Dance Texts: “M y S p i r i t D a n c e”
also known as Dance-Painting
I invented a new way of documenting my Spirit onto giant canvases, using all of my body movements through dance and paint. I then Dance-Painted my first piece called My Spirit Dance, because this is really what Dance-Painting is for me.
For this first piece, I Created a Method of hanging 5 paint brushes from My Body at one time. I chose All of the Colours (using oil interior house paint) that were most Significant to Me throughout My Life so far. I also chose Music which was also very Significant to Me, as well as Music which Represented as Many Womyn Artists and Diverse Ethnicities and Cultures as possible. I “Dance-Painted” (a Method I Created and Named) using one Colour and Music Theme at a time, and layering the Colours over each other throughout the entire Canvas. I Danced My Heart Out, to the point that I Proudly damaged several CD’s in the process with My Bounding Around the room, Fully Documenting My Spirit through Dance, Paint and Canvas.
Colours , Music and Video in the order of Application/Use
1st Black - AC/DC “Back in Black” was the first song
2nd Blue - kick boxing video
3rd Green - Aboriginal Traditional Dance and Music from Internet
4th Red - Asian Traditional Dance and Music from Internet
5th Orange - Hispanic Traditional Dance and Music from Internet
6th Yellow- African Traditional Dance and Music from Internet, as well as Funk, R and B, Hip Hop, Music and Dance moves
from the Internet and CDs. Eg. Queen Latifah videos
7th Pink – my Ballet exercise video From the New York City Ballet
8th Lilac - my CD’s - India Arie, Corinne Bailey Rae, and Kate Tunstall
9th Purple - my CDs - Aretha Franklin and Prince
The very first time I exhibited my paintings, I was invited to perform Dance-Painting live for an audience of 500 youths. They swarmed me on stage right after I danced with questions, and to see my canvas up close. I have included a photo of this in my visual art section.
“M y S p i r i t D a n c e” The DANCE LIVE
When I Dance-Paint live, the resulting Dance piece is always spontaneously Created, Original, and one which uses different music each time. I perform it to illustrate both My Spirit and the process I used to do the first painting. I wear a gas mask and 5 paint brushes strapped to my body (in ways that I invented) but I only use Imaginary Paint for Live Performances. I sometimes begin by showing the Audience how I load imaginary paint onto the 5 brushes I am wearing, so that they feel like they are in my studio with me.
I have custom selected and cut together diverse music, and performed Dance-Painting to it, at many events, two of which are: the B Current Uth Day Festival (using 60 years of African North American music), and for Deaf Seniors at the Bob Rumball Seniors Centre, at an event I created for them - with cranked up music so that they could feel the vibrations and move to them - an audience participation workshop, presentation, and live performance. I have included film footage from these two events, in the Dance-Painting section of the dance film clips which I selected for you.
This is an ongoing, lifelong method of dance, of painting, and of both live and on film performances for me.
I believe that Audiences find Dance-Painting Inspirational, because it helps them to better Understand and Experience both Dance and Visual Art, in yet another more Hands On, Multi-Medium way.