I am mad at myself that I didn’t write down some of the things he said, thinking I could remember them, but obviously I couldn’t. Not that I wasn’t listening or anything but there were certain phrases he said that were really deep and philosophical.
Anywho it was yet another great experience meeting the mastermind behind this strange dance phenomenon. One thing I noticed was that the same feelings of uncertainty and questioning that we as an audience had, Ralph also had. When asked inquisitive questions about the dance or asked what he thought he’ll do in the future, he responded with uncertainty and doubt. And I think that this is why we felt those feelings as an audience because we were influenced by the artist’s emotions. I mean Ralph definitely had a message to convey but he also had many scenes in his dance that were private and intricate that maybe even he couldn’t get or explain. Which is why, as I pointed out in my last blog, we don’t NEED to get or understand this piece. We should just sit back and enjoy it for what it is: a new form of expressing oneself through dance or as a professor in the room stated, an “experiment.” Which reminds me of a story Okwui said of her neighbor coming up to her and telling her that he didn’t get it, and she replied with “good, you’re not suposed to.”
Another point I found extremely intriguing was the point they brought up about needing and not needing the audience. When I act on stage I need the audience there to make sure I’ve accomplished my goal of making them laugh or sob. On the other hand Okwui and the other collaborator next to her stated that they didn’t need the audience because it was something they were doing for themselves as an artist and the audience was just there witnessing it. Okwui also said that it was weird because she wanted to know what it would be like to “need” the audience and I on the other hand wonder what it would be like to not need them. For one I wouldn’t get those silly butterflies in my stomach before going onstage ;p .
I especially loved the little book Ralph gave us at the end. It was so cute!! I showed it to my friends in class that hadn’t seen the performance and they were so perplexed….they didn’t get it at all. Oh well, they’re not suposed to.
VS
