Collaboration with Jen and Kelly
Title: Danger Danger
Statement of Intention: To exemplify the vulnerability of art in society.
Objects Needed: one performer
Description: The performer must create a dangerous situation that satisfies the intention of the performance. They may include other performers and/or objects if necessary.
Conclusion: The performance concludes after 2 minutes.
I chose to perform my dance over a hot plate, while throwing water upon it and dancing in the steam. I wanted to work with the idea of the artist pushing himself further and where that fuzzy line is between challenging oneself and putting oneself in harm’s way. At the beginning of the performance, I found myself relatively far away from the heat, because I did not want to get injured. As I moved through the steam, I worked my way closer and closer to the source of the heat, to the point where it started to hurt a little.
I really found myself getting into this performance, because the idea of danger kind of turned me on a bit. I think there has always been a part of me that wants to test the waters. I love pushing things to the limit; as a child, I would push my parents to their limit. I liked figuring out where the breaking point was. To me, that is where I find my artistry - just before the breaking point.
I think collaboration in dance can be a lot of things. I have had collaborations that felt very much like two parties contributing equally to a piece as well as collaborations in which other people (or myself) made small yet meaningful contributions. Sometimes people can collaborate without their knowledge. I have collaborated with famous musicians simply by using their music. In this case, I collaborated with two dancers to create and perform a script in three separate locations. For me, it was an interesting experience, although in hindsight, I wish the script had been a bit more specific, because I felt that our three performances couldn’t really be compared to each other because they ended up being so different.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Research
1. Trained vs. Untrained Movement
The juxtaposition between the highly stylized and the pedestrian
2. Personal Relationships
The way people’s relationships outside the dance studio affect their relationships inside the studio
3. Movement History
The background of a person’s relationship to movement and how it fits into the group.
The juxtaposition between the highly stylized and the pedestrian
2. Personal Relationships
The way people’s relationships outside the dance studio affect their relationships inside the studio
3. Movement History
The background of a person’s relationship to movement and how it fits into the group.
Lab 4
Title: Dearly Departed
Statement of Intention: To remember someone who is no longer living through dance.
Objects: 1 performer, 1 memory of a loved one who has passed away
Direction: The performer dances a specific memory he or she had with a person who has passed away.
Conclusion: The performance concludes when the performer reaches the end of the memory.
Reflection: For my performance, I chose a memory I had with my late grandfather. He and I drove down the California coast from San Francisco to Big Sur while I was in college. I flew out to San Francisco specifically to spend time with him, because my mother told me that he was getting older and I would regret not taking advantage of the time I had with him. The truth is, I don’t remember much about the trip. I remember the drive down in my grandfather’s hybrid car. I remember letting him drive for a bit even though my father explicitly told me he was forbidden from driving while I was in the car. I remember the hotel room we slept in and the crows that congregated outside the window, in a very Hitchcockian manner. All of these moments became a part of my performance.
The performance itself took place inside my apartment. I assigned various parts of the memory to various rooms. As I moved from one memory to the next, I moved from one room to the next. I noticed that at the beginning of the piece, I was full of energy and joy. As I progressed, I realized that reminiscing about my grandfather and thinking about how he was no longer here was depressing me and my movement. Even writing this down is making me upset. By the end of the piece, I was sitting on my bed, motionless, for about twenty minutes as my mind wandered to other memories of him.
I felt that this script was successful, since the subject was memory and it led me to remember a lot. I am grateful for this assignment, because I felt that I was able to connect with my grandfather, who died in late November of last year. In short, this was a hard but ultimately fruitful assignment.
Statement of Intention: To remember someone who is no longer living through dance.
Objects: 1 performer, 1 memory of a loved one who has passed away
Direction: The performer dances a specific memory he or she had with a person who has passed away.
Conclusion: The performance concludes when the performer reaches the end of the memory.
Reflection: For my performance, I chose a memory I had with my late grandfather. He and I drove down the California coast from San Francisco to Big Sur while I was in college. I flew out to San Francisco specifically to spend time with him, because my mother told me that he was getting older and I would regret not taking advantage of the time I had with him. The truth is, I don’t remember much about the trip. I remember the drive down in my grandfather’s hybrid car. I remember letting him drive for a bit even though my father explicitly told me he was forbidden from driving while I was in the car. I remember the hotel room we slept in and the crows that congregated outside the window, in a very Hitchcockian manner. All of these moments became a part of my performance.
The performance itself took place inside my apartment. I assigned various parts of the memory to various rooms. As I moved from one memory to the next, I moved from one room to the next. I noticed that at the beginning of the piece, I was full of energy and joy. As I progressed, I realized that reminiscing about my grandfather and thinking about how he was no longer here was depressing me and my movement. Even writing this down is making me upset. By the end of the piece, I was sitting on my bed, motionless, for about twenty minutes as my mind wandered to other memories of him.
I felt that this script was successful, since the subject was memory and it led me to remember a lot. I am grateful for this assignment, because I felt that I was able to connect with my grandfather, who died in late November of last year. In short, this was a hard but ultimately fruitful assignment.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Choreography Project
Intention: To create a piece using a combination of both dancers and non-dancers in which both populations feel their needs met, both onstage and during rehearsal.
The piece will be created through various means, including but not limited to improvisation, assignments, word association, etc., and will culminate in a performance in early December 2011. Dancers have been recruited via social networking and will be paid per performance. Most of the dancers are friends of mine, and I intend to use the very possibly awkward exchanges in rehearsal to fuel the piece’s creation. There will be at least one performance, possibly more. Rehearsals will take place on the weekends, both on Friday and Saturday, as many of the performers have jobs during the week. I may add rehearsals during the week for those who can attend depending upon scheduling and need.
The piece will be created through various means, including but not limited to improvisation, assignments, word association, etc., and will culminate in a performance in early December 2011. Dancers have been recruited via social networking and will be paid per performance. Most of the dancers are friends of mine, and I intend to use the very possibly awkward exchanges in rehearsal to fuel the piece’s creation. There will be at least one performance, possibly more. Rehearsals will take place on the weekends, both on Friday and Saturday, as many of the performers have jobs during the week. I may add rehearsals during the week for those who can attend depending upon scheduling and need.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Dance Review Review
With Nods to Schoenberg and Dr. King
By GIA KOURLAS
Published: September 19, 2011
I was unimpressed by this review of Monstah Black's "Black Moon." Kourklas feels the need to describe everything she sees, albeit too briefly. Rather than delving deeply into a few select images, she glosses over what seems like the entire piece. Truth be told, I could not tell whether or not she even liked the piece, or whether or not I should be interested in seeing it. In my opinion, this was not a very well written review, because it seemed to serve no purpose, other than the author’s ability to say, “I saw this. This is what happened.”
By GIA KOURLAS
Published: September 19, 2011
I was unimpressed by this review of Monstah Black's "Black Moon." Kourklas feels the need to describe everything she sees, albeit too briefly. Rather than delving deeply into a few select images, she glosses over what seems like the entire piece. Truth be told, I could not tell whether or not she even liked the piece, or whether or not I should be interested in seeing it. In my opinion, this was not a very well written review, because it seemed to serve no purpose, other than the author’s ability to say, “I saw this. This is what happened.”
Dance Viewed This Week
"Sleep No More"
Last week, I was fortunate enough to score three tickets to "Sleep No More" by the group Punchdrunk. The piece was unlike anything I have ever experienced before. It is a telling of Shakespeare's "MacBeth" through dance. The setting is the fictional McKittrick Hotel, which is in reality, a completely refurbished warehouse (there are over 100 rooms created for this performance, including an enchanted forest, a graveyard, a banquet hall, a hospital, etc.). The audience is required to wear masks, which is what separates them from the performers. Each performer has his or her own path that they follow from the beginning of the piece until the end. During their performances, they seemingly seamlessly intersect with other performers for duets, trios, and group sections. Part of the excitement of the piece as an audience member is chasing after the characters to see where he or she will go and what he or she will do. I do not want to give too much away here, because I really do believe that this piece absolutely needs to be seen. I went with my fiancé and one of my best friends and all three of us had completely different experiences, but all of us found it to be one of the most incredible theatrical experiences of our lives. This show is worth a trip to New York. Book your tickets now, because they will sell out.
Last week, I was fortunate enough to score three tickets to "Sleep No More" by the group Punchdrunk. The piece was unlike anything I have ever experienced before. It is a telling of Shakespeare's "MacBeth" through dance. The setting is the fictional McKittrick Hotel, which is in reality, a completely refurbished warehouse (there are over 100 rooms created for this performance, including an enchanted forest, a graveyard, a banquet hall, a hospital, etc.). The audience is required to wear masks, which is what separates them from the performers. Each performer has his or her own path that they follow from the beginning of the piece until the end. During their performances, they seemingly seamlessly intersect with other performers for duets, trios, and group sections. Part of the excitement of the piece as an audience member is chasing after the characters to see where he or she will go and what he or she will do. I do not want to give too much away here, because I really do believe that this piece absolutely needs to be seen. I went with my fiancé and one of my best friends and all three of us had completely different experiences, but all of us found it to be one of the most incredible theatrical experiences of our lives. This show is worth a trip to New York. Book your tickets now, because they will sell out.
Viewed Videos and Responses
La Pocha Nostra: Guillermo Gomez Pena
Guillermo Gomez Pena’s work is incredibly raw and honest. The subject matter was very political. I wished the video had focused more on the performance rather than the artists’ and audience’s emotional reactions to it, because I felt that I was responding to what I was hearing from them, not what I was seeing myself.
Our lady of Detritus, Interpretation in Dance: Jill Sigman
I kind of loved the excerpts from Our Lady of Detritus. My favorite moment was when the woman in the wheelbarrow said, “you can go scuba diving with the fish, and then you can eat them at the same time!” Cracked me up. I loved the way she interacted with the audience in a very real way, despite being so overly-styled.
I also agreed a lot with what Sigman had to say about interpretation. I also feel that a lot of people put unnecessary pressure on “getting it right” and I think that hurts the work and the audience’s experience of it. I strongly believe that the work is whatever you get from it; no more, no less.
Palo Buggiani
I loved the video of Buggiani on the bicycle. There was something oddly soothing about watching a man bike down the street with fire behind him. I also really appreciated the other video and the kind of work he has been doing with fire. Talk about pyromania!
Charlotte Moorman, Playing TV with Cello: Nam June Paik
I have heard Moorman in an interview talk about how she went to Juilliard to study cello and instead wound up working with Nam June Paik. The TV cello, and how she played it, was certainly revolutionary. I couldn’t help but read one of the comments on the video: “Lady Gaga?” Well, not exactly, but I’m sure Gaga is very much aware of Paik’s work with Moorman.
When I looked at the site, the video of Burning Man had been taken down. However, I did get the chance to watch the video “How to tell a story” from Trey Parker and Matt Stone, which was very informative. They talked about how a good story works because each event is caused by the one before it. Simply stringing a lot of ideas together does not work.
On another note, I am totally committed to going to Burning Man one day. Definitely on my bucket list.
Dance a Day: Boris Willis
The idea is interesting: creating a dance everyday. Frankly, it’s something we should all be aspiring to. Besides the idea itself, I really wasn’t all that interested in the project or its videos.
Meat Joy: Carolee Scheenmann
To call Scheenmann’s work “raw” is an understatement. Her materials are, well, mostly raw meat and fish, as well as other inorganic materials. For me, this is not a performance I could watch. I get disgusted by this sort of thing. This is not to say that it doesn’t have artistic merit - it absolutely does - but I personally can’t sit through a performance like this.
Guillermo Gomez Pena’s work is incredibly raw and honest. The subject matter was very political. I wished the video had focused more on the performance rather than the artists’ and audience’s emotional reactions to it, because I felt that I was responding to what I was hearing from them, not what I was seeing myself.
Our lady of Detritus, Interpretation in Dance: Jill Sigman
I kind of loved the excerpts from Our Lady of Detritus. My favorite moment was when the woman in the wheelbarrow said, “you can go scuba diving with the fish, and then you can eat them at the same time!” Cracked me up. I loved the way she interacted with the audience in a very real way, despite being so overly-styled.
I also agreed a lot with what Sigman had to say about interpretation. I also feel that a lot of people put unnecessary pressure on “getting it right” and I think that hurts the work and the audience’s experience of it. I strongly believe that the work is whatever you get from it; no more, no less.
Palo Buggiani
I loved the video of Buggiani on the bicycle. There was something oddly soothing about watching a man bike down the street with fire behind him. I also really appreciated the other video and the kind of work he has been doing with fire. Talk about pyromania!
Charlotte Moorman, Playing TV with Cello: Nam June Paik
I have heard Moorman in an interview talk about how she went to Juilliard to study cello and instead wound up working with Nam June Paik. The TV cello, and how she played it, was certainly revolutionary. I couldn’t help but read one of the comments on the video: “Lady Gaga?” Well, not exactly, but I’m sure Gaga is very much aware of Paik’s work with Moorman.
When I looked at the site, the video of Burning Man had been taken down. However, I did get the chance to watch the video “How to tell a story” from Trey Parker and Matt Stone, which was very informative. They talked about how a good story works because each event is caused by the one before it. Simply stringing a lot of ideas together does not work.
On another note, I am totally committed to going to Burning Man one day. Definitely on my bucket list.
Dance a Day: Boris Willis
The idea is interesting: creating a dance everyday. Frankly, it’s something we should all be aspiring to. Besides the idea itself, I really wasn’t all that interested in the project or its videos.
Meat Joy: Carolee Scheenmann
To call Scheenmann’s work “raw” is an understatement. Her materials are, well, mostly raw meat and fish, as well as other inorganic materials. For me, this is not a performance I could watch. I get disgusted by this sort of thing. This is not to say that it doesn’t have artistic merit - it absolutely does - but I personally can’t sit through a performance like this.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Performance Assignment 9/19
Title: A Room With A View
Statement of Intention: To explore performance being perceived as performance as seen by strangers across the alley from my apartment.
Objects: 1 performer, 1 apartment, several audience members on the adjacent balcony.
Directions: The audience should be made aware of the performance by the performative qualities of the performer, who is free to move as he likes within the space.
Conclusion: The performance concludes when the performer decides it is over.
Reflection: This performance took place in the apartment I am currently subletting. There is a balcony across the alley from me facing the wall of windows in my apartment. The space is very much exposed. Last night, there was a group of five young people hanging out on the balcony. Without thinking, I dove into the performance.
At first, no one noticed me. I was moving around the apartment using very stylized gestures, although I quickly realized that these were not big enough to distract my audience from their own conversations. Eventually I turned up the volume on my movement and I noticed that they were starting to pay attention to me more and more. I took advantage of all of the furniture in the living room: I danced on the table, jumped between the sofas, rolled on the floor, etc. After about seven minutes of this improvisation, I decided it was over and turned towards my audience, bowed, and closed the shades.
I did not have time to “prepare” for this performance. I saw an opportunity and took it immediately. Had I known that these people were going to be on the balcony last night, I probably would have prepared the space a bit more, although there is definitely something to be said for the spontanaety of it all. I also was fully aware that there would be no consequences from my actions; I am only subletting this apartment. In a month, I will be gone. If I were actually living here, I may not have felt as comfortable creating this particular performance. Also, because of the immediacy of the performance, I did not have the chance to video it, although I do not believe I would have video taped it anyway. I feel that adding a video recorder to the performance changes it, because the performance becomes split between two directions - that of the audience and that of the video recorder. Ultimately, I was very happy with the performance. We’ll see if my audience will return tonight...
Statement of Intention: To explore performance being perceived as performance as seen by strangers across the alley from my apartment.
Objects: 1 performer, 1 apartment, several audience members on the adjacent balcony.
Directions: The audience should be made aware of the performance by the performative qualities of the performer, who is free to move as he likes within the space.
Conclusion: The performance concludes when the performer decides it is over.
Reflection: This performance took place in the apartment I am currently subletting. There is a balcony across the alley from me facing the wall of windows in my apartment. The space is very much exposed. Last night, there was a group of five young people hanging out on the balcony. Without thinking, I dove into the performance.
At first, no one noticed me. I was moving around the apartment using very stylized gestures, although I quickly realized that these were not big enough to distract my audience from their own conversations. Eventually I turned up the volume on my movement and I noticed that they were starting to pay attention to me more and more. I took advantage of all of the furniture in the living room: I danced on the table, jumped between the sofas, rolled on the floor, etc. After about seven minutes of this improvisation, I decided it was over and turned towards my audience, bowed, and closed the shades.
I did not have time to “prepare” for this performance. I saw an opportunity and took it immediately. Had I known that these people were going to be on the balcony last night, I probably would have prepared the space a bit more, although there is definitely something to be said for the spontanaety of it all. I also was fully aware that there would be no consequences from my actions; I am only subletting this apartment. In a month, I will be gone. If I were actually living here, I may not have felt as comfortable creating this particular performance. Also, because of the immediacy of the performance, I did not have the chance to video it, although I do not believe I would have video taped it anyway. I feel that adding a video recorder to the performance changes it, because the performance becomes split between two directions - that of the audience and that of the video recorder. Ultimately, I was very happy with the performance. We’ll see if my audience will return tonight...
Lab 3
Title: Glutton
Statement of Intention: To explore the financial strain the ultra-orthodox community is putting on Israel.
Objects: 1 performer, 1 audience member, 2 meals.
Direction: The performer eats from the plate of the audience member but does not offer food from his own plate.
Conclusion: The performance concludes with the audience member demands that the performer stops eating his/her food.
Reflection: For my performance, I went out to dinner with a friend. When we received our food, I asked to have a taste of hers. She said yes and I had a bite. After a couple of minutes, I asked for another bite, then another, then another. I could see she was beginning to get annoyed, but she still did not resist me. Eventually I was taking more bites off of her plate than I was off of mine. It was at this point that she finally asked for a bite of my meal, to which I said no. Then she got angry and told me that I can’t eat both of our meals by myself. It was at that moment that the performance ended. I then explained my performance to her and offered her the rest of my meal so she would not be upset at me anymore. We then spent the remainder of the meal discussing the issue and the protests that had been going on in my absence.
The ultra-orthodox community in Israel is a very vocal, very powerful minority. They do not have to work (as long as they study the Torah), they do not serve in the army, and they do not pay taxes. What is more is that the government puts almost all of them on welfare because they cannot support their exceedingly large families. Their political views are far right, and they are gaining more and more power without contributing at all to the country in which they live. It means that those of us who do work and who do serve in the army have to pay for their lifestyle. What makes even less sense is that this is a community that very vocally disapproves of the secular community without whose resources they cannot survive. Recently, there have been protests in Israel regarding the rising cost of living, and I cannot help but wonder if this issue would exist at all had it not been for the ultra-orthodox community.
I felt that the performance could have been more effective had I done it with someone I didn’t feel as close to. Because my friend and I are so close, she didn’t have a problem with my eating her food, at least, not at first. I believe that had I worked with someone else, they might have complained sooner.
Overall, I felt that the performance was successful. It led to a very interesting (albeit mostly one-sided) discussion of the issue being presented.
Statement of Intention: To explore the financial strain the ultra-orthodox community is putting on Israel.
Objects: 1 performer, 1 audience member, 2 meals.
Direction: The performer eats from the plate of the audience member but does not offer food from his own plate.
Conclusion: The performance concludes with the audience member demands that the performer stops eating his/her food.
Reflection: For my performance, I went out to dinner with a friend. When we received our food, I asked to have a taste of hers. She said yes and I had a bite. After a couple of minutes, I asked for another bite, then another, then another. I could see she was beginning to get annoyed, but she still did not resist me. Eventually I was taking more bites off of her plate than I was off of mine. It was at this point that she finally asked for a bite of my meal, to which I said no. Then she got angry and told me that I can’t eat both of our meals by myself. It was at that moment that the performance ended. I then explained my performance to her and offered her the rest of my meal so she would not be upset at me anymore. We then spent the remainder of the meal discussing the issue and the protests that had been going on in my absence.
The ultra-orthodox community in Israel is a very vocal, very powerful minority. They do not have to work (as long as they study the Torah), they do not serve in the army, and they do not pay taxes. What is more is that the government puts almost all of them on welfare because they cannot support their exceedingly large families. Their political views are far right, and they are gaining more and more power without contributing at all to the country in which they live. It means that those of us who do work and who do serve in the army have to pay for their lifestyle. What makes even less sense is that this is a community that very vocally disapproves of the secular community without whose resources they cannot survive. Recently, there have been protests in Israel regarding the rising cost of living, and I cannot help but wonder if this issue would exist at all had it not been for the ultra-orthodox community.
I felt that the performance could have been more effective had I done it with someone I didn’t feel as close to. Because my friend and I are so close, she didn’t have a problem with my eating her food, at least, not at first. I believe that had I worked with someone else, they might have complained sooner.
Overall, I felt that the performance was successful. It led to a very interesting (albeit mostly one-sided) discussion of the issue being presented.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Performance Assignments for Aesthetics - Environmental
Streetwalker
Did a dance from the restaurant to our hotel room using pedestrian movement with performance qualities.
Hotel Room
Did a dance in our hotel room in which I cleaned up the room.
One Hand In My Pocket
Did a dance based off of an improvisation in which I repeated the action of putting my hand in my pocket.
Did a dance from the restaurant to our hotel room using pedestrian movement with performance qualities.
Hotel Room
Did a dance in our hotel room in which I cleaned up the room.
One Hand In My Pocket
Did a dance based off of an improvisation in which I repeated the action of putting my hand in my pocket.
Dances Viewed This Week
Liz Lerman Dance Exchange - Pas de Dirt
This balletic homage to construction was very inventive, but overall gimicky. I loved the choreography of the earthmovers, but wanted to see the dance move forward. It did not become more than the sum of its parts, which bothered me. I found the way the earthmovers were used to be cute, but ultimately predictable. All in all, I would say it was a dance that needed more thought, more concept. It was cute, but it could have been amazing.
Faye Driscoll - 837 Venice Blvd
This excerpt was incredibly fresh and inventive. Faye Driscoll has created a beautiful psychological landscape here in which she unabashedly explores human relationships. The excerpt made me want to see more. I watched another Driscoll piece on video earlier this summer, and was quite impressed by it. The dance seems to move seamlessly from scene to scene; in fact, it’s the transitions that are often the most interesting. Driscoll finds beautiful ways of moving between ideas. It is often difficult to see where one idea ends and the next begins. Too often dance feels like an awkwardly put together scrapbook, but here the transitions are flawless. I hope to see this piece in its entirety someday.
This balletic homage to construction was very inventive, but overall gimicky. I loved the choreography of the earthmovers, but wanted to see the dance move forward. It did not become more than the sum of its parts, which bothered me. I found the way the earthmovers were used to be cute, but ultimately predictable. All in all, I would say it was a dance that needed more thought, more concept. It was cute, but it could have been amazing.
Faye Driscoll - 837 Venice Blvd
This excerpt was incredibly fresh and inventive. Faye Driscoll has created a beautiful psychological landscape here in which she unabashedly explores human relationships. The excerpt made me want to see more. I watched another Driscoll piece on video earlier this summer, and was quite impressed by it. The dance seems to move seamlessly from scene to scene; in fact, it’s the transitions that are often the most interesting. Driscoll finds beautiful ways of moving between ideas. It is often difficult to see where one idea ends and the next begins. Too often dance feels like an awkwardly put together scrapbook, but here the transitions are flawless. I hope to see this piece in its entirety someday.
Dance Review Review
‘Sleep No More’ but Move Nonstop
By GIA KOURLAS
Published: September 6, 2011
Fantastic review of Punchdrunk’s “Sleep No More.” Completely engrossing. The article described the performance in a way that made me really want to see the piece. The truth is, I have been trying to get tickets, but they have been completely sold out for the time I am in New York. The article talks about other reviews, gives commentary from the performers, and describes the show without giving too much away (in case anyone is lucky enough to score tickets). It was extremely well written. By the end of the article, I was kicking myself for not purchasing tickets sooner. The show sounds fantastic, and I sincerely hope that someday I’ll get the chance to see it.
UPDATE: I GOT TICKETS!!!
By GIA KOURLAS
Published: September 6, 2011
Fantastic review of Punchdrunk’s “Sleep No More.” Completely engrossing. The article described the performance in a way that made me really want to see the piece. The truth is, I have been trying to get tickets, but they have been completely sold out for the time I am in New York. The article talks about other reviews, gives commentary from the performers, and describes the show without giving too much away (in case anyone is lucky enough to score tickets). It was extremely well written. By the end of the article, I was kicking myself for not purchasing tickets sooner. The show sounds fantastic, and I sincerely hope that someday I’ll get the chance to see it.
UPDATE: I GOT TICKETS!!!
Monday, September 5, 2011
Dances Viewed This Week
Thought of You by Ryan J Woodward
I had seen this video dance a couple of years ago and was floored by its simple beauty. The animation is amazing, and takes dance to that next level, where we can actually physically transform ourselves into something else, as opposed to simply suggesting it, as our limited human bodies force us to do.
La La La Human Steps / Édouard Lock
Crisp, clear, sharp movements all done on pointe. Two duets shown, both with one man and one woman. Men are relegated to being props, as the spotlight very clearly only stays on the women and the men are dressed entirely in black, with a black backdrop, meaning that their heads are all that can be seen.
I had seen this video dance a couple of years ago and was floored by its simple beauty. The animation is amazing, and takes dance to that next level, where we can actually physically transform ourselves into something else, as opposed to simply suggesting it, as our limited human bodies force us to do.
La La La Human Steps / Édouard Lock
Crisp, clear, sharp movements all done on pointe. Two duets shown, both with one man and one woman. Men are relegated to being props, as the spotlight very clearly only stays on the women and the men are dressed entirely in black, with a black backdrop, meaning that their heads are all that can be seen.
Dance Review Review
Hindu Mythology Comes to Life on the Streets of New York - New York Times
By ALASTAIR MACAULAY
Published: August 21, 2011
The author of this dance review spent the first half of the article talking about things that didn't have anything to do with dance itself, and then only glossed over the dances in the second half of the article. All in all, I felt as though I wasted my time reading the review, because I did not find it very informative.
By ALASTAIR MACAULAY
Published: August 21, 2011
The author of this dance review spent the first half of the article talking about things that didn't have anything to do with dance itself, and then only glossed over the dances in the second half of the article. All in all, I felt as though I wasted my time reading the review, because I did not find it very informative.
Lab 2
Lab 2 Video
Lab 2 was very intense for me. I brought three objects: a baby brush given to me at my birth, my favorite childhood stuffed extra-terrestrial, (E.T.) and a pillow my late grandmother had needle-pointed for me when I was born. At first, the rehearsal and the work created was about my childhood, having been known as Sam, my first name, until I went off to college at 18. Later on in the rehearsal, the subject changed to my late grandmother who died over fifteen years ago and with whom I was very close. I had a conversation with my mother about her, realizing that I knew very little about her besides the fact that she was my grandmother and she loved Thanksgiving and called me Sambo. I learned about her college experience, her battle with breast cancer, and a slew of other personal information that my mother requested I keep within the family. I found myself really missing her; something I haven't done for over a decade. It was interesting that this happened for me now, considering that my grandfather, her husband, died less than a year ago. In the end, there was some beautiful material, but I don't think I want to use any of it in the future.
Lab 2 was very intense for me. I brought three objects: a baby brush given to me at my birth, my favorite childhood stuffed extra-terrestrial, (E.T.) and a pillow my late grandmother had needle-pointed for me when I was born. At first, the rehearsal and the work created was about my childhood, having been known as Sam, my first name, until I went off to college at 18. Later on in the rehearsal, the subject changed to my late grandmother who died over fifteen years ago and with whom I was very close. I had a conversation with my mother about her, realizing that I knew very little about her besides the fact that she was my grandmother and she loved Thanksgiving and called me Sambo. I learned about her college experience, her battle with breast cancer, and a slew of other personal information that my mother requested I keep within the family. I found myself really missing her; something I haven't done for over a decade. It was interesting that this happened for me now, considering that my grandfather, her husband, died less than a year ago. In the end, there was some beautiful material, but I don't think I want to use any of it in the future.
Lab 1
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