Lighted dancers

Just thought this was interesting....

"The dancers' suits were outlined in multiple colors of EL, with an intentionally "loose" aesthetic that made them appear to be live dancing versions of a sketch."

EL wire: thin electroluminescent wire that looks like neon when hooked to a power source.

Love your neighbors...

"If I define my neighbor as the one I must go out to look for, on the highways and byways, in the factories and slums, on the farms and in the mines - then my world changes. This is what is happening with the 'option for the poor,' for in the gospel it is the poor person who is the neighbor par excellence...

But the poor person does not exist as an inescapable fact of destiny. His or her existence is not politically neutral, and is not ethically innocent. The poor are a by-product of the system in which we live and for which we are responsible. They are marginalized by our social and cultural world. They are oppressed, exploited proletariat, robbed of the fruit of their labor and despoiled of their humanity. Hence the poverty of the poor is not a call to generous relief action, but a demand that we go and build a different social order."

Gustavo Gutierrez, The Power of the Poor in History

Gustavo Gutiérrez Merino, O.P., (born 8 June 1928 in Lima) is a Peruvian theologian and Dominican priest regarded as the founder of Liberation Theology. He sees that among the poor there is an “absence of recognition of their own human dignity and of their condition as daughters and sons of God”.

Another take on taxes.

Taxes are a way of buying into our government,

As a stakeholder buys shares into a corporation.

When you invest your resources,

You are more likely to invest your interest -

You care more because it involves your contribution,

And you care about your money

(Sometimes more than anything else).

A government that receives no money from its people,

Finds money elsewhere.

(From oil, for example.)

And it no longer needs to be as concerned about its people.

This is the story of a Middle East country,

As I hear it from my Middle Eastern friends.

Do we want our government to be like a business -

Whose primary concern is profit,

Or do we want a government who cares about its people -

Their rights, voices, and needs?

Pay taxes. Your government needs you and you need it.

Note: The author acknowledges that governments are inherently corrupt, however she maintains a naive belief that all human systems are redeemable. Furthermore, she has not found another system with less faults and is not willing to give up on the progress made so far - remembering those who work tirelessly for freedom in the past and in the present.

modern dance

Occasionally I'll force myself to attend a modern dance performance. I'll find out about one either through a friend or an advertisement and I'll think "I should go because as a designer, this is an art form I should care more about." Or more honestly, "I should go because I want to be perceived as someone who cares about all art forms." And so I found myself, once again, sitting in a darkened theater, waiting for a performance to begin last Friday. The thick, traditionally red curtains drew back and twenty something dancers in pastel leotards began to rhythmically step onto the stage. I recognized one dancer, our friend, Chelsea - the one who had invited us to this particular performance - though the dancers are hard to identify due to their similarities in form, hair style, and makeup.

I quickly realized that this was not the normally boring modern dance performance. First of all, the movements struck me as odd, particularly in their abruptness. Graceful, precise movements were mixed with quick sharp energy - a sudden nod of the head or shrug of the shoulders, for example. Some movements were filled with resistance, as though they were fighting the temptation to transform into an R&B step expected from those such as Lady Gaga.

Secondly, the dancers touched each other, which I also found odd. Their movements were carefully choreographed to overlap - clasping hands, bending and twisting over one another. In other performances, I've noticed a sense of isolation between the dancers - though they may be together on the stage, they individually complete similar moves as one might expect from a field of robots. These dancers were dependent on each other - each part had to work perfectly together to complete the whole - but beyond that, they changed each other's movements and paths. I know the entire performance is planned, yet it almost seemed as though they got to choose what to do and had to change their choices based on what the others did.

Thirdly, I was able to notice themes of meaning with each set. Normally in modern dance, I pretend that I understand a deeper meaning - as though some movements represent sadness while others joy. This time I didn't have to pretend or imagine - they communicated their message clearly with the music tempo, type, title, and selected movements. I felt as though I understood - which in my previous modern dance experience is rare.

A breath of fresh air full of meaning and depth, this modern dance performance was surprising and inspiring. Either this dance company is brilliant or I am finally "old" enough or "cultured" enough to get it. I'll conclude that San Francisco's Lines Ballet is truly brilliant.