who don't know anything about Ballroom actually competing and actually get on the floor and showing something that they just learned.

- [Veronica] The ball was a success.

(upbeat dance music) (crowd cheering) Maven is planning even more events through his company TENS to help grow St. Louis' ballroom scene.

And though events like this are competitions, Jeter says it's more about building a community.

- Sometimes people are cast out by their families because of their sexual orientation, or because they want to live in their truth.

And sometimes people come to ballroom to find that family that they don't necessarily have at home.

- Sometimes people say that ballroom is a fantasy, and it can be.

(gentle music) It can also be a reflection of real life and real life experiences.

I also think that ballroom saves lives.

I had a ball and this young lady came to me and she said, "Listen, that night, before I came to your ball, "I was in a very dark place.

"I came, I saw people laughing, enjoying themselves.

"Somebody pulled me out on the runway," the commentator pulled her out, she didn't even plan a walk and she participated, and it just lifted her up so much.

That was a moment where I'm like, I have to keep doing this, because people, we don't talk about mental health a lot as much as we need to in society, and we never know when we have those moments where we save someone, and we lift someone up.

So for that reason alone, I continue to do it.

(upbeat dance music) (dramatic music) (typewriter keys clicking) (playful music) - [Brooke] "This Week in History," April 14th, 1963 was perfect Midwest spring weather, but it was across the country in sunny Florida where a St. Louis-made children's garment would gain national attention.

Pictured on the cover of "Palm Beach" magazine, a two year old John F. Kennedy Jr., accompanied by his mother, were leaving Easter church service wearing a cherry jumper.

Maybe this simple frock doesn't look like anything special, but I mean, come on, it was the Kennedys.

So of course, after people saw the pictures in magazines and newspapers, the jumper became a highly sought after item, not to mention its more popular sister garment, The Cherry Dress.

- So the Cherry Dress Production has always been in the St. Louis community.

I think that the handcrafted traditional nature of the garment with its history has something that resonates with everyone today.

- [Brooke] Julie Peters is the executive director for the Woman's Exchange of St. Louis, where The Cherry Dress has been exclusively sold for over 60 years.

(playful music) - So, the Women's Exchange was founded in 1883 by women who realized that other women were falling on hard financial times.

And in 1883, it was not appropriate for women to have work outside of the home, so the exchange was set up on a premise of secrecy and anonymity to allow women to sell their handmade garments but not be known to the rest of the community, because of the shame and the stigma associated with that financial hardship at the time.

- [Brooke] It's for this reason that the identity of the very first creator of The Cherry Dress has not been disclosed to the public.

There is record of the dress first being sold in 1954 and solid evidence as to why sales skyrocketed after this week, 60 years ago.

(playful music) As The Cherry Dress has made its appearance around the country on children of social icons and community members alike, the Exchange inevitably ran into some copycat artisans trying to pass knockoff cherry outfits as the real deal.

That's what led them to receive a federal trademark for the garment in 2016.

This was necessary not only to maintain the St. Louis authenticity, but also to ensure that the proceeds can go towards supporting the artisans, like the women participating in the immigrant training program who spend an hour making each individual cherry embellishment.

- We give up to 70% of our retail sales to our artisans, and we are able to give them that money when they give us the garment.

I think that the idea of it being a very classic easy garment to pick for your little one makes it an easy choice.

But I also think that there's a lot of people who just enjoy supporting the mission.

(gentle music) - [Brooke] The style and price might not be for everyone, but there are many layers as to what does make this this garment so desirable.

It might be supporting the mission of the Woman's Exchange.

It might be the handcrafted, high quality fabric, or for some, it might just be about continuing a long-lived St. Louis tradition that's still around today, thanks to an Easter outfit worn 60 years ago "This Week in History."

(gentle music continues) - And that's "Living St.

Louis."

We'd love to hear from you.

You can get in touch with us at NinePBS.org/LSL.

I'm Ruth Ezell, thanks for joining us.

(bright piano music) (bright piano music continues) (bright piano music continues) (bright piano music continues) - [Announcer] Living St. Louis is funded in part by the Betsy & Thomas Patterson Foundation and the members of Nine PBS.