>Similarly, if there are those who claim some experimental form to be
>"dance", then perhaps the noun will eventually embrace these other
forms in
>the general consciousness - or not...
I think we should use other words to describe other things. Things
deserve to be described with precision using the tool which is
language. Pixels lighting up on a screen is not a
<underline>dance</underline>. (noun) Pixels can
<underline>dance</underline>. (verb) It takes just a little bit more
effort to use qualifers to create a cogent idea, ie: "a pixel dance" or
an "internet-based virtual dance" or a "software controlled electronic
dance process". So it takes a bit more work to say things as they
really are. So lets just do it. But don't call pixels moving randomly
across the screen <underline>dance</underline> in front of me. In my
case, I've devoted the last 15 years of my life perfecting my art as a
dancer. It takes me and a partner, a composer and other collaborators
three months of full time intellecual and physical effort and sleepless
nights and anywhere from 5 to 15,000 dollars of investment to make a
half hour dance work for the stage. And that's just the beginning. What
I do ain't got nothin to do with software being executed on the net. It
follows that if what I do is <underline>dance</underline> (which is
what I've been lead to believe) than the other thing is other than
<underline>dance</underline>. It's perfectly fine that it is what it
is. Let us just call it what it is. If that means using three
twenty-five word sentences to give an accurate description, than so be
it. It's lazy and impermissable to throw the word
<underline>dance</underline> out as its definition.
from Ramey:
>I use this as an example. With everything there is an indavidual and
an
enmasse perception. For a wide-ranging analysis, the enmasse view is
relied upon. I can call a table my Katteespuppy, but untill I educate
people as to what that is, only myself and my closest circle will be
aware
of this. Perception can evolve, as the slavery issue did in the U.S.,
when the enmasse perception evolves. It all may be scary to you, but
as
artists we are somewhat <underline>at the mercy of
society</underline>.<<
Eh bien, it's for us, the dance artists, to maintain and impose the
definition that we adhere to. Today everything is up for grabs.
Anything and everything is debasable and usurpable for any use be it
private, political, or of course - commercial! Language, its common
meaning - its "raison d'etre" allows us to communicate about reality
which in turn creates reality. There is an struggle inherent here.
Either one allows nonsense to pass for sense, or one explodes in
indignation. For myself I prefer the second response. When newspaper
interviewer permits himself to print the opposite of what I said, I
feel helplessy abused. Negated even.
So compare my work to downloaded patterns of moving pixels and it'll be
you who is <underline>at the mercy of my viscious brain-squirting
headlock.</underline>
Virtually speaking, of course.
Bud Blumenthal
Cie Tandem asbl
58 rue de la Lys
1080 Brussels, Belgium
T: 32 / 2 / 425 89 37
Fx: 32 / 2 425 89 39
eMail: bud@skynet.be
homepage: http://users.skynet.be/bud-dance/
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