Post Gazette: In fall 2006, choreographer Heidi Latsky partnered with interdisciplinary artist Lisa Bufano, who had received a fellowship. Ms. Bufano, originally from Boston, had her feet and fingers amputated in response to a bacterial disease when she was 21 years old. Since then, the former gymnast has maintained a performance career by creating work that incorporates stilts and lyra hoops into the movement vocabulary so disabled and able-bodied dancers can share the stage.
Sunday, October 09, 2011
Choreographer Heidi Latsky's 'GIMP' to show disabled are able
Post Gazette: In fall 2006, choreographer Heidi Latsky partnered with interdisciplinary artist Lisa Bufano, who had received a fellowship. Ms. Bufano, originally from Boston, had her feet and fingers amputated in response to a bacterial disease when she was 21 years old. Since then, the former gymnast has maintained a performance career by creating work that incorporates stilts and lyra hoops into the movement vocabulary so disabled and able-bodied dancers can share the stage.
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6 comments:
Pieces like this are always so inspiring, and really make you realize that we are all really lucky. Lisa Bufano has amazing tenacity and courage to be able to have looked at what happened to her as another opportunity to make art and perform. I think that this piece will be very interesting in how it is received, whether people will be uncomfortable by it, or offended by it or, just down right in awe of the strength of the human spirit. Pieces like this are important because they are not a dime a dozen and they can help people put aside misconceptions that they have toward certain people.
It makes me so happy to see that there are dance companies out there willing to make a difference and try something different to really push their art form. I first heard about something like this on the show "So You Think You Can Dance" where a company much like "GIMP" did a piece with a man in a wheel chair and a women. It was so beautiful and inspiring to watch. Every artist should aspire to do something this innovative with their art. Things like this make me proud to be a dancer.
This article is very inspiring. This also reminds me of my previous Crop Over season at home, when one of the music artist brought two twin brothers from Trinidad who were born with one leg each to do their dance routine. They are excellent acrobats and hip-hop dancers and while watching them you forget that they are differently abled. I always respect shows and initiatives like this. Your body should not inhibit you from enjoying experiences that people who are abled engage in. This would be very interesting to watch!!!
A dance company with disabled performers is a fascinating idea. Disabled people are often thought of as being very inactive and the fact that dance is so active is such a contradiction. The Iraq war has drawn attention to the amazing feats of amputees and their ability to continue living very active lives. Dance shows with disabled performers would be particularly fascinating, because as the article says, disabled dancers must move in very different ways, and find new ways to accomplish the same task. I have seen one disabled dance performance that I’m going to be honest; I was not the biggest fan of. However, the idea is still very intriguing to me and I hope I can see more, better shows of that type in the future.
I'm really glad to see all the work being done towards tearing down stereotypes about what disabled people can and cannot do. Companies like this, web content like "My Gimpy Life," and films like "Life Worth Living" are doing a lot to show what disabled people are truly capable of. Teal Sherer is an actress in LA and is in a wheel chair. She has been on "The Guild" as well as starting her own show and most recently was awarded the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Acting Award. I hope that this work allows disabled people more accessibility in the performing industry and those responsible for hiring/casting realize that they are capable of doing great things.
I too saw the piece Abby mentioned on SYTYCD. I think most people when they hear about a dance for people with disabilities they think it is sweet and cute. That piece showed that there can also be real beauty. It wasn't just some charity thing done to make disabled people feel better and just panders to them. It was real dance, well choreographed and skillfully executed. I only hope this new piece can do the same.
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