Author Archives: dharamati

Posts by dharamati

Comments by dharamati

"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slblK2zL_ts"
--( posted on Dec 1, 2010, commenting on the post )
 
"This is really amazing and i definitely agree with Katherine that the contrast between their faces and hands makes it even more enjoyable. I actually find this "hand dancing" and very exciting but almost began to laugh when I imagines what a "hand dancing" performance would look like. I began to imagine around 15 people sitting behind a table in a recital hall with hundreds of people watching. I think that this style could take off if it were more practical to perform. It also reminded me of something called "tutting" which one of my friends who is an amazing hip-hop dancer showed me. Wikipedia could explain tutting better than I could so here-"When dancers "tut", they change the angles of their hands and arms in rhythm with the beat." I've seen performers on shows like America's Best Dance Crew use tutting but unlike this "hand dancing" the tutting is accompanying the dance and is an aspect used to enhance the whole performance, rather than the hand motions being the main attraction. Here's a link of someone tutting, at certain points it looks like he's forming some sign language, maybe Beth can translate.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slblK2zL_ts"
--( posted on Dec 1, 2010, commenting on the post )
 
"I actually read this article earlier in the week and was going to blog about it. Being a Jew that is also a big rap fan I was particularly amazed by the story of Jamaal Barrow(not Charles, the running back on the KC Chiefs)/Moses Levi/Shyne. When one thinks of a rapper, Judaism is probably the farthest thing from his mind. The fact that Shyne is not only Jewish but is a practicing Orthodox Jew is truly amazing. The hip-hop and rap world has a lot of things in it that would be considered "UnKosher" in the eyes of many, yet Shyne is able to make both aspects of his life coexist peacefully. He says that “There’s nothing in the Chumash(Bible) that says I can’t drive a Lamborghini,” and “nothing in the Halacha(Jewish law) about driving the cars I like, about the lifestyle I live.” For me this is a revelation, and not only because Shyne is giving the Jews more street cred. In fact, in the past couple of years there have been a couple of Jews who have sprung up on the music scene in places you wouldn't normally expect to find them. Matisyahu has been huge in the reggae genre and singer/rapper Drake is arguably the hottest male artist on the radio right now. I have listened to Shyne's music a bit and I actually really like his style. I hope that he finds success in both of the worlds that he is managing to combine, I'll be listening and rooting him on. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BeTqapowAU (Shyne before) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5903mI_7lqM (Shyne now)"
--( posted on Nov 12, 2010, commenting on the post Rebirth through Rap and Religion )
 
"From the moment I watched the video posted by Alexandra of Kseniya Simonova, I was amazed at the level of precision and detail that she possessed. I thought it was incredible that she looked like she was merely flicking around sand(something I never considered art unless u count those sand-arts you make at birthday parties). The things she was able to do with her sand I could never dream of doing with a pen or pencil. It impressed me so much that I showed my whole family, and as you can imagine, they loved it. After watching this video, I am again astonished by the wonder of Sand Art(not sand-arts). This video of Ilana Yahav has a much calmer feeling to it compared to Kseniya Simonova, but that's to be expected due to the different themes/stories that they are \Sanding\ about. While their storylines are different, they both employ many of the same techniques such as, how they travel from one scene to the next and how they create human faces. After seeing this I wondered if there is some sort of Sand Art school where a person can learn the basics of this art form, if so sign me up! I also tried to be a good roommate and watch part of this video without sound, but found it hard to connect to what was happening. The music used as the background really adds to the piece and helps the viewer understand the mood at a given time. Without the sound I saw Yahav creating trees,fruits, people but I had no idea as to what emotion she was trying to evoke. It's amazing that in this case, using another type of art to complement the performance can completely make or break it. This video really made my morning even though I wrongly expected to see Woody and Buzz made out of Sand."
--( posted on Oct 14, 2010, commenting on the post Sand Art )
 
"It is one of the tracks for the upcoming Spider-Man Broadway musical "Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark"."
--( posted on Oct 5, 2010, commenting on the post Riddle Me This? )
 
"In response to David's post, I at first thought it was hilarious that someone's job was merely to turn pages for the pianist. He sat there all dressed up with his "gameface" on and made it seem like he was trying to fit in with the musicians. But after studying his actions and his role in the performance I realized that his task was no joke. Like David excellently put it, the performance really hinged on this guys ability to focus and time the page turns. This gave me a greater appreciation for the little intricacies that can are involved in a performance. I also really enjoyed the "villagey" feel to the club. The off kilter fish tank, the lighting, the oversize chairs, even the way our waitress was dressed added to the atmosphere of Mr. Ziporyn and Mr. Reynolds' performances. I really love the village and the buzz that you feel when your down there. In terms of the music, I can't really comment on the technical aspects of it because unfortunately my wealth of knowledge does not really extend into the music world. I did think that the first piece was nice but became redundant and could've been shortened a bit. The piece was the ocean sounds and the child talking was by far my favorite. It was amazing the way they perfectly incorporated the recordings into the body of the performance. -side point I think it's really amusing and interesting to watch the body language and movement of the performers while they are playing. It looks like they get a nice workout while playing because they're always throwing different body parts around. I wouldn't be surprised if I saw one of them take a fall after a performance...."
--( posted on Sep 29, 2010, commenting on the post Le Poisson Rouge )
 
"I was reading the Art section of the NY Times a couple of Saturdays ago and i came across an article about a conceptual artist whose work looks very much like the "Belief +.Doubt=Sanity" in your photos. I had forgotten about her until reading your last post, so thank you very much for reminding me. Her name is Barbara Kruger and she is known for making collages layered with photographs and bold wording. Her pieces are a bit minimalist but very powerful nonetheless. I tried to add some photos by her to my comment but I don't know if that's allowed. It seems to mot be possible, we'll probably have to run it by Maggie. Google Barbara Kruger if you want to see more of her work.(I assume everyone who wants to see more would do that anyway)"
--( posted on Sep 16, 2010, commenting on the post The View From THE HIGHLINE )
 
"Being a fan of the rap and hip-hop genres of music, I'm familiar with Nicki Minaj's work. While there have been many female artist's in the past who have tried their hand at rapping, Minaj's style and approach seem to be unique. I definitely hold her in higher esteem than I do Lil' Kim or Lil Mama, but I think she still has a ways to go before being put in the same class as Missy Elliott, Queen Latifah, and MC Lyte."
--( posted on Sep 13, 2010, commenting on the post Pink Friday )