Cherylynn Tsushima

NOWNESS - Benjamin Millipied x Philip Glass

I’m really glad my slightly ridiculous obsession with finding cool dance related things on the web was helpful to both my current and previous internships today. But seriously, this short film from The NOWNESS is magnificent. The choreography, filming, dancing, and music are all beautiful. I was already obsessed with Benjamin Millipied’s choreography, but this is just stunning. (Pause while I take a moment to remember watching Ballet Geneve perform Closer, a duet he choreographed, at the Gala. Also, pause while I think about how I had trouble taking photos because I had tears streaming down my cheeks.) And I’ve written a few times about how much I love Philip Glass’s compositions. (Again, pause while I dream myself back to the Gala and marvel at taking photographs of his hands on the piano.)

The section with the reflection of Craig’s hands in the mirror is my favorite.

(Also, thank you to Kirin and Michael for introducing me to the absolutely gorgeous NOWNESS short films.)

Mad Rush by Philip Glass

Ever since the Gala, I have been obsessed with this song and have listened to it over and over again.  Though this isn’t the piece that Philip Glass performed at the Pillow, it was the piece that Ballet Geneve dancers performed a duet to.  The duet, Closer, was choreographed by Benjamin Millepied (aka Mr. Natalie Portman) and was one of the most moving dances I’ve seen.  The way everything was shaped together; from the music, to the lighting, to the very real emotions of the dancers was perfectly executed.  I get chills just thinking about the dance.  Last week, I got to see Ballet Geneve perform Romeo and Juliet, which was really beautiful.  I didn’t feel the same emotional connection that I felt from the dancers in Closer, but it was still a great production.  I also got to hear the artistic director of the company speak twice, one at a PillowTalk and once in a Post Show Talk, which really helped me understand the production.  He had some really lovely things to say about how the choreographer wanted the ending to show the tragedy of the death of love even more than the tragedy of the death of the lovers.  After hearing those words and seeing the end, which brought me to tears, I had a much deeper appreciation for the decisions the choreographer made.  It was so heartwrenching to watch Romeo dance with Juliet’s dead body and to see his pain as he would set her down only to have her body slump and slide to the floor.

*Shameless plug- You can see a few of the photographs I took on the Pillow Flickr.