Friday, July 23, 2010

Inspiration



I have been thinking a little bit more recently about what I am drawn to in other people's movement, and what I am going to aspire to more as I develop as a dancer.

I've been fortunate enough to live in a city where there are amazing dance companies and choreographers, and over the past 8 or 9 months especially I've been trying to broaden my horizons, watching pieces by the New York City Ballet, Christopher Wheeldon, Alvin Ailey, Alvin Ailey II, the Cedar Lake Dance company, Savion Glover & the OtherZ, the Batsheva Dance company, Paul Taylor, the Boston Ballet, the Australian Ballet, Sang Jijia, and Diana Vishneva.

I may not necessarily understand the themes in all the works I have seen, but it has educated me more in the breadth and scope of what dance can be. I think it will also inform the influences that I absorb in my own movement, and shape the kind of dancer I will be moving forward.

Dance, to me, is:

Honest.
Movement driven by breath.
Not necessarily beautiful. Pain is not beautiful. Hurt is not beautiful.
A means of communication and expression for the dancer, music, or choreographer.
Most intriguing when it is improvised.
Un-self-conscious.

2 comments:

  1. isnt it grand to have so much inspiration in your life... to be able to take that and subconsciously create an inspirational movement all your own, thus inspiring others (like you do me). as for me, i love to see women grow in their movement, it's so refreshing to witness the 'un-self-conscious' play.

    ps. the dancer below is wearing those wedges you love so much ;)

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  2. @co919598 it's actually nastia liukin, the gymnast, in an ad for max azria that i LOOOVE. aren't her lines beautiful? and yes, her shoes? =)

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