Okay, okay, so this could really be construed as yet another music-crush post, but let me explain...
If you ever have the pleasure of taking modern dance classes or composition class, you would most certainly be bombarded with this tidbit of theory.
The Three Elements of Dance
Space is the physical environment where movement happens - a dance studio, a stage, a hallway and in the case of this week's inspiration video, a bed.
Time is the non-physical environment where movement happens. You can't see it, you can't touch it, but there is a pulse or beat either in silence or in a piece of music that is creating a structure for movement to happen.
Energy is the amount of effort that is put into your movement. Raise your right hand slowly, and you might appear to be dancing in water, raise your right hand sharply and you may appear to be hailing Hitler. Energy can change the emotional dynamics or intention behind a movement.
When all of these things work in tandem - you have dance in it's purest form. If your definition of dance is girls twirling in tutus and pointe shoes, then this little theory blows that out of the water. Watch a city train changeover at rush hour...you have space and time and energy...and a dance of epic proportions.
That said, let's talk about Oren Lavie's music video for Her Morning Elegance...
First of all, I love, love, love, love, love it when musicians use dance in an unusual way in their videos. Don't get me wrong, I love me some JJ (Janet Jackson) full on choreo, bass thumpin', booty-shakin' dance videos...but this is different and refreshing!
Secondly, I nerd out on the use of space in this video. Choreographers love puzzles, and this video gets me thinking, "Hmm...how can I tell a story using only a bed? How many movements could I create that fit on/around the bed?" The movements here are minimal, but so effective.
Lastly - it's freaking STOP-MOTION! I am obsessed with stop-motion. I mean, when you grow up on Teeny Little Super Guy how could you not be?
Do you consider this video to be "dance"? Why or why not? What is your definition of dance?
1 comments:
I don't know if it's dance or not, but I do know I've loved both the video and the song ever since I first saw it, I think on VH1 in the morning (when they actually play videos for like an hour) years ago. "Chasing Pavements" of course came after this; that's what it made me think of today, actually. I love how you mentioned that watching things like this is so good for making a "problem" to solve creatively--I love how working within self-inflicted limits can inspire you to create something you might never have done otherwise; I do it with writing and with my fiber stuff, and can be an awesome way to kick-start the process.
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