~burn bright~
Jess
Attraction is a shadow theatre group from Budapest, Hungary (really loved exploring this city!). I've never heard of shadow theatre before, but it takes my breath away. I am actually crying so hard right now...this was so beautiful and emotional and I can't handle it...please watch!
~burn bright~ Jess
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I came across this video as I was trying to find another dance video on Youtube. It was featured on the homepage, and if you ignore the buzzy tagline (she deferred Harvard for the Royal Ballet School), the content is really interesting. Ballet has always been a style of dance that I found quite boring. Watching the beautiful dancers leap and spin and twirl across the stage in their sparkly costumes, forming elegant shapes with their bodies and bringing the fairy tales in our imaginations to life, that I can enjoy. But peering in through the glass window in a dance studio, seeing all those little dancers who looked exactly alike with their tight little buns, expressionless faces, and sharp movements just sucked all the joy out of me. I saw an army of robots, all exactly the same, when all I wanted to do was burst out and show my individuality. Now, since I haven't really full-on taken a ballet class, I never really understood its appeal. But I know plenty of wonderful ballet dancers for which classes are their lives and without them they feel empty inside. This video helped me understand a little more behind the thinking. Rio says: "The improvement that you see is directly proportional to what you put in. You decide how hard you work, and you decide how much better you get. It's all on you, and that control is satisfying." In life, not everything is controllable; in fact, most of everything isn't. Even with college acceptances, no matter how hard you work, you don't know what is going on in the admissions office- what they're looking for, how the officers are feeling that day, and so on. Same with job offers. I can't tell you how many times I have been told that getting a job is not only a testament to your own intelligence and skill- it's also the power of networking and luck, being in the right place in the right time, with the right pieces moving (people leaving the firm, positions opening up) that allow you to pick up that next spot. So I can understand this control that makes ballet practice so fulfilling. If you can see the changes in your body, you will work harder, and see more change, and work harder, and the cycle continues. I also liked Rio's description of visualization. You take time away to sit and just think through things, whether it's a dance or your next public speaking engagement, and when the time comes your muscle memory will pull you through even if you blank on the spot. It's something that I do pretty often, but it was really something to watch her lie back and close her eyes, put in her earbuds, and allow her fingertips to trace the air as she danced through her mind. It was a powerful image. Anyway- I don't mean to dump on ballet at all. It's a classic, beautiful art form and I have so much respect for those who perform it. And now, off to watch some videos of Firebird and The Nutcracker (two ballets we watched often in a Russian arts course I took my senior year). They're such different styles, but intriguing in their own ways...
~burn bright~ Jess Last Sunday I took the train to NJ PAC (Performing Arts Center) in Newark, NJ to watch an Irish-dancing troupe perform a special 20th Anniversary edition of the famous and critically acclaimed Riverdance. A little background- I grew up watching an old taped performance of Riverdance on my TV. (It was one of those big, clunky VHS tapes that are pretty much obsolete now.) I remember watching it over and over again, wishing that I was Jean Butler dancing with Colin Dunne. She was gorgeous, elegant, and refined, with long legs and a willowy frame that created graceful shapes; he was Prince Charming, with dark hair and a little beard who danced with quick, sharp flicks and a precise power. The rhythm from the fast tapping was intoxicating, and the choreography blew me away! The finale with the stomping and the head whipping is an iconic part of the show. And the music...energetic, dramatic, and unforgettable. I fell in love with Irish dancing because of Riverdance. The performance I grew up watching was the 1996 show at Radio City Music Hall in NYC. I found clips of the opening dance (Reel of the Sun) and the finale on YouTube: Irish dancing is such a unique style of dance. It is very tightly choreographed, with emphasis on the "speed and accuracy of footwork, the spacing of the ensemble, and the precision of the dancers' movements". (Wikipedia reference- direct quotes and summary of next few sentences) The dancers hold their arms down by their sides, keeping their upper bodies stiff, while the lower half of their bodies are dancing like crazy. There are two types of dances: hard-shoe (jigs) dances, which emphasize thunderous beats and rhythm, and soft-shoe (ghillies) dances, which are often filled with jumps, spins, and quick footwork. Riverdance tells the story of Irish history, creating a visual masterpiece intertwining the movement of people to and from the island with how the dance style has evolved over time. The production has been telling this story for 20 years now (almost my whole existence!) which is why I'm so excited to finally be able to see the show in person. Their website runs through the scenes: Scene One: In a primitive and powerful world, our ancestors knew fear and joy and fire, worked wood and stone and water to make a place they could call home. The first peoples knew the world as a place of power, their songs and dances and stories are negotiations with elemental powers. The first half of this performance shows them coming to terms with the world and with themselves Scene Two: The sun brings life and light and fire, the opening dance sequence celebrates this benevolent masculine power. The sun is the light of morning, exuberant and clear. This dance is the Reel of the Sun, one of my favorites! It's powerful and energetic and fun, and the version I saw today did not disappoint. The 1996 version is the first video up above. Scene Three: There is also that other primeval mystery, the salmon swimming upstream, the blind urgings of nature, heart yearning to heart. We need and sustain each other; we keep this knowledge in song since the beginning of time. There were a lot of singing sequences in the show. When I was a child, I would tune these sections out. I thought they were boring. Experiencing them live was a different experience- you could hear the voice echoing in the auditorium, and she had a beautifully clear soprano. And the songs were important in helping us understand what was happening in the show. Still, after a few rounds of the singing, I really wanted them to get back to the dancing. Scene Four: Sensual, nurturing, independent and fierce, the power of women as they celebrate themselves, as they challenge men in a dance of empowerment. This show's female lead for tonight was Chloey Turner, a stunning and tall brunette with a perfectly proportioned face. Compared to Jean Butler, I liked Jean was better, but that might just be my nostalgia...Chloey didn't seem to extend her legs all the way to the tips of her feet like Jean did in the soft-shoe dances. But Chloey was great in the hard-shoe jigs! My eye was always drawn to her immediately when she came out. She had "presence". Scene Five: A lone piper mourns Cú Chulainn, the implacable Bronze Age warrior, the great hero of Celtic myth. A scene with traditional Irish music. By the way, music is an integral piece of this show. The band is visible to the audience, and it interacts with the performers and with the audience. My favorite parts were seeing the fiddler smile at the drummer, the saxophonist grin at the flamenco dancer, and more of these little exchanges. They made it all so much more real, and I could tell they were really enjoying it! The composer, Bill Whelan, has rock and roll roots which he combined with traditional Irish music. Therefore, Riverdance involves saxophones, synthesizers, and drums along with the traditional Irish instruments of the uilleann pipes and the bodhrán. The uilleann pipes are what is played in this scene- they sound like bagpipes, with the melodic line trailing out into space. It is best played alone in the open space, where you can really hear its melacholy and haunting tones. The bodhrán is and amazing instrument; it is played with a stick and the tone/pitch of the open-ended drum can be changed by the placement of the hand on the inside of the skin. More on that later. Scene 6: The brute power of elemental forces, beyond human control, beyond human understanding. This scene is composed of all guys wearing all black. The lead has on some pretty nifty leather pants with knee panels and a leather vest/jacket top. I love this part of the show- it's so badass. The guys are basically imitating a thunderstorm, with all the intense power and crazy lights of a real storm. They're all just really intense here. Stephen Brennan was the lead dancer for tonight's show. He was incredible! Very powerful dancer, very high jumps...doesn't hurt that he's really handsome. Cheekbones that could cut glass and a body that fit the clothes very well. Stephen and Chloey were a great looking lead couple! (That's not him in the photo below, these photos are all stock ones from the website). Scene 7: In ancient Ireland fire and pride and beauty come out of the south, from the land of the sun. The power of the sun invests itself in the passion of the dancer. A flamenco dancer takes center stage here. She's passionate and emotional, but still very precise with her feet. Her whipping skirt shows off toned legs, and she oozes both sexiness and anger. Flamenco has always been an extremely intense dance, and Marita Martinez-Rey did not disappoint! Her face and its emotions were like a show in itself. Watching flamenco took me back to Seville, Spain, where I attended a neighborhood flamenco show and first saw the passion and intense emotion that all flamenco artists imbue into their dances. The closer you are, the more affected you will be; their energy radiates into the audience. Scene 8: The myth of Mad Sweeney, Suibhne or Shivna, haunts Ireland since mediaeval times. Driven by forces inside himself, outside himself, a man dances desperately in the power of the moon. The powers are cruel and arbitrary, female and savage. I don't remember this particular piece of choreography from the 1996 version, but perhaps I just forgot. It's a short ballet sequence. I didn't find it particularly intriguing, but it was well danced and of course the scenery and lighting was impeccable. More haunting singing from Aoife Kennedy was the soundtrack here. Scene 9: The wheel of the seasons turns slowly, from harvest through dormant winter into the miracle of spring. New growth, exhilaration, the world turns and is made new again. This section was a music-focused, with solos by the fiddler, saxophonist, and the whistle/ pipes player. Since I was sitting so close to the stage, I could see everyone's expressions clearly and some of them were kind of disheartening tonight. The saxophonist, Ken Edge, looked really unhappy to be up there on stage. He literally had a frown on and just stood there staring at the ground until he had to play; then he would spin something off and then return to looking grumpy again. It kind of threw off the vibe. And the whistle/pipes player was kind of similar, although not as bad. Matt Bashford looked like he should be a big, buff security guard rather than someone who played the delicate whistle and pipes. He played well, but looked out of place. The one person who blew it out of the water was Patrick Mangan, the fiddle player. Turns out he is also the musical director! But anyway, his energy was infectious, and his smile just lit up the stage. He played with such talent and enthusiasm, utilizing the whole stage and even dancing a little like how Lindsey Stirling would dance. He is literally my favorite part of Riverdance. Wish I could have gotten up and danced! Scene 10: Our story begins in the evocation of the Riverwoman, it moves through the dawn of history as the river moves through the land. As the power of the river grows, as the barren earth becomes fertile, as men and women grow in their sense of themselves, our story rises until it floods the world in a vital, joyous riot of celebration. This was the last dance before intermission, and it was perfect. Titled "Riverdance", it's the inspiration behind the name and is set to one of the most recognized pieces of music from the show. The music and choreography has been kept pretty much the same since it first debuted in 1994 in Dublin as an entry into the Eurovision song contest. If you skip the rest of this post, at least please watch the original video! Gives me chills every time. Scene 11: War, famine and slavery shattered the ancient bonds between people and place. Forced dislocations marked and altered the histories of the native peoples. As we came into history we learned to guard what we valued, to accommodate ourselves to others, to learn new ways of being ourselves, to embrace new kinds of courage. Cast out and momentarily orphaned, we learned to belong to the world. Now back from intermission, we are back in time to old Ireland. For a little bit of history: Irish step dancing started behind closed doors because the British banned all Gaelic cultural traditions at one point in time. Children tapped out the rhythms in front of the fire while their parents taught them Gaelic tunes. I really loved this dance- everyone was smiling and so happy in it. The second half of the show marked a difference for me. The dancers were less stern and less careful about keeping their faces blank. They began to show their emotions and their excitement/happiness for being up on stage and it really changed the whole performance! This scene was spontaneous and fun, with lots of swirling around and partner dancing. The beginning of this section illuminated the dancers happily dancing back in Ireland. Then, Aoife came and sang about the turning point when the Irish were forced to emigrate to America. It was a sad few minutes wrought with emotions. However, to emphasize how the Irish spirit remained unbroken, she joined into the dancing (it's cool that the dancers also sing, and the singers also dance) and the scene became lively and fun again. This section of Irish history ends with a man singing a song, Freedom, and the rest of the cast joining in. With this background knowledge, it would have helped me understand these few scenes in the show more. It was well woven together, now that I look back on it. Still, great start to the second half of the show! Scene 15: The wealth of the poor is in song, dance and story. Under the street-lamps in the new cities the dancers perform with pride in their heritage, curious to see what other traditions bring, struggling to bridge the gap between old dreams and new realities. When Irish emigrated to America, they faced a lot of discrimination and many ended up going into show business. On Broadway, they met African American boot dancers who combined styles with the Irish step dancers to create American tap dancing. This scene is just so much fun! I loved it during the 1996 version and I love it even more seeing it in person. The dancers' personalities really pop off the stage, and you can tell that they are artists that appreciated others' talents and really love what they do. This scene reminded me of the dance circles that always pop up when a group of dancers get together to show off their skills. First, two tap dancers are seen tapping away on the streets. They are loosey-goosey and relaxed, with lots of arm movements and hunched over backs as they tapped faster and faster. They were more flexible and went up on their shoes more. Then the Irish dancers come along and see these dancers and they laugh at this style before showcasing their own, more rigid style. Then the two styles of dancers go at each other, with each displaying their best tricks, before they finally come together and dance together. It's totally like the whole hip-hop vs. ballet thing that Step Up 1 really showcased. It sounds really cheesy, but anyway I love it when dance styles meld. And we got to see the Irish dancers laugh and smile! Scene 16: Meeting the new, what we learn first is that there is something familiar in what is strange, something strange in what we had thought familiar. A tune from another place, another lifetime, can turn and haunt in the heart and inspire the dances from a distant homeland. Another musical interlude while the dancers changed. Then Russian dervish dancers came out and spun and leaped and spread joy through their smiles. There was this great move where the two women were picked up by the men and spun around in a way that made it look as if they were flying. Scene 17: In the cauldron of the big city, the pulsing energy of the streets is reflected in the fiery Latin dance rhythms. Marita comes out again, dressed all in black, and performs again. Just as wild, intense, and passionate as before. Fabulous! Scene 18: The river flows full circle from sea to sky to mountain and back home. Collecting, gathering, arriving enriched, fulfilled, ready to start its journey once more. A new addition to the original choreographed show! The ladies come out with beautiful gray costumes on (Chloey is in a light pale blue one that perfectly offsets her brunette hair) and dance to a modern-sounding song with lots of sighs. I liked this piece, it flowed well. Scene 19: Always the child of the emigrant feels the tug of the home place; always that child feels the urge to return. What she or he brings there is a sustaining knowledge: we are who we once were, we are who we have become. Loooooooved this scene! Patrick blew it away again with his fiddling, and Mark Alfred came out from behind the drums to play the bodhrán. It was pretty amazing. He held it in one hand, moving that hand to different parts of the drum skin to change the tone, and whipped his wrist really quickly using a stick that look like a hard paintbrush to produce sound. The two men had a lot of artistic chemistry, again with the smiles and the goading each other on. Definitely wanted to jump out of my seat and dance along! Scene 20: With newfound confidence and pride, the child of the emigrant carries treasured memories home to their birthplace. A long journey ends under a native sky, a new and richer journey has taken its place. The Finale! One of my favorite Riverdance pieces. So joyful, so fun, and really showcases the skill of the dancers. The rhythm is contagious, and it was a wonderful end to the show! Scene 21: We are one kind. We are one people now, our voices blended, our music a great world in which we can feel everywhere at home, Ní neart go chur le cheile, together we are strong. Everyone came out, including the American tap dancers, the flamenco dancer, the Russian dervish dancers, the singers, the musical instrument players, to dance together and take their bows. Love the finale music, it's a song that I connect very closely with Riverdance! Below are some photos of the venue. NJ PAC had a gorgeous theater, with a stunning blue chandelier and rich, chestnut wood paneling. However, I wasn't the biggest fan of the crowd, so I probably won't be returning to this theater. Chloey and Stephen taking their final bows! And so the show ended. Overall, I was really happy to see Riverdance in person. It was the culmination of all those years watching Youtube videos and wondering what it would be like to be there in person. I had a great time, and if the show ever comes by again I'll be sure to see it again!
~burn bright~ Jess p.s. I have also seen Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games, a touring show choreographed by Michael Flatley (who was the originator of Riverdance) on Broadway and had an incredible time. I'll write about that experience in the future. I was able to meet some of the dancers (and their families!) during and after the show, along with meeting Mr. Michael Flatley himself! Amazing experience. And later that night I saw Chachi Gonzalez (hip-hop dancer, her crew won America's Best Dance Crew (ABDC) a few years ago) browsing in H&M and got to chat with her. It was a fantastic, dance-filled night! |
About
Dance is such a beautiful way to express yourself. It can tell emotional stories and is incredibly cathartic. I danced a little as a child: jazz and rhythmic gymnastics. In college, I began to explore hip hop and Latin styles. I just love everything about dance and continue to find inspiration in it every day. I will share some of my own choreography here, as well as some dance travel videos I have made. You will also find links to YouTube dances that hopefully you enjoy as much as I do! Archives
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