Big topics
We have been talking Bill T. Jones about in my Dance Composition III class at Texas State University – San Marcos. This man does some amazing things in dance. The past 2 documentaries that we have seen (The Last Supper at Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Dancing to the Promised Land, and Still/Here) are summed up in 2 small words: VERY EPIC. We all know that Racism, Spirituality, AIDS, HIV ( and other life threatening diseases) and Sexual orientation are big topics that we are delicate and careful about. Springing up these discussions could get brutal and ferocious rapidly. It comes from thin air and hits like a hurricane. That’s exactly what Bill T. Jones does, and expresses it like a tennis player’s serve. He lays it all out! First of all, I think he’s awesome just for doing that. It takes a lot of courage, imagination, and understanding to hit these kind of topics. It’s very risky to pursue these discussions and could easily offend or turn off people. Dance critiques either love what Bill T. Jones does and praise him for his masterpieces OR absolutely hate what Bill T. Jones does and rip him apart for it. Another thing that was cool for him to do was to add nudity to it. Women and men were dancing nude. A lot of performers could be very shy and/or uncomfortable dancing nude. I think I would also. I’m not gonna lie. (Topless of course, but I’m talking about bottomless also) Then again, no one has ever asked me to dance bottomless so I do not know for sure. Anyhow, Bill T. Jones = VERY EPIC.
