Tuesday, July 15, 2008

World Dance

Matt Harding, the protagonist of the "Dancing" videos on Youtube, expressly states that he wasn't intending any kind of "message" in making the videos he has pieced together with clips of his dippity-do-dah dance in different countries across the globe (except maybe, "Stride Gum sponsored me").

His videos are goofy and popular, and I must be the last person on earth to have viewed them, but I like them:




Although I am not advocating that people start dancing willy-nilly in the milongas with their elbows sticking out amok-style, there must be something worthwhile in "the act of doing a goofy dance en masse in different countries in a non-message like manner".

Maybe it's Matt's attitude that I admire. Must "dance" have a message? Why should "dance" be elitist? Can't dance just be some sort of nebulous, undefinable physical expression of joy which could be universally shared and understood by all humans, regardless of race, culture, or nationality?

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Yay Yipee!! I love the Matt Harding video it puts a big goofy grin on my face.

I completly agree that dance should be a physical expression of all kind of emotions. I don't know why we as a society place so much emphasis on art's worth. Why we have to judge, compare and award merrit based on totally arbitrary and subjective ideals. And having done that we dimiss what we don't like as being worthless. I don't happen to like Hemmingway but I wouldn't discourage any one else from reading him.

Here is to freedom of expression!!

Toronto Weather

Buenos Aires Weather

Twitter!