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Table of ContentsFirst Friday Experience
I had put off going to First Friday but I am glad that I waited. I was able to go in May and the weather was perfect. I had never heard of First Friday or known about all of the art that many creative artists display throughout the street. The streets were lit of with all of the colorful pieces. There were so many different pieces to view, between paintings, sculptures, and drawings. There was a large variety. I was not sure if I was going to fit in. I am not an artistic person therefore I did not know what to expect. I was unsure of what type of people would attend this event. I was glad to see that there was a huge mixture of people. There was an older crowd, younger crowd and even families that go to view all the art. I was standing next to a family as I was viewing some art. I overheard the little girl saying "I love coming here mommy, can we come next week!?" When the mother told her this wasn't going to be for another few weeks the little girl was disappointed. This was something that not only got that family together once a month, but also brings many other people from all different walks of life. I recall seeing a homeless man. I observed how he walked up and down and viewed every piece.
First Friday is an inspiration There are many ways to be inspired by viewing art. For example the pieces of art that stood out to me were the ones done by a little boy. I do not know his exact age but he was much younger then I would expect for someone to have such talent. He is a little boy that can expire those who view his art to follow their dreams. He is so young and has such talent that he can show off. I was taken back by his talent and how he carried himself. I did not get to talk to him but he still inspired me by just being able to observe. The experience I had a first Friday was one of a kind. I definitely would recommend to others to go visit this at least once time in their life time, especially if they have an eye for art.
Dance Space
Initially Dance Space sounded very interesting to me. All of my good friends grew up dancing, therefore I have been watching dance for many years. When I heard the choices of shows I right away chose Dance Space. The show sounded very interesting and unique. I also knew in advance that the Kimmel Center is a large and well known venue; therefore the show had to be greatly put together. The center puts on a lot of performances throughout the years, although I personally had never seen a show there before.
My assumption was that the whole performance would consist of some genre of dance or even multiple forms.
I was surprised when the first part was a piano playing as a poem was being read. I have never been a fan of poetry so I was immediately taken back and unsure of how the rest of the show would go. The lights flickering was a shock and kind of caused me to worry. I was not sure if it was on purpose or a part of the performance. Once the appearance of the stage was space-like and the sounds slowly elevated I was waiting for the main part to begin; but that dragged on for a little bit.
The show was set up to be gradual. His movements were light and not professionally choreopgraphed at first, but slowly his skills began to improve. When a speaker said "Keep Dancing," I realized this was the dancer's journey and a positive person in his life being encouraging. This is relateable for many people in their lives. We all need encouragement and being told to keep on going. The story was understandable.
Overall I enjoyed the performance. I was glad I actually was able to follow the story line. The relateableness of the show was also a positive.
First image I saw, before I saw the performance
Before this class I honestly did not know that there was a specific name for the many murals to be seen. I have lived near Philadelphia and always loved looking at the various murals as I would drive by as a child. I remember always asking questions about them as I was in the back seat and my parents were driving. I also enjoy viewing them as an adult, although became difficult as I drive myself and attempt to view them.
The mural mile shows the diversity around and in the city of Philadelphia. There was one mural that stood out the most to me which is, The Tree of Knowledge. This mural was not like all the others. I had to stand there and think about the painting to fully understand it. There was hidden instruments that were not easily seen. Those hidden items made it interesting to keep looking at the painting to find more hidden surprises. This painting is more of an inspirational statement to it's viewers to follow their dreams no matter what they may be. Philadelphia is known for it's diversity; therefore this painting is representation of the city itself.
I personally did not enjoy the Mural Mile experience itself. I find myself zoning off when something is continuous. The music at each painting was also something that I did not enjoy. I like to just be able to make my own thoughts, rather then hearing the exact information. The mural mile brightens the inner city community. The color and art makes for a beautiful site. The art it amazing to those who do not live in the area. It brightens everyone's days who just drive or walk by. I will always enjoy looking at the art as I travel about the city.
The Mural Mile and it's Many Paintings
Kun-Yang Lin Blog Post
When Kun-Yang came to class to speak to us about his life experiences and beginning of his dance work; I knew the dance would not be something that I can easily understand. The video clip that he showed was how I ultimately came up with my assumption.
The dancers alone are clearly very passionate about dance, especially their form of dance. It shows in their performance and emotions that came through throughout the show. The performance was very well rehearsed. As I watched, I looked for mistakes and there really was not one. Their movements were so precise as well as their vocals. Throughout the show they used grunt-like sounds as a way of speaking. The sounds went along with each of their choreographed moves. The grunt at the very beginning of the show startled me because as soon as the lights went out they began without warning. The dancers were so diverse. Not one dancer was similar to another; I was pleasantly surprised by that.
Throughout the show I tried to pay close attention to get what exactly the point and story the dancers were trying to tell. I took a lot of notes hoping that by the end I could answer that easily. Unfortunately even as the show was coming to an end; I was still unsure. I believe that there was a gradualness to the show. There was originally 2 dancers that turned into a large group. The dancers were not dancing in unison; but slowly began too. This was as though the dancers were telling a story through their dance.
In conclusion, the show had greatly talented dancers. I personally did not enjoy the show because it was not to my interest. I believe the show was too dragged on and did not have a major point. I would not suggest this show to other classmates.
Ticket, brochure, and handouts from the show
Kun-Yang Lin Blog Post
When Kun-Yang came to class to speak to us about his life experiences and beginning of his dance work; I knew the dance would not be something that I can easily understand. The video clip that he showed was how I ultimately came up with my assumption.
The dancers alone are clearly very passionate about dance, especially their form of dance. It shows in their performance and emotions that came through throughout the show. The performance was very well rehearsed. As I watched, I looked for mistakes and there really was not one. Their movements were so precise as well as their vocals. Throughout the show they used grunt-like sounds as a way of speaking. The sounds went along with each of their choreographed moves. The grunt at the very beginning of the show startled me because as soon as the lights went out they began without warning. The dancers were so diverse. Not one dancer was similar to another; I was pleasantly surprised by that.
Throughout the show I tried to pay close attention to get what exactly the point and story the dancers were trying to tell. I took a lot of notes hoping that by the end I could answer that easily. Unfortunately even as the show was coming to an end; I was still unsure. I believe that there was a gradualness to the show. There was originally 2 dancers that turned into a large group. The dancers were not dancing in unison; but slowly began too. This was as though the dancers were telling a story through their dance.
In conclusion, the show had greatly talented dancers. I personally did not enjoy the show because it was not to my interest. I believe the show was too dragged on and did not have a major point. I would not suggest this show to other classmates.
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Having been warned beforehand about the theater's structure and how it is very unique; I was not surprised by that. Even though it wasn't a surprise, I did not exactly enjoy it. I felt way too close to the characters. The stage was way too close for my liking. The setup of the audience being on the stage with curtains was very different. The whole set up reminded me of a jack-in-the-box. It was just too close that it was almost scary. I was not comfortable sitting that way for three hours straight.
This play was clearly thought through. The Renaissance period can be uninteresting to some; therefore Ives incorporated some modern day language as well. This to me made the play more interesting and even humorous at times. When I see a play the last thing I want to feel is boredom. During this production I was not bored at all. How could I be with the location of the stage. Ives once said, "With my plays, when the lights go down at least the audience isn't thinking oh god two more hours of this." This statement by Ives is 100% accurate.
The title fit the play perfectly because Dorante, Clarice, Lucree, as well as all of the other characters lied throughout the show. I like when the title relates to the whole production, because when it doesn't that just leaves me confused. The aspect of lying in the show was relate-able for me and I'm sure many audience members. It shows what lies can ultimately lead too. The relate-able sense intrigues the audience members in my opinion. This play by David Ives is one I would recommend to all.
David Ives Presents The Liar
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