Danse du Jour

[shanmonster]

What is dance?

Tricky question, really.

Does this clip count as dance? I think it does.

Today's clip features Bolormaa Zorigtkhuyag of Mongolia doing a watery contortion act at the world aquatic championships in 2005. It is strange and beautiful.

Watch on YouTube

Comments

[sarcasm-hime.livejournal.com]

Interesting, she must be from Cirque du Soleil since that music is from "O" (the water show in Vegas)...and the clowns seem to confirm it.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Yep! She performed in O and also in Zumanity, I think.

[valkryor.livejournal.com]

Contortionists always give me the heebee jeebees. I don't know what it is, but it just does.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

It's because they look like broken dolls.

Dance is...

[graydancer.livejournal.com]

...intentional movement. Plain and simple.

When I used to teach "movement and drama" classes to kids, I'd illustrate this by walking from point A to point B just casually, and ask them if I was dancing. Then I'd do it again with a couple of turns, some level changes, maybe a grapevine or pas de chat thrown in. They'd agree that it was dance. Then I'd point out that I'd just done the same thing - A to B - but that the difference was, I'd paid attention to the journey, not the destination.

(insert metaphor for most of human existence here, along with usual self-help blather.) yeah. Knowing what a thing is doesn't necessarily help you do it.

You might enjoy, btw, my recent review of a Kathak dance troupe that performed here at SEAF. It's at Fame or Famine.

Re: Dance is...

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

"...intentional movement. Plain and simple."

Except that it can also include intentional non-movement, too.

Well, if you want to get into THAT...

[graydancer.livejournal.com]

...I would argue that, since there is always some sort of motion, even if it's only your beating heart, there is no way short of death to have "intentional non-motion". Besides which, since movement is defined as a change in position relative to something else, whether that be audience member or galactic axis, there still isn't really a way to "stop". Kind of like the act of not making a choice is a choice in and of itself.

(sorry for the solipsism - I just finished reading Pema Chodron's When Things Fall Apart on the plane back from Seattle and I'm in a philosophical mood.)

Come to think of it, a story about the actual effect of coming to a STOP relative to, well, everything else would make a nice SF short...

[abraxasrutrem.livejournal.com]

awesome.
General consensus here is that yes, that is 'dance'.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

I think it is, too.

[miraba.livejournal.com]

The things I noticed:
1. She's really skinny. It's somewhat scary to see someone's ribcage like that.
2. She's really flexible. Ow.
3. She's really strong.
4. She can hyperextend her elbows. How does she manage to deal with popping in and out of handstands when they lock like that?
5. Does that mean I can make my elbows not lock like that?

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

I used to be that skinny right up until second year of university. My ribcage was its own entity.

[miraba.livejournal.com]

Oh, I also used to be that skinny, but I haven't been for a while. I want her to eat a a whole bunch of sandwiches.

[redlyra.livejournal.com]

You still have a neat ribcage, Shan. I agree that it's dance too. Tis a pretty routine.

I see you in a week and half!

stories...

[medieval-jon.livejournal.com]

Well I understand you also like stories especially old stories. I do and so I studied history... I also though I should ask you to link to my video

'dancing in armour' that I made of my friend... but he's not really dancing, the song isa old medievaldance though. actually I can be rude (is it rude?) and post in i nmy comment...



someday I'll make a much better one... Anyways, too bad you're not still in fredericton ( or that I havn't finsihed my stay here) cool journal!

Re: stories...

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[sidruid.livejournal.com]

Ha! Take that, yogi's! this clip was even more astounding than the guy who instantly lotus'd his legs.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

I think it's more astounding because she looked so darned happy throughout the entire performance.