[accessibleimage] Re: Dance and all that jazz

Sylvie,

If you ever plan a trip to New York, the Met will provide free tickets for
blind listeners.  These seats have an obstructed view of the stage but the
acoustics are still wonderful.  

In Vienna, the world's most civilized city and the opera capital of the
planet, both Stadtoper and Volksoper provide free tickets for blind
listeners and, if you are accompanied by a sightie who pays full price for
their ticket, you get to sit in the same section as they do.  A number of
years back, my wife and I sat together in a perfect box just over the stage
at the Stadtoper to hear Marriage of Figaro.  Everything was perfect.  The
acoustics in that room are amazing.  Then again, it was the stage where
Mozart premiered the work.

Have fun,
cdh

-----Original Message-----
From: accessibleimage-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:accessibleimage-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Kaizen Program
Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 9:42 AM
To: accessibleimage@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [accessibleimage] Re: Dance and all that jazz

I also used to love to watch dance performances, in addition to
participating in popular dancing as a totally non-professional myself. I
don't have any really good ideas about making artistic dance performances
more accessible in a full way. But, I am intrigued by the suggestions that
others are making.

I still enjoy music, even though I have diminished hearing. and, I certainly
know many other people with hearing impairments who enjoy music, and some
who perform and some who compose, even some who never had full hearing.

I also enjoy opera, both Western opera, and some classical Chinese opera,
which I learned to appreciate when I had some great Chinese immigrants as
neighbors quite a while ago.

When I am at live musical performances, be they classical or jazz or folk,
or even experimental, if I am enjoying the music, I often can't resist sort
of dancing in my seat. This has often resulted in musicians thanking me
after the performance. They tell me that they really appreciate my
demonstration of attention and enjoyment. It used to embarrass me, because I
was not intending to call attention to myself, but I have come to realize
that performers need to know when people are involved in what they are
expressing and experiencing. People who are too busy talking and eating and
drinking in cafes or at festivals, and quiet non-responding audiences can
both be disconcerting and sometimes even depressing for artists.

I do think that it is good for everyone for artists and art exhibitors to
concentrate more and more on multi-sensory art presentations, that can
involve everyone in some way that is truly meaningful. Multi-sensory
experiences really do enrich in multiple ways. Seeing isn't the whole story,
for even those with the best vision. Seeing food without eating doesn't
satisfy, and eating food that looks disgusting doesn't really satisfy
either. So, this is why I am so excited about the explorations occurring on
this list, and in the area of tactile graphics, and in the Art Beyond Sight
movement, etc.

Keep up the good work, and thanks to everyone who is working for more access
in every phase of life and for more multi-sensory art.

Sylvie

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chris Hofstader" <chris.hofstader@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <accessibleimage@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 5:59 AM
Subject: [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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