Dance Dance
So on Sunday, I went to the Australian Dance Awards. That was something rather interesting... and I shall bore you all with my rant.
It turns out I got some spare tickets from Janine, who works for a company that was sponsoring one of the awards. I've always liked dance, so this was a glorious little occassion. We were just about to pick up our tickets (A reserve, right in the middle of the fifth row), when I bumped into certifiedwaif, who was accompanied by two unusually pretty ladies. Collectively, they were looking forward to a Capoeira finish.
The awards were pretty funny. Libby Gore hosted the thing, and personally had me in hysterics. She has the happy knack to bring forward issues that are cringe worthy; she certainly doesn't beat around the bush.
The whole thing started very disapointedly with a performance by a highschool troupe entiteled "Waltzing Matilda". It was introduced as a "symbol of this nations history and culture". MY LORD.... when the hell are Australians going to stop wanking on about Waltzing Matilda? The voice over claimed that it was indicative of our individualism and our sense of community. THE SONG IS ABOUT A HOBBO WHO STEALS A SHEEP, AND THEN COMMITS SUICIDE RATHER THAN FACING THE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS ACTIONS!!!!!!! Really, I don't know what reademable qualities this could possibly have. The production was well coreagraphed, but the theme blew goats. The opening has a WHITE guy coming in from the ship, and being accepted as "an aussie" (signalled by the discarding of the dress hat in favour of the Acubra). Immediately followed by an irish jig. This very clearly tells me that THIS is what australia is... let's welcome the Irish, Scottish and English with open arms. The spics, nips, chinks, koons, wogs, slavs, popodums and all that other rubbish can just shove it.
AAArrrggh.. drives me batty. Drives me batty because I really like this country. Unlike most people, I've had the opportunity to choose where I want to live. At one point, I had four different countries that were being offered, and I still chose this one. Makes me a tad edgy when I don't get included in the national vision.
Anyways.. back to the dancing. There were some simply brilliant dance performances. There was a "pas aux duex" from the Sydney Ballet which was technically insane (though the male part was portrayed rather weakly, I thought). Next up was an excerpt from Garry Stewarts "The Age of Unbeauty". I strongly recommend that anyone remotely interested in dance go and see it. It is spectacular: one of those synergistic perfomances that includes break dancing and acrobatics. Very easy on the eyes, and a general crowd pleaser.
After the interval, there was a magnificent performance by the Bangarra Dance Theatre, whose innovative fusion of contemporary dance, classical steps and indigenous style very clearly lays to rest any notion that indegenous dance troupes are cliche. Seeing four guys "en pointe" while having aboriginal body paint is somethign that I shall not soon forget.
But for me, the highlight of the night was the excert from Lucy Guerin's "Melt". Lordy lord... I HAVE to see that if it is still playing. I just haven't been this excited about dance for a long time.
The awards finished off on a curious note. Three performances of Salsa, Tango and Samba. These really shat me. I'm into Latin American music, but given the occassion and setting, they ended up looking CHEAP. Basically, you are taking these dances outside of their context. They are not dances that are meant to be put up on a stage.. they are far more interactive that that, I feel. There is something forced about putting them up on the stage of the Opera House... something that just doesn't sit right. SPECIALLY after the performances that preceeded them.
The Salsa was a showy ball of nonsense, the equivalent of slapstick comedy in dance. I have issues with ballroom Salsa as it is, because I don't think it ever compares to people that are visibally enjoying themselves. Regardless, the steps and the mood where no longer salsa, rather some sort of accrobatic fellation of the audience. It doesn't help that I KNOW the little shit dancing, and trully he is one of the most prodigious of the greaser fucktards in this country. He has the personal charm of a rotting carcass.
The tango was very dissapointing. I love tango. But this couple wasn't dancing tango. They were too busy counting their steps (you could nearly see their heads nodding one two three four...) to actually give an emotive performance. They were good dancers... but if they concentrated on dancing TANGO, and not trying to dazzle with idiotic looking Showgirl high kicks.
The Samba group did a pretty good job. However, I still felt they were out of place in the setting. If I hear samba, I don't want to be sitting down, I want to be joining in. I don't know... I just don't think it quite worked given the occasion.
To cut a long story short... we had some VIP passes, which included drinks and nibblies afterwards. It was interesting being around all the award winners and what-nots. Was so tempted to try and talk to Libby, but lost the valor.
Aaargh.. anyways, I'm off to bed... long stupid rant.
It turns out I got some spare tickets from Janine, who works for a company that was sponsoring one of the awards. I've always liked dance, so this was a glorious little occassion. We were just about to pick up our tickets (A reserve, right in the middle of the fifth row), when I bumped into certifiedwaif, who was accompanied by two unusually pretty ladies. Collectively, they were looking forward to a Capoeira finish.
The awards were pretty funny. Libby Gore hosted the thing, and personally had me in hysterics. She has the happy knack to bring forward issues that are cringe worthy; she certainly doesn't beat around the bush.
The whole thing started very disapointedly with a performance by a highschool troupe entiteled "Waltzing Matilda". It was introduced as a "symbol of this nations history and culture". MY LORD.... when the hell are Australians going to stop wanking on about Waltzing Matilda? The voice over claimed that it was indicative of our individualism and our sense of community. THE SONG IS ABOUT A HOBBO WHO STEALS A SHEEP, AND THEN COMMITS SUICIDE RATHER THAN FACING THE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS ACTIONS!!!!!!! Really, I don't know what reademable qualities this could possibly have. The production was well coreagraphed, but the theme blew goats. The opening has a WHITE guy coming in from the ship, and being accepted as "an aussie" (signalled by the discarding of the dress hat in favour of the Acubra). Immediately followed by an irish jig. This very clearly tells me that THIS is what australia is... let's welcome the Irish, Scottish and English with open arms. The spics, nips, chinks, koons, wogs, slavs, popodums and all that other rubbish can just shove it.
AAArrrggh.. drives me batty. Drives me batty because I really like this country. Unlike most people, I've had the opportunity to choose where I want to live. At one point, I had four different countries that were being offered, and I still chose this one. Makes me a tad edgy when I don't get included in the national vision.
Anyways.. back to the dancing. There were some simply brilliant dance performances. There was a "pas aux duex" from the Sydney Ballet which was technically insane (though the male part was portrayed rather weakly, I thought). Next up was an excerpt from Garry Stewarts "The Age of Unbeauty". I strongly recommend that anyone remotely interested in dance go and see it. It is spectacular: one of those synergistic perfomances that includes break dancing and acrobatics. Very easy on the eyes, and a general crowd pleaser.
After the interval, there was a magnificent performance by the Bangarra Dance Theatre, whose innovative fusion of contemporary dance, classical steps and indigenous style very clearly lays to rest any notion that indegenous dance troupes are cliche. Seeing four guys "en pointe" while having aboriginal body paint is somethign that I shall not soon forget.
But for me, the highlight of the night was the excert from Lucy Guerin's "Melt". Lordy lord... I HAVE to see that if it is still playing. I just haven't been this excited about dance for a long time.
The awards finished off on a curious note. Three performances of Salsa, Tango and Samba. These really shat me. I'm into Latin American music, but given the occassion and setting, they ended up looking CHEAP. Basically, you are taking these dances outside of their context. They are not dances that are meant to be put up on a stage.. they are far more interactive that that, I feel. There is something forced about putting them up on the stage of the Opera House... something that just doesn't sit right. SPECIALLY after the performances that preceeded them.
The Salsa was a showy ball of nonsense, the equivalent of slapstick comedy in dance. I have issues with ballroom Salsa as it is, because I don't think it ever compares to people that are visibally enjoying themselves. Regardless, the steps and the mood where no longer salsa, rather some sort of accrobatic fellation of the audience. It doesn't help that I KNOW the little shit dancing, and trully he is one of the most prodigious of the greaser fucktards in this country. He has the personal charm of a rotting carcass.
The tango was very dissapointing. I love tango. But this couple wasn't dancing tango. They were too busy counting their steps (you could nearly see their heads nodding one two three four...) to actually give an emotive performance. They were good dancers... but if they concentrated on dancing TANGO, and not trying to dazzle with idiotic looking Showgirl high kicks.
The Samba group did a pretty good job. However, I still felt they were out of place in the setting. If I hear samba, I don't want to be sitting down, I want to be joining in. I don't know... I just don't think it quite worked given the occasion.
To cut a long story short... we had some VIP passes, which included drinks and nibblies afterwards. It was interesting being around all the award winners and what-nots. Was so tempted to try and talk to Libby, but lost the valor.
Aaargh.. anyways, I'm off to bed... long stupid rant.