Dec 06 2012
Speechless
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2012/11/17/arts/17BARNARD.html
The Barnard Fall Project…
How can I describe it? I don’t think there are any words that can actually describe it.
If I called it weird, it would directly imply that I am normal, which I’m not. If I called it radical, it would invoke feeling of either disgust or praise.
Let’s keep it neutral.
I guess we could call it different in the fashion that maybe it’s not the Nutcracker or some other famous ballet, but we have to give them credit. They tried.
In a sense the name- The Barnard Project, invokes this sense of being different. Barnard is, after all, an all girls’ college. Even though it may seem like I am being judgmental, it seems like only two types of people attend these secular single sex school: socially inept, and those who are pretty damn sure of what they want.
The dancers didn’t fit the norm. They all had different body types. I guess it was the only thing I found to be positive. But other than that, there was no meaning whatsoever. The dancers weren’t in sync. The dance made no sense. Towards the end, it started making sense. I even woke up to see it.
The last act was entertaining and it made me think about time. Time itself continues even when we stop. The connection may not be very apparent but its there. The ‘Oh Oh’ reminded me of a ticking clock. Time goes on.
“…we have to give them credit. They tried.” That is perhaps the single greatest thing posted about the Barnard Fall project. On another note, I couldn’t help but to think about time during the performance. By any chance did you think of the “dawn of time”?
hahaha. I mean, they tried. You can’t judge them for not putting something that would entertain us. I feel that maybe other people would find meaning to it…
I believe your title says it all. That’s how I felt by the end of the first dance. However I do agree I found it interesting how they had girls of all different sizes, slim and round, tall and short, dancing together in no particular size order as one might see in other dance performances. I believe everyone took something different out of this performance.
well you see, I guess The Barnard Project is trying to do that all sizes campaign, similar to what Dove did a couple years ago. But let’s be honest dancing takes a toll on the body and some dancers can’t keep up.. I mean it’s pretty judgmental of me… but whatever.