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All comments by Jim Leija

People Are Talking: UMS presents The Ballet Preljocaj at The Power Center:

Full season announcement tomorrow (Sunday) on ums.org!

In response to:
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& now for something completely different. Went into the Power Center in shorts, left wishing I had my ski jacket. Last show I saw at Power C. Was Anderson Project and the Dexter tornado occured. Saw Einstein On the Beach during a snow storm, left for a break from the fog machines and trudged in the sugary snow. So what am I saying? Well, I’m not wild about the Power Center as a venue…seems like one of those here come the baby boomer kids, rev up the cement mixer buildings onBig Ten campuses from the sixties. I was a bit off to the side and missed some of the action. Pays to get your tickets early. This was a wonderful send off to Summer. The Renegade season was great…I’m anxious to see the line up for next school year tomorrow, will it be in A2.com?
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by The Lone Ranger

People are Talking: UMS Presents Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan at the Power Center:

Rob – I was struck by just the same thing in the work. When I spoke to Mr. Lin on Thursday night, he had this moment when he said to us, I never knew that cold rain could make the leaves turn red and drop just like that, referring to the landscape of Ann Arbor. I was so stunned by that kind of detailed observation; it’s a perspective that really flows into Mr. Lin’s work, and the kind of perspective that comes only with constant creative practice, I think. Really a marvelous thing to have such patient and thoughtful ways of experiencing the landscape.

In response to:
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Cloud Gate demanded of me a different mode of appreciation and understanding. How does one “understand” a cloud, its movements, its tempo, its changing colors? i felt the same challenge to my cognitive self — and soon realized that that self was the wrong way to appreciate this presentation. What was needed was the approach to appreciating a sunset, a rising thunderstorm, a view of waves coming across a lake. I gained a new perspective on dance through this remarkable performance.

And how eloquent is its creator!!!

Rob Northrup
"
by Rob Northrup

People Are Talking: King Lear:

Unfortunately, there are no plans at this time to reschedule the screening; you can call the UMS Ticket Office directly regarding ticketing-related questions.

-Jim @ UMS

People Are Talking: Merce Cunningham Dance Company:

Hi Deb,

Jim here from UMS –

I wanted to mention a few things in regards to your comment, because I’m sure others had similar questions about the artistic/aesthetic choices in the performance, and also about the choreographer, Merce Cunningham.

Cunningham (the choreographer and founder of the company) died in July 2009 at the age of 90. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest contributors to the avant garde and modern dance, having collaborated with dozens of visual artists and musicians throughout his 50 year career. You can read more about Merce at http://www.merce.org. This tour is being dubbed “The Legacy Tour” and will be the last time the company tours before it disbands in a final NYC performance on December 31, 2011.

Merce’s artistic style evolves around shapes and forms that both react to and challenge the conventions of ballet. Merce’s approach was to create a kind of dance that sometimes leaves meaning-making in the eye of the beholder, or, in other cases, to chance (as in “Split Sides” where a die is thrown to determine the pattern of the artistic elements). This is what Cunningham (and his longtime collaborator John Cage) called “chance operations.” Together they spent years exploring the idea of how chance could affect how art is created.

All that being said, the aesthetic experience doesn’t appeal to everyone, and people have wildly different reactions to the work on stage. Even amongst the group of people with whom I saw the show, we had reactions ranging from “brilliant” to “I just don’t get it.”

In response to:
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I thought the performance fell flat. The first piece was revolutionary and groundbreaking when it was choreographed, but doesn’t hold up to the test of time. I don’t see the point in removing the wings and back drop; I don’t want to see back stage. And what was with the rolling of the dice in Split Sides? That was just goofy. And since when is it a good idea to divorce the music from movement? I found that particularly distracting. But the most distracting element of split sides was having the middle-aged choreographer — love handles and all — dancing in his own ballet. How vain can you be? With him at the helm I’m afraid the company is doomed. I loved them in the 70’s, but it’s time for us all to move on.
"
by Deb Springstead

VIDEO & CONTEST: What deal would you make with devil?:

CONGRATS! The winner for two tickets to Thursday’s concert is Meira Miller. Thanks to all who entered — what awesome responses! We’ve really enjoyed reading them.

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