Fame or Famine

Thanks

by Gray on November 24th, 2007

Here in the states it is the time of year to talk about what we’re thankful for. And yes, I am thankful for a lot of things, not the least of which is this blog and the company, B5Media, that lets me write it.

While I do try and focus on performing arts, I come from a dance/theatre background, so my blog is kind of skewed in that direction. But I also get to read lots of dance blogs for my “research”, and in this case I have to share a quote from Maria of “A Time to Dance”, who expresses so beautifully why the arts are important. Here’s and excerpt, but be sure to read the whole post:

“Intellectually, dance has given me a whole new world to learn about, and I am discovering new things every day– learning from the different classes I attend, concerts I see, people I meet, and blogs I read.

Emotionally, dance feeds my soul. When I found dance as an important part of my life, it filled a void I didn’t even know existed in me. It brings me joy and satisfaction, and lifts me up when I’m having a bad day.“

I believe, personally, that she’s touching on something that the mass of Western culture at large is discovering - hence the popularity of shows like “Dancing with the Stars.” People are attracted to the idea of dance as a journey, and see their celebrities journey as a mirror (I think) to personal growth:

“IT IS NOT ABOUT WHO IS THE BEST DANCER….(have I made that point) It is about who has made the journey the best. Emmet made the journey from no dancer football player as did Ono… Marie has made the most powerful jouney. She’s older, she’s not a professional dancer; shes lost the most weight; she’s gotten better, she’s pretty good, she’s a good sport; she had to overcome the most hardship and distractions. She makes it SEEM like a contest. Because if the professional dancer always wins….well what kind of contest would that be?”– Karunadiva

I’m not so sure I agree with the “not a professional” part - I watched the Donnie & Marie show as a kid, and that woman has more dance experience, I suspect, than anyone else on the show. Just in case you, like me, missed the last episode…here’s a segment from a former Spice girl:

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POSTED IN: Dance, Dance Styles, Dancing with the Stars, Life in the Performing Arts