DANCE

I have a long and rather secret passion for dance and was exited to see this week´s topic, especially since at work I have just been named the movement coordinator for our upcoming performance in September. What a beautiful task, I get to see all the dance groups of the local quarter I am working in! Yesterday I went to see an Indian Dance Group rehearse. These are girls between the age of 14 to 18, most of them involved in ritual dance for years and years. Needless to say it was a stunning hour and I have been rolling eyes and acting out hand figures (mudras) ever since (again, of course, secretly).

For that very reason (going from rehearsal to rehearsal) I did not have time to develop my original idea for "dance" and dug out an old sketch where I was trying to illustrate one movie with the title of another.

The initial idea was to create a tutu from clothes pin, each carrying the picture of a beloved dancer on it who I have seen perform live. This is the beginning:



Yes, it is true, I have seen Rudolf Nureyev perform in Stockholm when he was already ancient old but nonetheless mesmerizing! And no, it is not true, I am not that old to have seen Isadora Duncan perform live, but I saw her devoted followers perform in her tradition (which looks rather odd!). I remember as a Teenager I was totally taken by Isadora´s autobiography. She writes how she loathed the restrictive Ballet classes and went to history museums to copy movements from the Greek vase drawings and statues. She would dance in the exhibition rooms, checked upon suspiciously by the museum guards. Back to natural, she proclaimed!

My alltime favorite dance performance I attended was by Kazuo Ohno performing "My mother" in New York. Kazuo is one of the first Butoh performers, or better yet Inventors. At that time of the performance he was over 90 years old (I seem to have a thing for dance dinosaurs). I was ushering at the Japanese Society for the event and he personally thanked each of us after the performance for our work and then kneeled down to sign us posters! I wanted so badly to say something to him but I was too impressed and shy and exited so I only smiled and bowed awkwardly.

Coming back to the Indian girls I´ve seen rehearsing yesterday, I must say how beautiful it is to have a cultural tradition of dance expression. To be able to do something well, to be able to perform with grace, to have rythm and joy, is a valuable asset for every other part of your life.

If you now think of Germany´s traditional dance movements I won´t blame you if you think of the Bavarian "Schuhplattler" at the Oktoberfst - but please, I am from the North and let me tell you, we don´t do nonsense like that!!

Update: Link to a video! He who dances around in public space. Fun!