My Favorite Art

A New Day Has Come

I have never been a person who looks at art and enjoys it. My favorite artwork is Gottfried Helnweint Boulevard of Broken Dreams. But when ask to write about my favorite art piece, that didn’t come to mind. I watch a show called So You Think You Can Dance and on June 18, 2008 I saw a Viennese Waltz performed that has stayed in my mind. For me art is something that gets you thinking and feeling in a way that you might not have before. Everything from the music to the lighting to even what they were wearing all played a part in this dance. Jean-Mark Genereaux and his wife France Mousseau choreographed a Viennese Waltz performed by Kherington Payne and Stephen “Twitch” Boss on the show. Part of why I love this dance so much is the reason for the dance. Jean-Mark and France have a daughter that developed Rett syndrome when she was 20 months old. The disability has left her with no motor skills, she only reacts to movement. So the parents choreographed a dance that she would respond to. Everything was taken into consideration when planning this performance.
Genereaux chose a song that was a good representation of their daughter. The song A New Day Has Comei by Celine Dion has a part that says “Hush now I see a light in the sky/Oh it's almost blinding me/I can't believe I've been touched by an angel with love”. The song talks about pain that someone experiences and knowing that if they wait everything will be ok. This to me is an expression with music on how they feel about their daughter. Also in the song it says “When it was dark now there's light/Where there was pain now's there's joy/Where there was weakness I found my strength/All in the eyes of a boy”. Even though the song talks about a boy, again they use it for their daughter brings joy to them even through pain. And the fact that the song is used with the dance is tremendous to me.
The lighting and wardrobe is also a reason I like the dance. Payne wore a white flowing dress and Boss wore a white flowing shirt and white linen pants. The wardrobe was simple and contrasting against the background. The lighting was simple as well. Just a dim spotlight on the dancers and spots of lights over the stage was all that was needed. Genereaux used the contrast to accentuate the movement in the dance. Basic things like this make the dance that much more emotional and magical.
The first time I watched this performance I started to tear up. I don’t know what exactly it was that made me emotional. I think the reason for the dance had something to do with it. Yes the lighting and wardrobe had something to do with it as well. No doubt the song was a big part of the initial emotion but when I saw the dance it was a joyful dance. One of the judges Mia Michaels told Payne that the whole time she danced she had a smile on her face and the reason for the dance wasn’t a happy kind of dance. When she asked Payne what emotion Genereaux wanted the dancers to have while dancing, the performers said that he told them it was a happy dance and to just have fun with it. I agree with him. Yes the reason for the dance was a sad. It isn’t a good thing to have a child that doesn’t react to anything but movement but for Genereaux, he choreographed this whole dance to bring joy to his daughter. The movements were wonderful. It is a graceful dance and this performance seemed magical.
When I talk about art to people I don’t talk about a painting in a museum or a sculpture I saw somewhere, I talk about this dance. I watched it two years ago and I still tear up when I watch it. The first chapter in the textbook list four roles of an artistii. First, an artist helps to see the world in a new way. I feel like this dance turned a horrible event that happened to their child into something beautiful. Second, an artist creates a record of a time in their life. How else to record what is going on with their life then to devote a dance for their daughter. Third, they turn objects into beauty. They took lights, music, and some clothes to add to the dance to make it more beautiful. They took two people and created this magical movement. Finally, an artist gives form to something immaterial. They gave this dance a personal feeling to it. Something you can’t see and somehow you feel it. You know what the dances purpose is.
I am not sure if my explanation is correct, I don’t know if I am correct in dissecting the performance but isn’t that art? It affects everyone different; some may like it while others don’t see the beauty. I asked a friend who believes her weekend is horrible if she can’t go to The Getty Museum in Los Angeles. She suggested so many paintings and sculptors that she loves and I didn’t get it. I didn’t see what made her sit for two hours and stare at a painting. That is how art is, some people get it and love it and others don’t. I can try to explain why I love this dance and maybe completely wrong but to me it doesn’t matter. I love this dance and it has stuck with me for two years. I never really thought about “why” I like it but I just do. Right or wrong this is my favorite artwork.