Danse du Jour

[shanmonster]

Today's clip features tribal fusion artist Samantha Hasthorpe at a Silver Frosts in Vancouver, BC. I enjoy her transitions into bold stances which is inspiring me to work more on my martial arts/dance fusion.

However, I'm not a big fan of the dismissive exeunt at the end of the performance, which seems to be a staple ending of the BDSS tribal contingent. I find it disrespectful to the audience.

Watch on YouTube

Comments

the end

[meddevi.livejournal.com]

yeah, I'm with you, it is disrespectful..and to just saunter off stage really loses the essence of the whole piece.

Re: the end

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Yup. To me, it's like people who do a beautiful veil piece, then ball it up and hurl it like a piece of garbage. Bah.

[halftruths.livejournal.com]

I've seen this clip before, and while I also like her bold stances and more playful attitude when the music speeds up, the remainder of it is, to be honest, dull. I'm certainly not claiming to have the same level of ability as she does (and her ability is impressive), but her individual expression with the stances etc is sort of lost in something that comes across as being very formulaic. While I don't think that innovation and experimentation has to be the word of the law at all times, I would have liked to have seen her take some of her considerable creativity and applied it throughout the entire piece. Samantha has some great elements with those poses and stances, and definatly has the physical capabilities to make it spectacular - I'd like to see more of her style.

And yep, not really liking the "k, leaving now" strut off the stage. It is overdone, disruptive, and completely distracting.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

It's the bold stances I'm particularly fond of. I almost didn't include this video except for that reason.

I'm not sure how the walk away from the stage without acknowledging the audience thing began, but it adds a sour note to the performance, for me. I got to see it in person when Zoe danced in Quebec. I loved her dancing, but the way she left the stage felt almost like a punch to the gut.

I can't imagine that's how it's meant, though. Is it possible they don't know how rude this comes across?

[monkehtree.livejournal.com]

I was at this show and man alive it was a goody! It was one of those weird nights with so much electiricity in the air. All the performers were top notch. Maybe that had something to do with the Suhaila workshop that accompanied the show and feeling light headed from the work out that day. But I digress.. I think the ending is a bit odd too, maybe she was intending to leave differently but it came across smarmy. I dunno...

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Like I said, this seems to be becoming the standard exit for the BDSS tribal dancers. I expect it to percolate down to their copycats, which is unfortunate.

[sageincave.livejournal.com]

She doesn't have to bow if she doesn't want to...she could finish with stillness, or a more "dancey" exit from the stage.

While I occasionally appreciate this sort of exit, I think it loses its effect when it become the usual thing.

[water-of-fire.livejournal.com]

Eek. I enjoy the dancing, but I agree with you on the exit.

OH GOD. I saw Suhaila and Isabella dance at Rakkasah. At nine, Isabella is a better dancer than most adults will ever be. Something to be said for being a prodigy.

[sidruid.livejournal.com]

I can only see that ending working in one case - that where the performance is presented as if the audience caught a peek or as if she had paused regular life for a moment of dance.

For example, she could have entered the stage from one side, reached the middle and extending the "walking" movement right into the dance movement, and then exited the same way as if continuing her walk. Heck, she's doing 'the robot,' that is a common enough entrance/exit.

Instead, she starts with "this is a performance" stance/moment, then abruptly leaves. certainly should have a moment of stillness at the end, even if there is no bow. Even a moment of slowing down as the house-lights drop.

sigh.