YouTube can suck me in for hours. I will end up looking at cute animal videos, music videos or at people doing whatever it is they broadcast for the world to see.
Dubstep dancing is something that fascinates me. I love dance, but these often untrained dancers have this amazing ability to move their bodies in a way that is almost freaky. I love that these videos say "How to dubstep dance" when they are not instructional. I don't even know how you could teach that! Regardless, it's impressive and I love this particular song and dancer.
When I found out that there was full-frontal male nudity at “The Very Beast of SB Dance,” which closed last week at the Rose Wagner, I insisted on getting tickets to see for myself. It had nothing to do with being pervy, and everything to do with giving my husband a good story to share with his coworkers.
To be honest, if there is a performance that is worthy of giving a warning — whether it’s for nudity, language or mature content — that is a show I want to see. It’s code for progressive art. That’s important when living in a conservative state. And I can assure you that SB Dance satisfied my taste for unusual and unexpected works without compromising the talent of the performers and making a mockery out of art.
Ball gags, dead bodies and a naked cowboy might sound like a good night at the fetish ball rather than a night at the theater. When I grow up, I want to be like the old ladies in the audience who patronize this kind of art. I will also have fire engine-red hair and that will be acceptable because I’m a sassy old lady.
My taste in visual and performing arts could be likened to shock rock. I love a classic dance or theater performance, but my heart flutters when dark themes and extreme material is incorporated into an artist’s work. It’s important for me to see something that feels like a new or unusual concept — or even if it’s a Thomas Kinkade painting, a few blood splatters will do. I don’t mean to discount artists who can beautifully use a brush on a canvas to make flowers or landscapes, but I have a tendency to gravitate to the misfits.
With the upcoming Utah Arts Festival, I’m reminded of one of my favorite festival moments from the Triad Center where Gary Vlasic choreographed a performance that also featured nudity. The nudity wasn’t what I loved about the performance, but I applauded the risk he was taking in this sort of venue.
The performance had a gritty soundtrack with music from Nine Inch Nails and Ministry and a projector displayed choppy black and white footage from earthquakes and volcanos. Natural disasters was the theme and the use of fire and ice were brilliant as was the sound of glass plates breaking as they were being thrown against a wall. I left the show excited and inspired.
Aside from the fact that my husband will never trust me again when I want to take him to a dance performance, I’m thrilled that he got to see a performance that reminded me of the one that resonated in my mind. As the Arts Festival draws near, I’m looking forward to seeing art, but I’m hoping to see some pieces that inspire me.
This originally ran at inthisweek.com in July 2011
Photo and video (below) are Millie Brown, the famous "vomit artist" who purges to create her masterpieces. She was featured vomiting on Lady Gaga on the Monster Ball tour.
Sunday, August 7, 2011 at 9:25PM 