Re: music visualizations/Baryshnikov wired (fwd)

Sandi Kurtz (sandik@slime.atmos.washington.edu)
Sat, 10 Jan 1998 13:01:53 -0800 (PST)

Anyone know anything about this?

sandi kurtz

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 1998 13:50:52 GMT
From: Jean Fitzpatrick <jgfitzpatrick@ibm.net>
Newsgroups: alt.arts.ballet
Subject: Re: music visualizations/Baryshnikov wired

X-22027-Poster: Jean Fitzpatrick <jgfitzpatrick@ibm.net>

Jeffrey Salzberg wrote:
> >
<cygan@teleport.com> wrote:
>
> > In the debate about whether choreographing to express the music or
> >composing to compliment the choreography is better
>
> Why must we impose arbitrary and absolute rules? Different techniques
> work for different artists.

Actually, I am going to Baryshnikov's solo performance at City Center at
the end of this month, where he's being wired somehow so that his pulse
and muscles are being registered electronically and used to "conduct"
the orchestra. In other words, his body will become the conductor. I am
puzzling out how, then, he will actually be responding to the music;
seems as though he will be controlling it in some way. Isn't some of
what generates excitement between dancer and music the interplay between
them?

This idea (devised by the same artist -- can't find his name right now
-- who made a huge mural in the Miami Airport; you touch the mural and
it makes Everglades sounds) sounds gimmicky to me. (See the current
Time magazine for more info.) But then again, what I love are threads
about how the swan dies.
Jean