[accessibleimage] Re: Dance and all that jazz

Lisa,

As I was born with two left feet, dancing has always been hard for me.  In
my more energetic days, I liked slam dancing and, when singing for our band,
would do frequent stage dives.  I can dance well enough at weddings or to a
swing band but the classical and jazz stuff, I prefer to watch.

I've heard a lot of ideas on making dance accessible but I find it difficult
to enjoy the gestalt of many people moving around simultaneously.  Maybe a
video version of  VOIC will be able to do it someday.

I love the opera.  With or without vision, I find it to be the most glorious
celebration of artistic representation that humans have ever invented.  I
grew up in a household that put the "Texaco" on every Saturday.  I also had
the coincidental pleasure of having John Carpenter, a basso at the Met, live
across the street from me.  Thus, the sound of opera was as important to my
youth as rock and roll, Sinatra and recordings of composed concert music.
In 1973, when I was 13 years old, our music teacher brought us to hear a
Wednesday matinee of Don Giovanni at the Met.  At the time, I was thinking
that Kiss was pretty cool with the fire breathing, explosions and such.  The
Metropolitan Opera House itself made the trip worthwhile as it was the most
beautiful room I had ever seen.  The seats, soft and plush were more
comfortable than anything I had experienced in a theatre before.  Then cam
the performance, the booming pre-romantic composition filled the room as the
singers danced and moved about before one of the most spectacular sets one
could imagine.  The story, filled with sex, violence and the devil compelled
my early teen self into a lifelong love of opera.  I was probably among a
small minority of 13 year old boys who would beg his parents to bring him to
the Met.  In college, I would get SRO tickets and hang out in the back with
the old Italian and Jewish men who gave me a better lesson in music history
than can possibly be taught in a classroom.  The old men, knowing that my
friend Frank and I would be coming, would pack us sandwiches for lunch too.

I can't say I enjoy every opera but my tastes do range from Monteverdi to
Glass and Adams and even include some of the lighter works by Gilbert and
Sullivan.

Have fun,
cdh

 

-----Original Message-----
From: accessibleimage-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:accessibleimage-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Lisa Yayla
Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 8:25 AM
To: accessibleimage@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [accessibleimage] Dance and all that jazz

Hi,
Well,  there is always taking a dance course yourself.  By doing is a
pretty good way to understanding. 
Isn't it like any other activity?
It would also depend apon what the individual wants or what type of
representation, I would think.
An abreviated tactile diagram might be something to read before going to a
ballet or during. 
From the Art Beyond Sight I learned about how Opera can be made accessible
and this also involves
the ballet. There must be lots of solutions and depends apon the
individual.
I learned about a dance notation from Joel Snyder that I thought could
possibly used for expressing also
other movements. It's in a way like a musical score.
Then of course description is vital. 
Different solutions give different results
So, will we be hearing the tap tap tap of your tap dancing shoes any time
soon?
Regards,
Lisa



accessibleimage@xxxxxxxxxxxxx skriver:
>Thanks Lisa,
>
>I love art of all kinds.  While I can no longer see the visual aspects,
>sculptures (my mother set up the touch tour at the Hershhorn at the
>Smithsonian before she retired), music, literature, textual
>presentations,,
>performances, drama and most everything else.  I struggle with dance
>without
>being able to see.  This makes me sad as I used to love the ballet in New
>York and Boston as well as Alvin, Twyla, Harlem and so many others.  I
>can't
>imagine how dance could be represented to a blind person though.
>
>Have fun,
>cdh 
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: accessibleimage-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>[mailto:accessibleimage-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Lisa Yayla
>Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 5:54 AM
>To: accessibleimage@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: [accessibleimage] Re: Please support web access to visual
>verification system
>
>HI Chris,
>Your  blog looks really interesting.
>
>You certainly didn't go off topic about the who, what and how many
>dollars.
>Those are pretty important elements and effect what gets made, if they get
>made etc.
>Lack of money is probably a pretty good reason why development of
>accessible images is rather slow. 
>Affects training of those who make, those who use,  effects the price of 
>tools, availablity of tools etc etc.
>
>So flow on. Also enjoy your disscussions on art.
>
>Best,
>Lisa
>
>
>
>
>accessibleimage@xxxxxxxxxxxxx skriver:
>>Will,
>>
>>Great to see you on this list.  I think you will find a lot of things
>that
>>we discuss interesting.
>>
>>I went off topic a bit with the economics of the AT business as the focus
>>here is on adapting graphics and not the who, what or how many dollars of
>>the industry.  Of course, as you know, I'm pretty good at letting
>>conversations flow.
>>
>>Anyway, I started the blog: 
>>
>>http://www.blindconfidential.blogspot.com just for these reasons.  
>>
>>So, I invite all of you to check out what will be my near daily posts
>>there
>>about topics surrounding vision impairments.  I felt it would be a better
>>place for my rants than on topic oriented mailing lists.  I should have
>>RSS
>>working sometime today.
>>
>>Have fun,
>>cdh 
>
>
>Lisa Yayla
>Huseby Kompetansesenter 
>Oslo Norway
>lisa.yayla@xxxxxxxxxx



Lisa Yayla
Huseby Kompetansesenter 
Oslo Norway
lisa.yayla@xxxxxxxxxx

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