Camelback II: Dance, Physical Theater, Contexts
A few of us — Lily, Natalie and I — left the hotel at 10 a.m. and climbed Camelback on our second day here.
© Lily Baldwin, 2008
On the way up, I commented that our audiences, who are pretty much universally loving the dance elements, would probably, most of them, never go to see a contemporary dance performance if it was in town. We agreed that somehow this context removes any sense of pretension and fear from the viewer. There is none of the intellectual questioning and pondering by the audience that often occurs at a dance or at a performance context. No one is asking, “What does this mean? Do I get it? Do I like it? Is this over my head?”
Somehow mixed with popular music, these elements in the show bypass those critical and questioning centers and people receive them as part and parcel of the total performance. If they are enjoying it, then it must be OK. Lily suggests that dance, often marginalized but now increasingly so, needs to insert itself into other places and join with other media, as this show does in its own way. She mentioned some places dance might fit: fashion shows (which is a great idea to make those events a little more acknowledged as performance); film; fine art; and elsewhere.
Orpheum Theater
The renovated Orpheum Theater here in Phoenix is beautiful, as is its namesake in Memphis. I hope that with the changing fortunes and structures in the worlds of music and performance, these places, ornate palaces for performance, will flourish once again. Maybe, as people crave the authenticity of a live show and music in a world of virtual and limitless interconnectivity, these places will be increasingly well attended.
© Lily Baldwin, 2008
This one had a built-in lighting effect that mimicked clouds passing over the starlit sky. The giant murals are of Monument Valley/Sedona-type landscapes — God’s theater.
