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Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Dance Classic

Kartikey Sehgal

  • Dance is not just shaking a leg or two.
  • If you can imagine, you can make dances for classical music.  

The Times of India featured a story by Tanuj Kumar:
Don't let anyone tell you that classical music is dull

The introductory paragraph says:

In the 1988 film Running on Empty, which features budding musician River Phoenix, a teacher plays two tracks of music to his teenage class. The first has a Madonna-esque, pacy rhythm which propels the students to shake a leg or two, but they soon take to their seats when the teacher follows the catchy song with an orchestral piece by Beethoven. He asks his class to differentiate the two. After a round of subjective answers like "first good, second bad" and vice versa, Phoenix raises his hand and says, "You can't dance to Beethoven." The teacher is more than pleased with his answer. Well, they were wrong!

That teacher needs stringent punishment. Get me the cane.

Dance is not merely shaking 'a leg or two'. It is movement, expression and choreography. Like in this dance for a film by Astad Deboo.

Noor-un-ala-Noor FR -Meenaxi

 

And so is everything in this video a dance; all movements, all spoken parts, including the girl flying.
Note the choreography to the instrumental section. They don't have 'beats' to which the actors move. 
There are instances when the girl is 'merely walking' and 'standing and singing'.  

 

 

You can dance to classical music if you can traverse the regular definition.
Wagner could when he spoke of Beethoven's Seventh symphony as an "apotheosis of the dance" [link
The music Wagner referred to - YouTube link. 

Many years back, I had choreographed a short dance that told of an Army man's separation from his beloved.
It was set to music by Chopin. It featured waltz and improvised movements. 

The actors deliberated on expressions of pain and anguish and fleeting love. Movements became restricted and representational. 

You don't have to have 'beats' in a song to which you can shake/move your body. 
You can imagine them, or just express to the mood and emotion.

Why, is ballet not a dance? It is.

In the video below, there are no obvious beats. The choreographer imagines them and sets the dance thus.

It is not something you can do in the kitchen while baking; shake a leg to the beat.
Note 1:18 onwards, the music is pacy and you can catch the beats, but see that the dance is not just thrusting a hip to the beat. 

You can't do this dance without thought and rhythm. And mood. And feeling. 

Good night.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Ganesha came to me, upset.

Kartikey Sehgal

[Ganesha Chaturthi is the Hindu festival celebrated on the birthday (re-birth) of Lord Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati.
It is believed that Lord Ganesh bestows his presence on earth for all his devotees during this festival.] link

Ganesha came to me, upset.

Why are your ears red, Ganesha?
I needn’t wait for an answer. It’s those damn loud speakers again.

Why did you park yourself in the Mumbai idols, after what happened last year?

I thought people must have changed, said Ganesha.

Oh well.
After a similiar experience last year, he floated over the sea for a few hours, resting under the moonlight.
In Mumbai, that’s the only place without potholes.

We bought a packet of chips and consumed calories.

So they don’t really make good music for me then. It’s all filmi item songs.
And I am supposed to be the protector.

I decided that despite the sorry state of his ear-drums, I will play some songs for him.

This, Ganesha, is by Yesudas.

And this by M S Subba Lakshmi.

Yes, said Ganesha, voice is like honey. This music is the right way for many to begin programs, funtions, and concerts of significance.

Yes, I said.

Like film functions and music releases.

Aha. Stop the sarcasm. Let’s talk about this one, sung longingly by two super artists.

Raag Hamsadhwani, said Ganesha. Immense variations.
Set in this same raga, I once heard mother Parvati sing this one:

The moon was very fake though. Unbelievable.

Seeing that his mood was good, I settled into listening to his tales.
Soon some loudspeakers would blare a loud song again.

Friday, September 14, 2012

What America can learn from this artist

Kartikey Sehgal

  • we -- we own this country.
  • We -- we own it. It is not you owning it, and not politicians owning it. Politicians are employees of ours.
  • Whether you are a Democrat or Republican or whether you're libertarian or whatever, you are the best. And we should not ever forget that. And when somebody does not do the job, we got to let them go.
                                                           -Clint Eastwood 

(We don't do politics these days, unless.)

 Clint Eastwood is an acclaimed artist from America. 

In view of the recent 9/11 anniversary and the forthcoming elections, this story tells you what American policy should be like (description below video):

In brief, suckers attack a girl in daylight, her weak friend offers them peace and brotherhood, fails.
Eastwood comes to the party, tells them to ____. Takes the girl home.
The film, Gran Torino, symbolises American values, that need to be preserved and passed on. Bravery and balls.

This is what he stood for during the recent Republican party convention. [link

He is being mocked by people who need to take a leaf out of his work and try to achieve a fraction of it. These minions are busy making fun of him, calling him a senile old man who yells at chairs.

The speech was in disfavour of President Obama. It was, however, not totally in favour of Mitt Romney, at whose convention Eastwood spoke impromptu.

An 82 year old man speaking impromptu Vs Obama, Romney and others speaking learned and practiced speeches.

After being mocked initially, many people are coming to grips with what he spoke. Leading to the celebration of 'National Empty Chair Day'.

These chairs hold quotes of Clint's speech. This is inspiring. An impromptu speech of an actor rising above the practiced speeches.

Clint's frank talk has, for the time being, superseded the aura of the Presidential candidates.

Leave aside the politics, whether Republican or Democrat, we need courageous men as leaders, and courage is exemplified by your work.

Americans criticising him should should make a note despite differing ideologies. This is what will get them out of the rut they find themselves in.