Tuesday, March 11, 2008

You can dance if you want to...

Instead of training tonight I went with a friend to see the Paul Taylor Dance Company at NY City Center. As you may or may not know my background is performing arts so I always enjoy the chance to see some, even if it means missing some KF. :D We had a lot of fun, but I must admit, I spent a lot of the performance, (which was very good), thinking about the dancing in terms of kung fu. In the various pieces I saw elements of one handed ceshoufans, the staff form sacrifice, modified versions of tengkong fanyaos, head flips, mabus and a multitude of other moves. I have always respected dancers, and even more since I started training because they combine all the strength, flexibility and power of kung fu with the added necessity of making it look graceful and effortless. No panting, no unconscious sound effects, no pained faces. Everything perfectly controlled. I don't think I will ever be a dancer, but kung fu is still, as Sifu says, a way to "express yourself." Tonight definitely left me inspired to train harder and strive for more control, elegance and expression. But not forgoing the fun of some explosive chi sound effects...

2 comments:

  1. I love watching the people who are dancers at Temple. Every form they do is so graceful.

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  2. Amituofo,

    Thats why I started dance...to express myself in a whole new manner, to make my Chan Quan even more fantastic, and to become the best me I can be. I love teaching Chan Quan to my dance friends because they come at it from such a different angle. And the Paul Taylor Dance Company is one fo the best modern dance companies to have ever existed. What a great opportunity to observe such beautiful movement.

    Amituofo

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