"We danced before language and this is our promise. Through our art we will tell your story. We will dance the times you fell in love. We will dance your dreams and your fears. We will dance your death. Our suspended moments, grand glories, kaleidoscopic whirlings, rats, swans, firebirds, heros, heroines, and tracing of psyche are your mirror. We are not dolls. We are artists, young and hungry. At war with gravity to capture poetry from air. We do not exist to embalm traditions. We exist to cherish them and then create more. We leap and grasp for the new. We are for everyone. Watch ballet and you are not rich or poor. Cultured or barbarian. Brain or brawn. You are human. Full of lust and adventure. We are yours and we are you."
- Unknown
this happened.
sorry for falling off the face of the earth, but in doing so i choreographed my first dance work!
"Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance. Great dancers are great because of their passion.”
― Martha Graham"
- (via livebreathdancer)
(via languageofdance)
maida withers 2.0
We’ve had another week of choreography class where Maida spewed some more knowledge and I left with my head spinning and my choreography journal filled with her quotes. The line is starting to blur whether she’s talking about dance, life, choreography, or all three now, so it’s up to you to apply these as you will!
“Be honest about it, honesty’s a good place to begin.”
“You can.”
“Movement is more interesting than the dynamics right now.”
“Activate the space. The space is alive, rather than a surface on which you dance.”
“Give up the idea of looking perfect.”
I’m convinced behind her giant, red, puffy jacket, white hair, and hot pink jeans, that she is a genius.
maida withers
I think this is going to become a weekly thing. I spend a good portion of my dance classes at school under the care of Maida Withers, and am never short of impressed by her unheard of ability to spit out these profound dance one-liners. Here are some of my favorites from this past week’s Choreography class.
“It’s just an art form, it’s like eating breakfast. Maybe you had a bagel today, maybe you’ll have Wheaties tomorrow.’
“Nobody ever comes ready, they come willing.”
“Fear is good. Fear’s a good motivation, but it’s not very productive.”
“A phrase is going to look like you just learned it, then it compresses and shifts and you can change dynamics.”
“The issue of perfection is an issue you will all face. It can be painful when they’re not doing what you want. But they will perfect it in their own way.”
“Allow the dancers to add up to something.”
“Don’t be afraid for you to become the dancer.”
Until next week’s dose of insightfulness!
