Ouch

[shanmonster]

Today, my neck, back, and shoulders are killing me. I suspect my back and shoulders are sore from those rolly pushups I did yesterday. I can deal with that. The neck, however, perturbs me. I think I wrenched it somehow while watching movies last night. About once a year, I reinjure myself where I had whiplash several years back, and each time, it takes a couple of months to get better. I hope it heals up quicker this time. Even if I skipped my abs workout and dance drills this morning, I fully intend on going to kung fu this evening. I'll just have to be cautious.

I went to a jazz technique class and a hiphop class last night. Although I preferred the technique class, there weren't enough students for it to run. So I signed up for hiphop (which did have a fair amount of technique in it). We're learning a choreography to a song I'd normally never listen to (maybe it's a Justin Timberlake song. I'm unsure). But I can ignore the music for the sake of learning the dance.

Afterwards, I watched Rambo - First Blood Part II and some of Bellydance Superstars. I enjoyed the first Rambo movie, but this one is just plain terrible. Yuck!

As for the dance video, although I enjoyed most of the dancing, the camerawork is so dreadful, that it takes away completely from the dancing. It's like bad porno camerawork, with extreme closeups of boobs and bellies, often through smoke. Suhaila Salimpour in particular must have been pissed. Her violin taxim is almost completely just closeup shots of her face, the bellydrape on her costume, and even the back of the violinist's head. I have no idea what her dancing was like. I was angry for her.

And Jillina.... Oh my. Her dancing is spot-on, in my mind, but it took me a while to notice, because I was busy shrieking at the hideousity of her costumes. A pink plush snake wrapped around her boobs, waist, arm, and leg? What was she thinking? And that skirt/pant thing with the animal print? I kept groaning "Noooooo!" while watching the video. She's an attractive woman and a highly skilled dancer, so why is she wearing costumes which detract from both of these things?

Rania still brings out the cattiness in me. Although there are certain parts of her dancing which I admire very much (her spins and her abdominal control), I find her dancing generally lacking in grace, and her interpretation of the music just doesn't work for me. On the other hand, her costumes suit her very well, and she has the best facial expressions I've yet seen her make in any dance video.

Rachel Brice's clips are frustrating, too. The camera lingers on her face and her hands far too much, when it's obvious that the real action is happening through the torso. Yes, she has a lovely face, but I would much rather watch what she's doing than stare at what's tantamount to a slightly moving portrait.

Dondi's Marilyn Monroe impression at the end of the video is grotesque. From what I've heard, it was taken out of context from a larger piece. What we're left with is a gurning giggler faking an orgasm through shimmies. She does a good job of the shimmies and the face-pulling, but as is, the piece is just embarassing.

All in all, the video makes me feel a whole lot better about my own dancing. I know I could hold my own against these women. And I sure as hell hope I could do a better job with the camerawork. All I'd have to do is just set the camera down on a tripod and point it at the dancers. The video is about the dancers, not about the camera operator's bag of tricks.

Comments

[julyana.livejournal.com]

> A pink plush snake wrapped around her boobs, waist, arm, and leg? What was she thinking?

I bought this DVD last year when they toured and it's been too painful for me to watch.

I am a videographer and I think you really need to actually dance in order to really know what to capture. Most videographers do not know what is important and what to focus on. It is very frustrating. I am now editing a performance I did with my troupe and had to semi pros do the camerawork. UGH! What a pain in the ass!

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

I don't think close-ups are necessarily a bad thing. It makes sense, if a dancer is doing a particular isolation, for example. But overall, I'd much rather see the whole dancer from the audience's perspective. After all, that's how the dance was meant to be viewed (experimental stuff aside).

[julyana.livejournal.com]

Right! Yeah close ups are fine if you are doing one of the actual move. But I hate it when I dancers is doing a move and they focus on their face.

DUH!

[fordmadoxfraud.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed the first Rambo movie, but this one is just plain terrible. Yuck!

I quite like First Blood myself. It was part of that bright, shining minute in film history when Sylvester Stallone was really, really interesting to watch.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

I was startled at how good he was in that movie.

[f00dave.livejournal.com]

Icon! ... *pointing* ... *laughing* ... *dying*

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! That's so, so wrong! =D

[superdaintykate.livejournal.com]

Man, I love Jillina's costumes. The pink snake had me in hysterics, in a good way. And I'd kill for the one-legged outfit, love the skirt, the design of the bedlah, everything.

To each his own, yeah?