I found this fantastic video of an Isador Duncan style-dance and thought it would go perfectly with this luscious quote of hers:
“Every movement that can be danced on the seashore
without being in harmony with the rhythm of the waves,
every movement that can be danced in the forest
without being in harmony with the swaying of the branches,
every movement that one can dance… in the sunshine,
in the open country, without being in harmony with the life
and the solitude of the landscape – every such movement is false,
in that it is out of tune in the midst of nature’s harmonious lines.
That is why the dancer should above all else choose movements
that express the strength, health, nobility, ease and serenity of living things.” Isadora Duncan
I love the idea that to dance is to be in harmony with the land, the sea, the air and the fabric of life around us. Dance is living and dance is life.
Isn’t Tamara Rojo gorgeous? Just look at the expression on her face, her joy, her FEET!! More on her later…
Cirque du Soleil, (Circus of the Sun) is a self-described “dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment”. (Thanks, Wikipedia!) The production company is locate in Montreal, Quebec and was founded by two street performers, Guy Laliberte and Daniel Gauthier (later director Franco Dragone would join on as a director).
Certainly more theatrical than the traditional 3-ring circus (and there are no animals), what really drives Cirque is the original characters that develop during the show. Yes, there are clowns, but does Barnum & Bailey’s tell a story of a clown watching his own funeral, inspired by “The Grand Parade: Portrait of the Artist as Clown” on display at the National Gallery of Canada? I think not.
Cirque artfully blends many types of performing: dance, acrobatics, music, acting, wire, ring and fabric work, and even the sets and costumes are themselves works of art. Sometimes it’s almost too much for the senses to take in!
Here is an example, from their 2005 show Corteo (about the clown mentioned above). There are highwire acts in circuses, but what about a dancing highwire artist in TOE SHOES? Kid you not. And just drink in the other wire work being done (angels who assist her), and the beautiful classic flamenco guitar music and other performers dressed as harlequin clowns.
Eye candy, right?
There are also transformation of normal things in Cirque to extraordinary, fun things. Like turning trampolines into beds and having the “kids” bounce on them! They bounce so high and keep their lovely lines, toes pointed. Really fun.
I had an acting teacher who encouraged us to go see Cirque when it came to town, because it wasn’t a circus to show us animal tricks, it showed us the amazing things that human beings could do. And amazing it is. It’s really about being completely submersed in a cornucopia of art forms for two solid hours. Heaven.
It is safe to say that Ms. Mia Michaels is my favorite choreographer that I discovered from watching So You Think You Can Dance. She is singular in talent, artistry, power and communication. Damn if she knows her stuff. Many of the dances that I have in my Looking Back at So You Think You Can Dance list are hers, and it’s easy to see why.
“Dancing is a feeling expressed from the inside out.” Mia Michaels
She practices that philosophy every time she creates:
For those of you who don’t know, Mia also choreographed Celine Dion’s monumental A New Day show that was THE show to see in Las Vegas for years. If you haven’t seen it, or clips of it, this is not your normal 10-dancers-hip-hopping-in-a-line-to-the-singers- music-show (and those shows are good too, don’t get me wrong). She really added depth to the show and worked closely with director Franco Dragone (of Cirque du Soleil fame–and incidentally, Mia also worked on “Delirium”) to create an emotional, theatrical experience that blended itself seamlessly to Dione’s epic music catalog.
How ’bout that, huh? I love the way all the really gorgeous male bodies move and ripple together, forming a beautiful frame for Celine. Their movement also really lends itself to the engrossing, obsessive feel of the song. Plus, half n@ked boys are just really nice to look at (thanks, Mia).
“The beauty of art is that there are no rules.” Mia Michaels
That last quote goes so beyond the “I don’t know art, but I know what I like” way of thinking. If there are rules on art, that limits the depths of creativity for art based in reality: real thoughts, real feelings, real experiences. Society tries to put limits on art all the time, because sometimes that’s easier than confronting art and experiencing it, even if it’s uncomfortable.
Mia certainly has no rules on herself, and can also embrace her darker side. “It was dirty, it was raw, it was ugly…and it was absolutely beautiful.” Mia Michaels
Just check out this fierce, teeth and claws bared piece to Duffy’s “Mercy” (nominated for an Emmy Award):
Mia has a penchant for choreographing with props–beds, benches, doorways, and some may think it distracts, but I just think it adds to basing it in reality.
Mia can be harsh and abrasive (“I am a cutter and I will cut you!”), but she is also generous and loving. If you watched this past season of So You Think You Can Dance, you witnessed B-Boy Legacy’s transformation from a gifted street dancer to an artist who understands that dance is about communication, and giving everything you have to communicate it. The more dancers she inspires that way, the better the world will be. And I mean that.
Can’t wait for the upcoming documentary film Move, directed by Kurt E. Soderling and Melinda Songer, featuring Mia and many other choreographers from the dance world. Release date is 2010, but nothing more specific than that. I’ll update you as soon as I know more!
There is a famous dance quote about Ginger Rogers that goes “Sure, he was great but don’t forget that Ginger Rogers did everything he did…backwards and in high heels.”
The “he” of course, refers to Mr. Fred Astaire (see yesterday’s dance quote post). And Ginger was his steadfast and finest dance partner for 10 films, and continued on without him to win a Best Actress Oscar for Kitty Foyle in 1940.
She gave the Fred and Ginger pairing femininity, grace, beauty and even more talent to make a blockbuster duo. Katherine Hepburn was quoted saying “Fred gave Ginger class, and Ginger gave Fred Sex.” Not only was she a class A dancer, she was also a great dramatic and comedic actress.
Of his beloved partner, Fred said “She had guts.” And I love that. Here’s to miss Ginger.
“Some people seem to think that good dancers are born, but all the good dancers I have known are taught or trained.” Fred Astaire
I love that Fred Astaire quote for personal reasons. I’ve studied dance for over 10 years in my adult life, and more when I was younger. I abandoned when I was in middle school it because I felt I wasn’t “born to dance”. And others, with more natural talent than myself, were. But for anyone who has worked and studied their butts off, and rehearsed until 3am–that is just a piece of false information. Not only can anyone dance, anyone can be great. That’s just my philosophy! So thanks, Fred, for the awesome quote.
