Dance: it’s the attack
Please watch this video. I’m not keen on this style of dancing; it ordinarily doesn’t interest me. But the reason I’m featuring this is that it’s an excellent demonstration of an element of dance called attack.
Attack isn’t necessarily hostile, although it sounds that way. However, it’s aggressive in the sense that it’s a harnessing of energy in which the entire body moves very quickly and as one. It’s sharp and incisive, almost like a karate chop although not destructive. I’m talking about the lead dancer:
You may have noted that although his fellow dancers are doing the same steps, they don’t have the same attack.
Next to the leader, they don’t look fully engaged.
the Lead’s use of space is much greater than the others, and spacing becomes a little tight on the viewer’s right
Interesting. I enjoyed it and learning what attack is in dance.
It reminded me of “shredder” guitar players like Alvin Lee.
Yes, it does take great skill and it is impressive. But if that’s the whole package and the artist can’t get to the heart and soul, he’s a one-trick pony.
I was just thinking of something like this in Greek dance earlier this evening, as I was at a wedding reception.
@ Philip Sells – our college theater group did “Zorba!” one year and we did our research by going down to a pub on the docks and watching the Greek sailors dance.
Today we went to a local production of “42nd Street,” which features a massive amount of tap dancing, and most of the numbers had a lot of movements not unlike the ones at Neo’s video, but with tap shoes.
The company was fantastic!
If you’re in the Metro area, look up the Performance Now! Theatre Company for their coming season.
The singing and acting was as good as I’ve seen anywhere, although they don’t have the money for super-sets. It’s a not-for-profit “pro-am” group.
Not my preferred style either but wonderful all the same.
This is what Michelle Kwan brought to figure skating. She looked like an eagle scanning for prey during the hold for her music to start. The combination of attacking one element after another and then letting go and letting the music possess her was sublime.
We are so fortunate to live in a world so wealthy that this exists in many forms and we can experience it at the touch of our fingertips
Speaking of dance, I’m at the ballet. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Lyric Opera in Chicago.