Category: Dance

Jiri Kylian and David Kracov

Ah, I missed posting on Friday! But hooray for you, because a lazy Friday means bonus Monday, with two amazing pieces of artwork instead of one!

The first is a ballet piece choreographed by Jiri Kylian (his name is supposed to have three different accent marks because he’s Czech, but you can find him online with this spelling. Plus I gave you the link). I can appreciate almost any form of dance, but this particular style I find especially moving. Watching the dancers flow with such liquid movements and express so much with their whole bodies, I am in awe in a way that makes me feel light and full of possibilities. The perfect piece of artwork to inspire more artwork.

Second is a metal sculpture by David Kracov. I love this image so much, and I know it will be one that I return to again and again. It describes how I feel about the vibrancy of literature in such a visceral way. One aspect I love about sculpture is how it gets me outside of my word-driven brain and into a space that is physical and profound.

The-Book-of-Life-a-colorful-metal-art-sculpture-by-David-Kracov-that-depicts-a-book-dissolving-into-butterflies

Contact Improv

As some of you know, I started a round of P90X on Memorial Day this year. I decided that a good reward for finishing would be a dance class. At the time, I thought modern dance was where it’s at, and I enrolled in a beginners modern dance class at Zenon Dance Studio. I have nothing bad to say about that class, except that it just wasn’t quite what I was looking for. I missed a few classes because of my crazy weekend plans (and one surprise visit from my parents), and the studio lets me make up missed classes with any other class they offer. I decided to try contact improv. Here’s an example I found on youtube. The people in this video are way, way, way out of my league, but it’ll give you an idea of the form.

I’d experienced contact improv once before at Zenon’s open house at the beginning of the season. It was intriguing, to say the least. I’m a little scared of how much I like it. It’s just what I was hoping for from a dance class. A chance to really engage with my physicality, to explore senses that aren’t processed intellectually, and to be surprised at what my new fit body can do. I can do handstands, as it turns out. And cartwheels. I can lift another person’s whole weight with my back or legs. It’s a new space I’m discovering, with new kinds of touch and movement, dimension and gravity. I’m excited to see how this new experience manifests itself in my work.