Friday, March 27, 2009

Theme 12: The Joy of Dance

How you choose to interpret the theme is completely up to you. It simply needs to be tasteful – no pornography or messages of hate here. When you sit down to create, you cannot think about how people will or will not receive your work. You are required to simply enjoy the act of creating. Please see the bottom of this post for how to submit a response.



"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action and because there is only one of you in all of time this expression is unique. And if you block it it will never exist through any other medium and be lost. The world will not have it." -Martha Graham




"The dance is a poem of which each movement is a word." ~Mata Hari








"Dance for yourself, if someone understands good. If not then no matter, go right on doing what you love." ~Lois Hurst






"Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair..."~Susan Polis Shutz




"A child sings before it speaks, dances almost before it walks. Music is in our hearts from the beginning." ~Pamela Brown




Important Guidelines

The work submitted must be something you have created and/or worked on between the time the theme was revealed and the Thursday unveiling. Please submit your response to Natasha@creativenachos.com no later than end of day Wednesday, April 1st if you would like it to be posted on Thursday, April 2nd. OR send me a link to your response to include in the comments section of the post.

With your response please include:

1. Your name - either first name, shop name or both.

2. The name of your piece (if you choose to give it one)

3. Something you'd like to share (process of creation, idea behind piece) if you'd like to share anything

4. Two photos of your piece or of each of the pieces (3x5 or 4x6 and 72dpi or a max of 96dpi - if you need any help with that please don't worry I'd be happy to help!)

Most importantly, let your imagination dance, dance, dance!!!

33 comments:

CaffeinatedFrenzy said...

Thanks for choosing this theme. I don't know if I'll have time to create something or not, but it makes me happy to see arts acknowledging other arts (especially as a former dancer:)).
:)CaffeinatedFrenzy

Natasha said...

Frenzy23 - ok so I'd be totally lying if I said I didn't secretly hope that you would submit something because I totally do...AND I never want to apply pressure but I hope, I hope, I hope...but no pressure LOL! Thanks for sharing this - what type of dance did you do? There's nothing like it...dance, like music, exists in all we do...

LadyK said...

Big Smile :D! Former tap/jazz dancer here! I am so excited for this coming weeks theme! There are so many ideas dancing their way through my head. Can't wait to get to my journal and put down "ideas". :)

Natasha said...

LadyK - YAY!!! I can't wait to see what dances across your page....I'm a former tap/ballet dancer...also Irish dancer here...in fact I broke that out at the wedding I recently went to...things that never jiggled before jiggle now but I still love it! There's nothing like letting yourself really enjoy dancing ...

LadyK said...

LOL, boy can I ever relate to jiggling! Like you, I still love it! :)

Natasha said...

LadyK - I knew I liked you for a reason...we're kindred spirits. We'll be 90, the young kids will be saying we're too old but we'll still be shakin' it and lovin' it! LOL!!

giraffelabel said...

yeah!! i am loving this theme! the idea of mixing these different forms of art is very intriguing. i am not sure if i am more excited for what i might do, or to see what everyone else will do!! i guess it's both!

Natasha said...

giraffelabel - YAY!! I feel the same way..it's a celebration of dance and movement and that can come through in so many other forms of art...I'm so excited to see where you find movement and the beauty of dance...I can't wait to see what you create...I feel the same excitement...I can't wait WooHOOO!

SalvagedExpression said...

Well this is probably well timed since last night I discovered that I had a serious case of groove atrophy!

Natasha said...

SalvagedExpression - LOL! LOL!! I have to ask...how is it that you discovered said, "Groove atrophy?"

Phoenyx Ravenswing said...

Greetings!

Awesome theme! Already working on my first piece w/more in the planning stages! :-D My Muses seem to like this idea of movement (which isn't surprising, really, as they are beings of pure energy). :-P

Wonderful, wonderful - seeing from the posts already that I'm gonna be breakin' the novel-length responses next week! :-D Yay, creativity!!! :-D

Bright Blessings & Good Fortune, All! :-)
-Bird

Lori Watts said...

Hi Natasha -- I am going to try to participate this week! Thanks for the inspiration.

SalvagedExpression said...

Well I had some music on and started dancing around the room. It was not pretty! Like I'd pulled my mojo or slipped a rug-cutter. (sorry I'm having too much fun with that) Thankfully jive therapy seems to be helping. I also learned that the whole "Use fixative in a well ventilated space" thing really is a good idea! (we can blame the fumes for the afore mentioned "too much fun" if you like)

aquamaureen said...

oh my--emotional overload--tears leaking--nose dripping (I know-oversharing!!)All my life I never danced--too afraid. A few years ago when I thought I'd die of a heart broken too many times to ever heal, I started dance classes. Re-found the little girl inside me who'd never STOPPED dancing. Finally now I dance all the time, in public, and help teach others. I have NO clue what I might do in response to this prompt, especially since I'm still away from home and my art materials, but for now, I'm wrapping my soul in "The Joy of Dance" and we'll see what happens. P.S. My sweet Amanda(PersistentGreen) gifted me with a print of the last photo prompt--that's ME). Once again, Natasha, you've picked a prompt that is already making beauty inside me.

Marja/Glass Elements said...

I so love to shake what my momma gave me... sometimes in my ArtLair, sometimes on the dance floor! Sometimes wherever the mood strikes! Will have to use that energy and see where this takes me! Awesome idea, Natasha!

jodi said...

This is really interesting to me that so many people have a dance background. I took formal dance lessons from the age of 7 through college. I love dancing. I've been trying to find an adult tap class for the last two years.
Anyways, is this because it just the thing for little girls to do or are well all just born with a creative bone. Does our creativity change as we get older (i.e., i don't get to dance so much so i create art to wear).
I'm not sure this made a lot of sense, even as i'm writing it. But i'm curious about what others think. Has your chosen artform changed as you've gotten older?

Natasha said...

Phoenyx Ravenswing - LOVE it!! I love that you are diving right in there with your Muses, creating and planning more...next week is going to be awesome...I can feel it!

Potterchik - WOOOOHOOOOO!! You have NO idea how excited I am right now...will this be one of the 100?? I want to hear much more about that ...either way I'm psyched you are playing!

Salvaged - I can't even HANDLE how funny this is...this line may be the TST line of the day...hands down "Like I'd pulled my mojo or slipped a rug-cutter." LOVE it LOLOL can't stop .....now I need you to explain what "jive therapy" is and how it works...PRICELESS!

aquamaureen - I love this idea that you found your inner dancer, the one that had been dancing all your life and that you have brought her out into the world to touch others...I love that idea that your gift of dance can bring art, love, passion so many things to life in others....oh I can't wait to see even more beauty from you this week....keep on dancing!

Marja - LOL, LOL, LOL!! I can't even handle how funny that comment was....I LOVE that...Marja, my rockin' ArtLair friend you shake it all over the place and then share some of that shakin here....I can't stop laughin' you're freakin awesome!!!!!!

jodi - first of all I love that you have been looking for adult tap classes....I did the same thing and found some...you need to visit and we'll go tappin!
This is a really interesting question....honestly, at the wedding I went to I let loose like I haven't in awhile and I was talking with another friend who said, "I'd never go to the gym again if I could dance every day." And my thought was well why can't we? I definitely dance less now and I think that just has to do with the fact that I go out less now that I have Dana...but dance is that ultimate, freeing expression...I would do it till I fell into a chair or my bed with that "good" tired feeling...it's that expression that I'm addicted to...can't help it...I think my artforms have changed because I've needed certain things to grow...I've needed to use my pen instead of my footloose moves, I needed colorful bits of paper instead of my pen...I think it may have more to do with growing than anything else because I plan on dancing at every and any event, on any dancefloor till I'm 90....and beyond...as Marja said, I like to shake what my mama gave me...I'd like to hear from everyone on this especially Maureen as she only recently found her inner dancer...oh and truth be told I think we are all of us fabulous creative souls are just born filled with creative bones hehehee
Man, can't wait till I've got the forum going ....great..no awesome question Jodi!

Jenjen @GottaLoveMom said...

Im glad a found your site .. Its so refreshing ... maybe I can tap to my creative side, too!

Natasha said...

Jenjen - welcome!! What a treat to have you here...this place is wonderful, granted I'm biased but it is..the people are incredible ...all you have to do dis read the comments and look at the work to see...I'd LOVE for you to be a part of this....please jump right in, read, share and most of all have fun...join the theme this week and definitely share your creative side!!

Jenjen @GottaLoveMom said...

I love this theme. I dance around the house all the time...You're such an inspiration. I hope I can get something by Wednesday. =D

Natasha said...

Jenjen - I love that you dance around the house all the time...I'm in that club as well...I like to dance around and sing in the showwer even though I am an awful singer..hahhaha....I have faith in you that you can create something...what fun...oh wait, wait till you see what fun it is when everyone submits and then we all chat and share and laugh and dream and think....I could so go on...

Ruth said...

Haha, YES! I love that the Footloose video is on this post. :)

Natasha said...

Ruth - I was wonering if anyone would comment on that...I love that flick...this video makes me want to jump out of my seat! Hahaha...did you know they're remaking it?? Sad but true

Sherry said...

OK...That does it! I have to go rent Footloose...again!! Great theme this week Natasha. It's always a fun surprise to find out which theme you've chosen. My entry is coming your way!
Thanks so much!

Natasha said...

Sherry - you are too funny...if you rent it be sure to dance around..can't watch Footloose without dancing around! So glad you like this theme...can't wait to see your piece!!

Missy said...

Count me in! I will definitely put a little groove on for this challenge. Plus dancing around with child like abandonment with my kiddos is seriously the best therapy one could prescribe, especially when you can dance cheek to cheek with a baby face. :)

Natasha said...

alwaysadorable - you ARE so adorable!I love that you will put a groove on AND dance aound with childlike abandonment with the kiddos...how old is the little baby face? Love it, love it, love it!

Ceridwen said...

Oh, wonderful! I adore dancing - I always feel so free when dancing. I can't wait to attempt to convey that in a physical form.

Natasha said...

Ceridwen - I am with you when you talk about the freeing side of dancing...love it! I can't wait to see how you convey it wooohoooo!!

CaffeinatedFrenzy said...

Natasha-ok so I think I missed the deadline. (I tend to take a long time with my work). I have something dancer inspired, though it'd be a lie to say I made it specifically for this challenge.
But I did ballet, modern, jazz, and belly dance. :)

Natasha said...

Frenzy23 - NO the deadline is end of day today ...was it made in the time between when the theme was revealed and now? Was it even a tiny bit inspired by this theme? If so send it ...otherwise play next week...either way I'm glad you're here...I did all of those except belly dance...what did you think of belly dance? I've always wanted to try it

CaffeinatedFrenzy said...

ohh ohh I *just* submitted it. (I guess I thought I finished this one earlier, but luckily I'm slow :) and managed to make it during the time of the theme) I haven't had too much experience with bellydance but it was a lot of fun, I have a friend in a troop and I always go down to the hookah bar to watch her perform. It's absolutely beautiful :)

aquamaureen said...

Jodi asked us: Has our chosen artform changed as we've gotten older? and Natasha wondered about me, since I've only recently re-found my inner dancer. Well, to be honest, and hopefully NOT maudlin, I didn't have any "chosen artform" before now, 'cause just about all the life in me was squashed into a really really tiny little space in me (some BAD stuff happened to me), and the little bit of life I had left was used up just making it through each day. So I think a whole lot of squashed-tiny stuff is coming back to life in me. If I thought about it too much, I'd have a really hard time over years that felt like they were stolen from me. Years when I could have sung, danced, painted, sculpted, flown to the moon . . . but I am choosing instead to live in this holy moment--this beautiful here and now. And I am letting the little girl inside me play--I try to let her lead. I try not to tell her that her ideas are silly. I try to just love her and let her sing. And dance. And scribble with pencils and splash watercolors and play with her friends at TST.