While we are waiting for two new texts by other authors (one from Serbia and one from USA), I got a couple of new ideas. One of them is that we could connect dance with some other art.

And here it is: Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Dance!

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (25 February 1841 – 3 December 1919) was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style. Renoir’s paintings are notable for their vibrant light and saturated color, most often focusing on people in intimate and candid compositions.

Renoir liked dance scenes. He painted three paintings on the theme of dance: Dance in the countryside, Dance in the city, and Dance in Bougival under the influence of a trip to Italy in 1881.

The painting Dancing in the Country shows a couple dancing on a balcony under a chestnut tree: the man is Paul Lhote, a friend of Pierre Auguste Renoir, and the wife is Aline Charigot, who later became his wife. Both figures are painted in life size and take up almost the entire picture. The couple seems to be preoccupied with music and each other as they dance in a cheerful and cheerful atmosphere. The woman has a smile on her face, and her body is wrapped around the man. She is facing the observer, and the man is facing her. In the background on the right is a messy table under a tree and a couple of faces below the level of the dance floor while in the front of the picture is a small discarded hat (Source/ translated from: http://artnit.net/paleta/item/5451-pjer-ogist-renoar-ples -na-selu.html)

The painting Dance in the Country has a light composition and its figures are delicate. The movement is shown through the body language and the couple’s clothes and they seem to be immersed in their own thoughts and space. Warm colors predominate. A woman in a bright long dress with red patterns, with a red hat and yellow gloves holding a yellow fan with red and purple spots in her right hand contrasts with a dark men’s suit. Shades of light and shadow create a warm, sensual image (Source/translated from: http://artnit.net/paleta/item/5451-pjer-ogist-renoar-ples -na-selu.html

The painting Dance in the Country, which he painted in 1883, is today in the Orsay Museum in Paris.

Enjoy these beautiful paintings of this great artists and of course, dance today!

Sources:

Pierre-Auguste Renoir – Wikipedia

https://www.renoir.net/dance-in-the-country.jsp

Country Dance – Pierre Auguste Renoir — Google Arts & Culture

Musée d’Orsay (musee-orsay.fr)

Photo: Impressionists and the man who made them | The Cultural Critic

Članak Dance on canvas se pojavljuje prvo na Ples & Grad.

Milos Vulovic, one of the top professionals, the most prominent players and the first soloist of the Ensemble “Kolo”, artistic director and choreographer of KUD “Oplenac”, speaks for Dance and the City.

Milos will tell us about what it is like to be a part of the best national ensemble and its artistic form of expression on the stage, how folklore has become his life’s calling, what the game is for him and what he advises young people.

~ D&C: When did you realize that folklore would be your life’s calling?

Milos: I started doing folklore as an amateur in 1990 in Badovinci, out of pure love for the danace, which has grown into something more over the years. Going to audition for the National Ensemble “Kolo” – in 2004, I accepted the job of a professional player-singer as a life vocation and commitment.

~ D&C: How much has your love of folklore changed your life?

Milos: My love for folk art has definitely influenced and changed my life path and course. If I hadn’t become a professional player today, I would probably be a worker in one of the telecommunications companies (I finished PTT school), a coach in one of the local clubs or a farmer on a family farm. Nevertheless, I became a professional player and with the help of the work we do, my colleagues and I are spreading Serbian culture and tradition around the world. I can freely say that my love for the game changed my life for the better.

~ D&C: How does it feel to be a part of the cultural heritage that keeps Serbian folk culture and its reputation from being forgotten?

Milos: Extremely big part, obligation and pleasure! It is a great pleasure to pass on knowledge to new generations, to pass on our culture and tradition to people all over the planet. I think that we as a nation are still not aware of how rich our culture and tradition is, how much we need to know and learn about ourselves. Fortunately, UNESCO and people around the world have a great interest in getting to know and preserving that cultural heritage with our help and knowledge.

~ D&C: Folklore requires a lot of physical fitness and is permeated with sports, so what would you compare it to?

Milos: As a man who has been involved in sports and coaching for years, I can say that dealing with folklore, dance, songs, is extremely physically demanding. To be a solid player of a good amateur ensemble, you must have the physical strength and fitness of a first-league professional athlete. The physical strength and condition of a professional player would be somewhere in the rank of trialtons.

After each concert, a professional dancer loses 1.5 to 3 kilograms in an hour and a half as long as one concert lasts on average. The monthly average of the concert is 7-10, and each working-training day of a professional player lasts 4 hours of joint-group work, plus individual work on each individual. I think this best depicts the physical spending of a professional folk dancer-singer.

~ D&C: Who was your inspiration and motivation during your life to persevere in what you do?

Milos: My grandparents were my inspiration and motivation, and they raised me in the spirit of the tradition of our people. I have the opportunity to educate a large number of people through work about the values ​​and qualities of our cultural tradition, and that gives me additional motivation and perseverance.

~D&C: What does it mean, in addition to good technical performance, to be a good artist in this type of art?

Milos: In addition to great work, great sacrifice, great perseverance, huge investment in yourself and constant upgrading of your knowledge and physical fitness, you have to be special, different. You have to have that X factor, otherwise you are unrecognizable, in jargon – part of the “mass”.

~ D&C: How challenging is it for a choreographer to match the elements of the play, the song, the costumes and the people on stage?

Milos: Huge! Wrong order of dance-songs in choreography means failure of that choreography, not to mention the wrong dance-song, part of the costume (which does not belong to the climate for which you are doing choreography, and that is what happens). It is a debacle for choreography, choreography, and above all a desecration of the tradition and culture of that area. Extreme care must be taken about the choice of dance, steps, melodies, dynamics, the choice of players, soloists who can perform the work, as well as the choice of adequate costumes that give color to the stage. All this is just a good precondition, a good basis, but it does not necessarily mean that the choreographic work will “come to life” in practice, it is the audience that gives and determines the “lifespan” of the choreography.

~ D&C: How much did “Kolo” manage to popularize the Serbian cultural heritage in the country abroad and how much did it adapt to the modern way of stage expression over the years?

Milos: I think that “Kolo” managed to bring closer and popularize folk dance, song, music, in the right way. The high quality of the performance of the ensemble “Kolo” has positioned this art house on the highest ladders both in the country and abroad. Concerts on the world’s most prestigious stages in New York, Chicago, Sydney, Tokyo, Beijing, Moscow, Vienna, Paris, etc… literally on all continents and world capitals, prove how successful “Kolo” is as an ensemble as a presenter of our culture. It is a model for ensembles in the country and abroad, it is the winner of the highest state decorations and one of the best ambassadors of the country in the world.

“Kolo” was one of the implementers and project holders in the entry of “KOLO U 3 and KOLO U 6” on the UNESCO WORLD LIST OF INTANGIBLE GOODS. In 2010, the then Ambassador of Serbia to Japan sent an OPEN NOTE to the President of Serbia, saying that “Kolo” did more at the presentation of Serbia in an hour and a half with a concert in Tokyo than he did for the entire 5-year term.

The ensemble does a lot of work on modernization and follows modern trends, raises its quality and works on the breadth of both playing quality and production newspapers. But we must keep in mind that we are still dealing with the preservation of folk culture, dance, song, music and tradition.

It maintains its visibility and availability on all social networks and internet platforms.

~ D&C: Is the interest of today’s youth in the styles of folk dance and folklore the same as before?

Milos: Unfortunately, the interest in physical activity among young people today is much less than in the past, and therefore the interest in folklore is declining.

~ D&C: What are your recommendations for young people who would like to pursue this type of art professionally? What can the game teach them?

Milos: The recommendation for all young people is DO DANCE! It has been scientifically proven that people who play are much happier and more satisfied. By playing, you raise your psycho-motor abilities, socialize, get a healthy body. Those who opt for professionalism must be willing to work, perseverance, perseverance and the results will come on their own.

~ D&C: What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Milos: I played on all continents, on the best playing stages in the world, I taught and I teach people around the world to play Serbian cars. For the boy from the village, dreams have come true!

~ D&C: What is a two-word dance for you?

Milos: EVERYTHING!

Photos: private gallery

Članak The first soloist of the Ensemble “Kolo” Milos Vulovic – Interview se pojavljuje prvo na Ples & Grad.

We are so grateful to my dear friend Milagros for talking to us about her passion for dancing.

PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF BRIEFLY FOR OUR READERS (WHERE DO YOU COME FROM, WHAT DO YOU DO FOR LIVING, WHAT ARE YOU HOBBIES AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO TELL US)

Milagros Jiménez (Madrid, 1973). I have an eclectic background in aeronautical engineering, physics and development cooperation. After 7 years working in the aeronautical sector in Spain, I moved to the development cooperation area, devoting 15 years of my life to different African countries. In 2019, I moved back to Europe, and I currently living in Brussels where I combine my work in development issues with my passion – dance.

Each country I have been living in has given me the opportunity to develop a different personal interest. In Tunisia, I was performing in theatre groups and soap operas. During the Tunisian uprising, I was committed to making art installations from recovered materials, seeking an interaction between the art installation and the public.

In Senegal, I discovered that dance is a powerful channel to communicate different narratives. Passionate by writing, my story “Reaction” served as inspiration for my first dance creation.

SINCE WHEN YOU DANCE AND WHY? WHO WAS YOUR INSPIRATION IN DANCING?

As a child I attended Spanish dance courses. I then started latin and belly dancing whilst in Morocco and Tunisia. However, it was in Senegal that I really discovered my passion for dance and the richness of African Dances.

I was dazzled by the energy spread out and the connection among the dancers and with the audience. The dancers were telling a story, and I could see that the public were so intrigued in their narrative through the dance that they too wanted to participate. The dancers transmitted their energy to the audience and made their story come alive.

For me dancing comes from a need to express myself beyond the words and to share my inquisitiveness, my inner world.

WHAT HAVE YOU TAKEN AND USED IN LIFE FROM DANCING, HOW IT WAS USEFUL FOR YOU?

Dancing is about creativity, about challenging yourself, overcoming your fears, growing as a person…

You realise that after many rehearsals, work pays and magic happens. Then you are able to perform the most difficult step you never thought you’d be able to do.

For me, it’s a way to reinforce your self-confidence, to strengthen your discipline to get your objectives in place, to develop your creativity, to express yourself, to connect and exchange with others…

I remember the first time I attended a dance performance in Senegal, I so desperately wanted to be part of it, but a lot of constraints/fears were preventing me from doing it. It felt as if a dream became a reality before leaving the country as last year I was performing my own dance creation in multiple different festivals (Festival à Sahel Ouvert, Danse Fé, La nuit de la danse).

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT DANICING AND WHY YOU RECOMMEND PEOPLE TO DANCE?

Dance is to speak a universal language that can unveil what words hide.

It is a way to be really yourself, to share your soul without prejudices while touching other’s soul. It’s a path to improve yourself and to focus on what you really want.

Moreover it’s a means to channel your artistic anxiety.

And more significant, dance breaks down boundaries and allows people from very different backgrounds to connect among themselves and to create a community and solidarity spirit.

Članak Interview – Milagros Jiménez se pojavljuje prvo na Ples & Grad.

Here is the story of one composition, which is much more than that.

Schindler’s List: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the film score of the 1993 film of the same name, composed and conducted by John Williams. The original score and songs were composed by Williams, and features violinist Itzhak Perlman. Williams wrote music for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, E.T., Superman, Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

John Williams, who frequently collaborates with Spielberg, composed the score for Schindler’s List. The composer was amazed by the film and felt it would be too challenging. He said to Spielberg, “You need a better composer than I am for this film.” Spielberg responded, “I know. But they’re all dead!”. Itzhak Perlman performs the theme on the violin. (Source: Wikipedia).

This is how the famous composition was created, which in my opinion is best performed by the famous violinist, Itzhak Perlman. Perlman was delighted with the music that Williams made, as well as the invitation to play it. He thought that he would give his small contribution because he knows the historical background very well and, as he says, he was “indirectly a victim of that history”.

Perlman has played with incredible emotion!

Williams’ composition and Perlman’s interpretation convey our sadness and describe the suffering, primarily of Jews, but also Serbs and Roma in the camps during the Second World War.

You can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPRkZxlBAqI

There are no right words to describe how beautiful this is.

I am sure that you felt it.

Music that is telling us that we must not forget what has happened and that each of us, as responsible human being has to give a contribution for this not to happen again.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schindler%27s_List#Music

Članak How will music save the world se pojavljuje prvo na Ples & Grad.

Born in Alabama and raised in Chicago, Jemison graduated from Stanford University with degrees in chemical engineering as well as African and African-American studies. She then earned her medical degree from Cornell University. Jemison was a doctor for the Peace Corps in Liberia and Sierra Leone from 1983. until 1985. and worked as a general practitioner.

Jemison left NASA in 1993. and founded a technology research company. She later formed a non-profit educational foundation and through the foundation is the principal of the 100 Year Starship project funded by DARPA. Jemison also wrote several books for children and appeared on television several times, including in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. She holds several honorary doctorates and has been inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and the International Space Hall of Fame.

Ok, now you must be wondering why we are writing about a NASA astronaut on this blog?

The reason for this is the fact that, in addition to all written here about her, Mae was also a dancer and a  choreographer! Yes, dancing was hers, as she says, first and second love; it always “competed” with science in her life. The big dilemma Mae faced in college was whether to go to medical school in New York or become a professional dancer. She performed as a dancer and as a choreographer and was well paid for it.

In several performances, Mae explained why dancing is useful and important. She constantly emphasizes the importance of the connection between science and art.

I recommend watching the video at the end of the text: “How is it that being a dancer has made me a better astronaut?”

“Dancing is a way to physically explore the world,” says Mae. “Both science and art require creativity to move the world forward.”

She points out that she got the best question from a 12-year-old girl: “How did being a dancer help you be a better astronaut?”. Mae answers: “Dancers have to be very disciplined, you have to practice all the time and you have to pay attention to the people around you, to memorize complicated structures and scenarios, to be” thick-skinned”, because you have to accept criticism and adopt it. It all helps.” She took many things into space, including a poster of one dancer, wanting others to go there with her.

A wonderful story about how dancing can help you go to space or any other place where your dreams come true.

Video „This is how being a dancer makes you a better astronaut“

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/us/2019/06/10/mae-jemison-biography-scn-orig.cnn/video/playlists/moon-space/

Izvori:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mae_Jemison

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/us/2019/06/10/mae-jemison-biography-scn-orig.cnn/video/playlists/moon-space/

Photo: https://www.nasa.gov/

Članak Space and dance se pojavljuje prvo na Ples & Grad.