The art of dancing

[Karl Rand]

I doubt I’d survive attending a live perforance of some of these pieces. Maybe I’m reading too much into them but again and again I feel I’m witnessing the madness of our species tribal insanity and ‘groupthink'. The shear beauty of the choregraphy though keeps me fascinated, mesmerised even. Thank you so much for drawing our attention to Pite’s work.

Do I see faint echos of Matha Graham’s work in Pite’s choreography?
Skip to 1.05

[LONDONER]

Intentionally or not, I think that all choreographers are influenced by others.  You start off by seeing your first dance performance and it goes on from there, youre hooked, at first you copy and then you start of creating original works.  I once, very extravagantly, flew to New York speciifically to see the  Paul  Taylor Dance Company.  His DVD "Dancemaker" is considered to be one of the best recordings of dance as an expresson of the medium:

[Karl Rand]

Fascinating. I identify with a lot of this as I had an affair with a  Russian repetiteur (spelling?) for the Australian Ballet. The theatrics behind the scenes were often more dramatic than what got onto the stage. 
The introductory section of your documentary frightened me as the choreography appears to be designed to maximise the chance of the dancers injuring themselves. Nerve wracking. 

I found the section on unionism in the NY theatre in and of itself intriguing. There’s the plot for a very dramatic ballet in that little episode. Shame Jerome Robbins is no longer with us. He’d be perfect for the job.

[LONDONER]

Fascinating. I identify with a lot of this as I had an affair with a  Russian repetiteur (spelling?) for the Australian Ballet. The theatrics behind the scenes were often more dramatic than what got onto the stage. 
The introductory section of your documentary frightened me as the choreography appears to be designed to maximise the chance of the dancers injuring themselves. Nerve wracking. 

I found the section on unionism in the NY theatre in and of itself intriguing. There’s the plot for a very dramatic ballet in that little episode. Shame Jerome Robbins is no longer with us. He’d be perfect for the job.

The piece in the documentary that I have returned to over and over again is the "Piazzola Caldera" for the sheer technicality of the dance but also for his interpretation of the tango.  It may not be classic tango but he captures the essence perfectly, just as Nicola Benedetti does here:



OK, the video is more about music than dance but what is interesting is that it shows two men dancing together just as it would have been in the brothels of Buenos Aires where the tango began.

[Karl Rand]

My only complaint is it’s not long enough. The delicious male/male, female/female and male/female episodes are just an appetiser.
Impressive too how the music moves from almost like a lullaby to being no less than threatening.

[LONDONER]

My only complaint is it’s not long enough. The delicious male/male, female/female and male/female episodes are just an appetiser.
Impressive too how the music moves from almost like a lullaby to being no less than threatening.

I agree.  It's frustratingly short.  I have tried so hard to try to find out who the Director was.   I am sure that whoever he or she was, must have had a knowledge of the tango to have created such an authentic atmosphere.

[Karl Rand]

I find it somehow annoying so many of these male/male dancers have only one partner taking the lead. Maybe because in my younger days I preferred to take turns at ‘biting the pillow’?

[LONDONER]

I find it somehow annoying so many of these male/male dancers have only one partner taking the lead. Maybe because in my younger days I preferred to take turns at ‘biting the pillow’?

Interesting but unfortunately not very authentic.  In the "milongas" that I have been to in Buenos Aires, I have never seen lifts like that, that seem to belong more to the world of acrobatics.  It's the sort of thing you will find in cheap cabarets that put on Tango Shows.



OK, this next one is not from Buenos Aires but it is an authentc tango:

[Karl Rand]

Mathew Bourne's 'Dorian Grey'
Shame about the ‘music’ . At times like somebodies front door bell stuck on repeat.

[eastofeden]

I love watching this guy dance - clever interpretation