Teach me how to feel

From the very first day of class, in which we were told we would be studying art, images of abstract geometric configurations, weathered wood boards, odd dancing, and the hearty belting of  foreign language songs came rushing to my mind, and this class has yet to disappoint. Being the person that I am, i will admit I do not classify myself as a traditionally “artsy” person, but i would call myself artistic. My craving for new understanding of various concepts has me breaking down walls in an attempt to discover something great. Upon watching Bill T Jone’s choreographed dance, i first noticed the sharp red color of their costumes, and the contrast between light and darks. As far technical dancing, i initially found it to be odd, faces gestures were being made… not necessarily good ones.

As far as dancing goes, this was an extreme form of modern dance in which it very much tries to evoke emotion. My initial reaction to the video was confusion, not understanding that “tell me how to fight” was referring to the battle of terminally ill.I found that the use of individualized movement in unison (if that makes any sense) was an effective means if representing the battle that terminally ill face. For the amount of sick and diseased people, it feels extremely isolating and as if no one else understands. Being the person that I am, my initial reaction was not my final conclusion. I watched the performance in its entirety, and weighed both the positives and negatives (as a good lawyer would do).  Arlene Croce’s on the other hand did not take sufficient measures before making harsh judgments. After admitting to not seeing the performance, she continues to write about how she disapproves of the fact that it makes terminally ill victims. According to her Bill T. Jones “ he is imploring the use of the ill for his own benefit. Sorry Arlene you’re wrong. Bringing attention to not only the cause but the pain and struggle that is endured allows some people to find solace and others to find resolution.