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I had a conversation about dance this morning after a dance class I went to. We were discussing (among other things), whether dance (and art in general) should be abstract or literal. We were discussing this as it pertains to the church, but I suppose it might apply to other situations as well. Someone expressed the opinion (which I don't agree with) that all dance and art should be literal because people don't understand abstract art and it is perhaps selfish to do something that the audience won't understand. Ie. "The message needs to be clear!"

So, I thought I would blog my musings since this morning's conversation (I did say some stuff in the conversation, but as usual, I come up with better stuff later....)

First, a lot of time in the Bible, God speaks to people in abstract or "unclear" ways. Most of what Jesus said was very cryptic and left his disciples (those closest to him) scratching their heads. And in the time when God spoke to people through prophets -- that was very "abstract", to say the least! Try reading Ezekiel and you'll see what I mean. In fact, as I think about it, a LOT of the Bible is abstract.

Second, I think that wanting to be "clear" in what your dance/painting/song is saying is a control issue. People want to control what the audience will understand rather than presenting something and leaving it up to God to speak to someone through that piece of art.

So, those are my musings on the subject for today. I leave you with two quotes:

"If you try to please everyone, you'll end up pleasing no one."
"Ideas are not worth as much as people."

So, I guess the novelty has worn off with this whole blogging thing. I wondered how long it would take. But I thought I should write SOMETHING today....

something

Now aren't you glad you came to my blog today? 

But seriously. My mind has been in choreography world this weekend. I went to a couple of different dance performances Thurs. and Fri. Today i went to the UofM library and checked out a couple of choreography books. And searched the internet for schools with MAs in Choreography. Apparently I have to go to England or Australia if I want to do that. (people in North America think dances just make themselves?) And spend a whole CRAP-LOAD of money, which I will never have. So, back to the drawing board on that one.

I've heard this saying before and always wondered where it came from....now i know, since I watched Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy this weekend. I haven't read the book (which i think was written in the 80s?), only seen the movie, but i thought it was interesting how they portrayed the "President of the Galaxy" very similarly to a certain president who shall remain nameless.... the accent, the level of intellect etc.....

First, the rant:
How could White Stripes win a Grammy over Arcade Fire, Beck and Franz Ferdinand? I mean, they're OK, but a GRAMMY? I was just thinking the other day how all their songs sound the same....

And the rave:
I finally read the novel my friend Michele wrote and it is EXCELLENT! "A page-turner with heart", as I called it on my review on Amazon.ca. Read more about it (and maybe even order a copy for yourself...) here: www.tidalpoolsonline.com

Today someone at work sent out an email. It was only a subject line, and it read:

I can't pick up my phone.

Needless to say me and friends at work emailed back and forth with reasons why he couldn't pick up his phone -- was he very weak? were his arms cut off?

Later, there was a "reply" by the same person to this email saying:

I have phone back, but it don't know for how long.

To which I replied (only to my friends): I hope it's not contagious!

So, my Dad put a new plug on the end of my block heater cord. I gave the old plug to my parents' cat, who batted it around for a while and then went to the nearest outlet in the wall and sat there sniffing at it and then looked me as if to say "This is where that plug goes." Coincidence or smart cat? You be the judge.....

Yesterday I came home and plugged in my car, as usual. Suddenly, there was a 3 inch flame shooting up from the plug from the block heater! My roommate, who was standing behind my car at this point, said she saw red sparks shooting out from it. I went to unplug it, but then thought maybe I should rather unplug the extention cord from the outlet first. When I unplugged it, the third prong (i think it's called the grounding prong?) stayed in the plug -- it had totally come loose from the plug. Maybe that's what caused the fireworks? Anyway, i couldn't plug in my car. Good thing it was -30 or something. This morning I thought about what had happened and wondered how I didn't end up catching my mitten on fire and burning my hand?

So, I've been trying to find these blue keys that Union Gospel Mission puts out. They are keys that you can buy to give to people who ask you for money on the street. They can then exchange them for a meal and a place for the night (i could be wrong on what exactly they get, but something along those lines). I've asked a few people if they know where I could get them. Most people seemed to think that you could get them at Hull's Bookstore. So, yesterday, I phoned there. The guy I talked to didn't seem to know what I was talking about. Then he said they had these plastic coins with Bible verses on them, which cost 10 cents. I didn't think that was what I was looking for, but I asked if they could be then traded in for a meal, place for the night or whatever. He said -- oh....no, they were just plastic coins with verses on them. I thanked the guy, but said that wasn't what i was looking for. (b/c he probably just works there and has no say in what they carry in the store). If i were a person living on the street and somebody gave me a  Bible verse coin when I asked for money, I'd huck it back in their face. Probably along with a few choice words. Because if I were hungry and cold and tired, i would not need a Bible verse. Not that there's anything wrong with Bible. In fact, that's the point! If you follow the Bible, you'll want to give food to someone who is hungry -- not a plastic Bible verse.

Well, enough ranting for today. If you know where those blue keys can be found.....

Is "having something up" the opposite of "something going down"?

First week back at my dance classes after the Christmas break. Everyone agreed that 3 weeks is too long of a break b/c we were all really sore after Monday....
Of course, I was all "rarin' to go" (or whatever that saying is...looks weird now that i've typed it out) and Monday afternoon I started to get sick. Yes, a cold. I realized I haven't had one of those in years. The realization came when i came home and I had no cold medication of any sort in my house. And I went to the store on Tuesday to buy some and I couldn't even remember what i usually buy. Anyway, it's almost done now, I think. One more good night of sleep and i should be right as rain (what the heck does that mean, anyway?). Only good thing about being sick is that it seems i get very silly at times. Fun. In Choreography class we were talking about how a certain teacher has certain moves that they put in all their dances. One girl said we should use one of those moves in the dance we were working on. Someone else said we could quote that teacher. I said we could do the move while doing the "air quotes" with our fingers. And someone else added that we would have that teacher's name written on our forehead.

But I digress... (i've just always wanted to say that) :oP

Anyway, i hope you've had fun reading my delirious rantings and ravings and that you aren't completed confused because i'm sure half of it didn't even make any sense. That's what happens when my head is full of snot.

Strange what bubbles to the surface of my mind sometimes. Yesterday, I suddenly thought of (for no apparent reason) a TV show that I used to watch in high school called Alive From Off Center. It was (to quote a website I found about it) an "Avant garde 1980's PBS show that featured works by off the wall artists in many different fields." I didn't really remember much about it, except that it usually had really off the wall film shorts and other bizarre stuff. Upon a little internet surfing, I found that there was a lot of dance on it too. No wonder I liked it (even though I didn't know I liked dance then...).

Went to the WAG (Winnipeg Art Gallery) the other day. The exhibits that were on were Bug City, some lady's hooked rug art, Into the Collection (various paintings and sculpture from the WAG's permanent collection) and Salvador Dali's paintings commemorating Israel's 20th anniversary of....something which I can't remember. I think my favorite was Bug City, not for the subject matter but because there were lots of different media (paintings, drawings, installations, video etc.). There was one that had several cardboard boxes filled with little papers with bugs printed on them. It had motors inside that made pens in the boxes do various things. Whoever the artist was must have worked in an office at some point. I think I liked it the best because it MOVED! And I'm really a dancer/choreographer, not an artist in the strictest sense of the word.

Here's my favorite Dali painting - The Persistence of Memory. Unfortunately, none of his surrealist paintings were on display at the WAG.

"You're holding on to every little thing so tightly
Till there's nothing left for you anyway."
Gone -- U2

"If I could, through myself, set your spirit free
I'd lead your heart away, see you break, break away
Into the light and to the day.

To let it go and so to find a way.
To let it go and so find a way.
I'm wide awake.
I'm wide awake, wide awake.
I'm not sleeping."
Bad -- U2

My favorite Christmas song.... I tried to find a place where you could listen to it, but alas, I could not. Here are the lyrics, anyway. If you know it, please sing along.

Do they know it's Christmas?

It's Christmastime,
there's no need to be afraid
At Christmastime,
we let in light and we banish shade
And in our world of plenty
we can spread a smile of joy
Throw your arms around the world
at Christmastime

But say a prayer,
pray for the other ones
At Christmastime it's hard,
but when you're having fun
There's a world outside your window,
and it's a world of dread and fear
Where the only water flowing
is the bitter sting of tears
And the Christmas bells that ring there
are the clanging chimes of doom
Well tonight thank God it's them
instead of you

And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmastime
The greatest gift they'll get this year is life(Oooh)
Where nothing ever grows
No rain or rivers flow
Do they know it's Christmastime at all?

Here's to you raise a glass for everyone
Here's to them underneath that burning sun
Do they know it's Christmastime at all?

Feed the world
Feed the world
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmastime again

Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmastime again

I'm in the middle of reading the book "Bono In Conversation With Michka Assayas". There's a bit that Bono says which stuck with me...

"In the end, ideas are not worth as much as people. Whenever you meet a philosophy where that is not true, and where ideas are worth more than people, you have to be on your guard. A dangerous idea that almost makes sense is a very compelling thing. In a way, when the devil gets it right, it usually not a wrong fighting with a right, it's usually two half-truths fighting it out."

Made me think of the religious crap and legalism that I grew up with. It was all about  ideas about God being more important than people and relationships. I'll give you an example. When one of my brothers was in junior high or high school he came to church in jeans. No big deal, you're thinking, right? Well, an older church member came up to him and scolded him for wearing jeans. The idea of wearing the right clothes to church (which I think comes out of having respect for God or something like that) was more important than the person -- my brother. If my brother had been more important to that older gentleman than his philosophy, he might have actually talked to him instead of scolding him. Found out what his favourite subject was in school, or what his hobbies were or what he thought of the weather we were having or ANYTHING!