dance video of the day - what to do with all that pointe work
Submitted by Susan Miller on Fri, 01/16/2009 - 09:36.
This is a Canadian company La La La Human Steps - recall your french because the flash site is Qubecois - en francais or for nonfrench speaking readers - their entry in wikipedia
The Music is Lou Reed's I'm Waiting For My Man arranged by David Lang
Beautiful. It shows us how much live performance has moved to recorded performance. Camera choreography is just as integral to the overall performance.
It looks like these performances are available on dvd. From the notes:
First of all, the name of this ballet movie is "Amelia" and it is performed by the dance company "La La La Human Steps". It is choreographed using mostly classical ballet forms, most notably pointe work(the choreographer and producer, Edouard Lock, really loves pointe work!) and pas de deux, although other groupings are included and the men dance in the usual way, with one exception: there is a pas de deux with a man and a woman, both dressed as men and both on pointe! The costumes are typical of modern dance, the woman wear leotards and the men wear pants and jackets. Amelia is freely adapted from a stage production of the same same, but this is first and foremost a dance-for-camera movie, where the camera becomes an integral part of the action, using shots of many different angles, and rotation, dolly, and crane shots. The dance space itself is quite interesting and is difficult to describe, but it looks a little like the inside of a ceramic vase. The lighting is also very intricate. The action is mostly very fast and frenetic, and the choreography is very challenging including some very difficult steps, both on the floor and in the air. This is a two disc set, the first disk is the ballet itself and includes an optional commentary, and rehearsal footage(accessed in interactive mode). The second disc is a little tricky. It includes printed facts on productions, biographies, and awards of the dance company. On some of the production boards, there is a media section with either one or two icons. The icon to the left is for still images and the icon to the right is for video clips, so be careful not to miss those features as I did the first few times! If you like ultra-modern ballet, you should enjoy this.
Susan, who is the girl???
(...Always have to WAIT...wow, this is the story of my life :)
If you would like to see more of Lock's work, there are links in the wikipedia entry.
Isn't it interesting how ballet dancers are neotenous? Whoever she is, she's the epitome of the barbie bunhead and is extremely accomplished beyond and inside that stereotype.
Stuck in between youth and adulthood...I know that body type, but I didn't know the word for it. The man is amazing, too, and seems almost malevolent. She is very doll like, which I know is the societal ideal. Perpetually waiting at the end...It's a brilliant piece.
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Watch this ART
Beautiful. It shows us how much live performance has moved to recorded performance. Camera choreography is just as integral to the overall performance.
It looks like these performances are available on dvd. From the notes:
First of all, the name of this ballet movie is "Amelia" and it is performed by the dance company "La La La Human Steps". It is choreographed using mostly classical ballet forms, most notably pointe work(the choreographer and producer, Edouard Lock, really loves pointe work!) and pas de deux, although other groupings are included and the men dance in the usual way, with one exception: there is a pas de deux with a man and a woman, both dressed as men and both on pointe! The costumes are typical of modern dance, the woman wear leotards and the men wear pants and jackets. Amelia is freely adapted from a stage production of the same same, but this is first and foremost a dance-for-camera movie, where the camera becomes an integral part of the action, using shots of many different angles, and rotation, dolly, and crane shots. The dance space itself is quite interesting and is difficult to describe, but it looks a little like the inside of a ceramic vase. The lighting is also very intricate. The action is mostly very fast and frenetic, and the choreography is very challenging including some very difficult steps, both on the floor and in the air.
This is a two disc set, the first disk is the ballet itself and includes an optional commentary, and rehearsal footage(accessed in interactive mode). The second disc is a little tricky. It includes printed facts on productions, biographies, and awards of the dance company. On some of the production boards, there is a media section with either one or two icons. The icon to the left is for still images and the icon to the right is for video clips, so be careful not to miss those features as I did the first few times!
If you like ultra-modern ballet, you should enjoy this.
Susan, who is the girl???
(...Always have to WAIT...wow, this is the story of my life :)
the dancers
the film
the choreographer Eduard Lock
Because this is a section of a larger work, I cannot identify either dancer.
If you would like to see more of Lock's work, there are links in the wikipedia entry.
Isn't it interesting how ballet dancers are neotenous? Whoever she is, she's the epitome of the barbie bunhead and is extremely accomplished beyond and inside that stereotype.
Woman, Neoteny, Art, and Evolution
Gender is a favorite topic for this choreographer...
Neoteny
Stuck in between youth and adulthood...I know that body type, but I didn't know the word for it. The man is amazing, too, and seems almost malevolent. She is very doll like, which I know is the societal ideal. Perpetually waiting at the end...It's a brilliant piece.