Thanks for this article Mary. It brought back lots of memories as a student at Ailey If you ever have the chance to be at the Ailey season in New York its well worth it! Shame I could't be there for the performance on New Years Eve! Elisabeth Roxas is a most amazing dancer - she was and still is both fiery and graceful. I saw her dance 'Fix Me Jesus' ( from Revelations) at The City Centre NY back in the 80s as a student. Her contemporaries which included Renee Robinson (who was also in the clip) made me cry in my seat watching her when she danced a piece by the late Ulysees Dove ( I had the opportunity to dance her role later and relished in it). I also managed to watch Donna Woods too who was graceful and had a simplicity of movement that spoke volumes. Whats interesting now is that as older dancers they are still as powerful and graceful as when they were younger and you can see the maturity and intelligence of their craft as performers still resident in their bodies - for me the dancing body is not always about the technical aspects of extensions and multiple turns but the dialogue you have with your body inhabiting the space and other elements that influence how you move and interpret dance vocabulary.
Reading the article inspired a flurry of journal entry reflecting on the issue of an older dancer and I relate to this very well - body willing with years of knowledge and experience but facing the challenge and mental blocks of not always being able to move with the same degree of clarity and precision as when I was in my 20s. This also caused me to reflect on my teaching as an older dancer teaching and that in fact as an former dancer entering the realms of teaching again I revisit experiences of the past (both good and bad) and either unlearn and re-learn in a different way that hopefully translates and communicates that which I desire to achieve in a class/studio environment.
Hopal, So glad I got to meet you the other day and I had missed this response so glad I now know it is here now. I find it so strange the flow of life and the connections that lead you to other things. Putting yourself out there and opening up to every opportunity that presents itself is what this course has lead me to. The fear stopped me slightly before the MAPP. I feel very much alive and the little bit of break we are having now is respite for the future modules which I know will be intense but truly worthwhile. When you mentioned being so moved by Elisabeth Roxas's performance I can totally relate to that she exudes an essence, very powerful and beautiful and the fact you got to dance the role. What a memory to treasure. I love the fact she talks about the changes in herself and embraces them as an older dancer and yes it definitely is not about the best extensions and dynamics. I can relate that, I have learned very recently that my teaching is important and as long as I can develop the dancer in others it doesn't matter if I can t do a quadruple pirouette anymore. That was hard to admit I am getting older. With Elizabeth she talks of these obstacles so clearly.Its the conveying of emotions communicating them to the watcher, like a language with so much depth. Embracing the changes. I have never seen The Ailey company. It is one thing on my must do list. thanks for your blog and great personal writing it is inspiring.
Thanks for this article Mary. It brought back lots of memories as a student at Ailey If you ever have the chance to be at the Ailey season in New York its well worth it! Shame I could't be there for the performance on New Years Eve! Elisabeth Roxas is a most amazing dancer - she was and still is both fiery and graceful. I saw her dance 'Fix Me Jesus' ( from Revelations) at The City Centre NY back in the 80s as a student. Her contemporaries which included Renee Robinson (who was also in the clip) made me cry in my seat watching her when she danced a piece by the late Ulysees Dove ( I had the opportunity to dance her role later and relished in it). I also managed to watch Donna Woods too who was graceful and had a simplicity of movement that spoke volumes. Whats interesting now is that as older dancers they are still as powerful and graceful as when they were younger and you can see the maturity and intelligence of their craft as performers still resident in their bodies - for me the dancing body is not always about the technical aspects of extensions and multiple turns but the dialogue you have with your body inhabiting the space and other elements that influence how you move and interpret dance vocabulary.
ReplyDeleteReading the article inspired a flurry of journal entry reflecting on the issue of an older dancer and I relate to this very well - body willing with years of knowledge and experience but facing the challenge and mental blocks of not always being able to move with the same degree of clarity and precision as when I was in my 20s. This also caused me to reflect on my teaching as an older dancer teaching and that in fact as an former dancer entering the realms of teaching again I revisit experiences of the past (both good and bad) and either unlearn and re-learn in a different way that hopefully translates and communicates that which I desire to achieve in a class/studio environment.
Hopal, So glad I got to meet you the other day and I had missed this response so glad I now know it is here now. I find it so strange the flow of life and the connections that lead you to other things. Putting yourself out there and opening up to every opportunity that presents itself is what this course has lead me to. The fear stopped me slightly before the MAPP. I feel very much alive and the little bit of break we are having now is respite for the future modules which I know will be intense but truly worthwhile. When you mentioned being so moved by Elisabeth Roxas's performance I can totally relate to that she exudes an essence, very powerful and beautiful and the fact you got to dance the role. What a memory to treasure. I love the fact she talks about the changes in herself and embraces them as an older dancer and yes it definitely is not about the best extensions and dynamics. I can relate that, I have learned very recently that my teaching is important and as long as I can develop the dancer in others it doesn't matter if I can t do a quadruple pirouette anymore. That was hard to admit I am getting older. With Elizabeth she talks of these obstacles so clearly.Its the conveying of emotions communicating them to the watcher, like a language with so much depth. Embracing the changes. I have never seen The Ailey company. It is one thing on my must do list. thanks for your blog and great personal writing it is inspiring.
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