8A- Monday, November 17, 2008
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Taking dance to
a different 'Place'
.
James Bond has lowered his standards for boats. And women.
Not your typical Bond
By SARA SCHNEIDER
Daily Arts Writer
"A lot of people don't believe
you can make a living as a dancer,
but I can't imag-
ine any other Falling Into
way to live,"
said School of Place
Music, Theatre Nov.20
and Dance senior through
Stephanie Over- Nov.22
ton. "For me,
dance is a way Atithe Betty
of processing seStudio
information, ofT
interpreting the
world. It's not an activity; it's a
mode of thinking."
Overton and three other senior
dance majors - Megan DeShong,
Aiden Feldman and Trina Man-
nino - will share their origi-
nal choreography and personal
interpretations in "Falling Into
Place," the BFA dance concert,
which also includes compositions
by School of Music, Theatre and
Dance students Ryan Black, Car-
los Garcia and Brain Lenz.
The performance showcases
four people who have dedicated
their lives to dance. Like any
other artist, dancers have the task
of challenging their audiences to
see the world a bit differently.
"I see the role of artists as giv-
ing people an alternative way of
considering our shared experi-
ence on this planet. Dance began
as a communal activity, an inclu-
sive art," Overton said. "I don't
like conceiving the dance world
as isolated from the 'real world.'
It's the same world. Dance is just
another extension of the possibil-
ity of human experience, and it's
incredit
to see t
Each
a solo a
formed
ing the
dancers
experie
is one o
ments o
"Eac
their o'
it's real
ing to t
rience
DeShon
is comp
I:
ways in
express
DeSh
ing her
freely i
piece sI
of"bein
the inab
Over
reograp
"Som
to ins
ton sai
the mo
which
structu
ing how
or inte
bly important for people hadn't thought about before the
hat." poem emerged."
dancer choreographed Although the four senior per-
nd group piece to be per- formers choseto pursue their love
at the concert. Creat- for dance, it's not an easy decision
ir own works allows the to make in the current times.
to express their personal "A big challenge for any danc-
nces and styles, which er to overcome is the popular
f DeShong's favorite ele- notion that a career as a dancer
f dance. is equivalent to poverty," Over-
h and every person has ton said. "There is an unfortunate
wn style of dancing, and social stigma placed on dance in
ly interesting and reward- our society. Overcoming that and
have the chance to expe- realizing that it's OK to do what
movement with others," I'm doing for a living was a huge
ig said. "Especially if it deal."
letely different from the Performances like the BFA
dance concert encourage danc-
ers and audiences to recognize
the positive elements of the art
Alovement- of dance, even with modern soci-
ety's emphasis on pursuing lucra-
tive jobs. The concert provides
Creativity seniors the means to demonstrate
their passion and develop the
nspiration. skills necessary to compete in the
dance industry as both choreog-
raphers and dancers. Similarly, it
allows audiences to forget about
which I like to move and the financial situations of artists
myself." and revel in the beautiful cre-
ong's solo is about express- ations that come from their bold
"love for dance and moving career choices.
n space," while her group "Falling Into Place" not only
hows the opposing feeling explores the dancers' choreogra-
g trapped somewhere with phy, but it also offers audiences a
sility to escape." chance to be inspired by dance.
ton approached her cho- "Ihope that anyone who comes
hy through poetry. to the show will gain an inspira-
ietimes I used the poetry tion to take their own movement
pire movement," Over- more seriously, to respect their
d. "Other times, I used own rhythms and motion," Over-
vement to create poetry, ton said. "I want the audience to
in turn influenced the be taken to a different place. I
re of the piece by indicat- don't want them to feel excluded.
vI should craft transitions I want an entire universe to open
nt, things that maybe I up for them."
BOND
From Page 5A
enjoyable action film, several ele-
ments feel a bit off, preventing it
from working effectively within
the "007" canon.
The slow-tempo theme song
from Jack White and Alicia Keyes
is only part of the problem. The
switch in editing styles to a quick-
cut jitter cam - which makes the
confusing action scenes pale in
comparison to "Casino" 's elegant
steady hand - doesn't help either.
In the opening car chase, images
are only shown on screen for a
fraction of a second, making it
impossible to tell which vehicle is
Bond's and which is the bad guy's.
Even the villains aren't quite
as sinister. When Greene's evil
plans finally come to fruition, he
boasts that he now controls 60
percent of Bolivia's water supply.
Sixty percent? That's not a Bond
villain, that's Donald Trump.
Ninety-nine percent - now that
would be acceptable villainy.
It seems silly to keep com-
paring "Quantum" to "Casino,"
but it's important to understand
why "Casino" was so loved. The
film hit all the Bond checkpoints
while also functioning as an
expertly crafted thriller (which
was especially welcome after
the pure cartoons of the Pierce
Brosnan era). "Quantum" keeps
with the neo-realist theme and
takes itself seriously, refusing
to devolve into camp. This is a
wise choice on the part of the
filmmakers. Where "Quantum"
comes up short - and where,
unfortunately, it will ultimately
be judged - is in its adherence
to the "007" blueprint. It's a good
action movie, but for better or for
worse, it's not the perfect James
Bond film.
Flaming Lips do Christmas'
LIPS
From Page 5A
and a respirator. The track seems
to introduce a Martian catalyst
to the story while highlight-
ing a moment of crisis or death.
"Spaceship" bleeds into "Suicide
and Extraordinary Mistakes,"
which suggests a severe turn of
events through its regal horns,
emphatic bell tolls and dramatic
timpani a la "2001: A Space Odys-
sey."
At the close of Christmas on
Mars's second act, "The Secret
Of Immortality: This Strange
Feeling, This Impossible World"
sculpts post-Elfman topogra-
phies of wonder. Floating along at
a dreamy three-quarter-rhythm,
the alien oohs and ahhs mesh
into the synthesized strings.
This moment of peace is crushed
by the unfortunately-titled "The
Gleaming Armament Of March-
ing Genitalia," which clashes
anguished wails against a grand
symphonic war song.
"Space Bible With Volume
Lumps" ditches the melodra-
matic tone of the rest of the
album as it recalls older Flam-
ing Lips instrumentals. Ripping
bass stabs and a lush brass sec-
tion, backed by a ticking per-
cussion, provide the full depth
of texture and persistence of
rhythm expected from any rock
song. Its energy and playfulness
bring a sense of resolution to the
tale.
Though clocking in at a mere
32 minutes, Christmas on Mars
successfully jams a full musical
narrative onto one disc. The only
problem is that The Flaming Lips
easily could have taken things
much further. Why not make an
hour-long ambient LP that truly
pushes those qualities of vast-
ness, alienation and wonder to
their limits? While missing that
opportunity, the Lips still come
through with a fresh, albeit con-
densed, listening experience.
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