John Cullum and I are reminiscing on this video .....My darling husband wrote a poem for me after I'd returned to dancing, a month after giving birth to our son, Jd. I'd decided to create a forty-five minute solo to Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" ......
A 45 minute solo is a BIG LONG solo. JC was worried about the length. I overheard him telling Shakespeare-director-pal, Phil Lawrence, who gave me dramatic ideas for the seasons, every so often, "I'm not sure Em can cut the mustard."
A dance solo should be 5 to 10 minutes at most, according to Doris Humphrey, a famous Modern Dancer and teacher of choreography, and Louis Horst, Martha Graham's artistic adviser. But tackling a BIG LONG solo is sort of a typical "Em thing" (biting off more than I can chew).
About the poem: JC had written poems as taped introductions to various dance drama "ballets" that were in my Dance Drama Company"s repertoire. These poems are not improvisations, or "rhymey" rhymes, though I've got to say, JC loves rhymes, and works his a - - off, to get a right, mellifluous word.
Well, here's the poem, not his voice on tape that I've heard every time I have performed my "Four Seasons" (and I did most definitely cut the mustard). I love John's voice, but I couldn't copy the taped poem onto this video.
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5 comments:
Absolutely lovely.
What a lovely video. John is a really good poet. Has he been writing poetry all his life?
Very nice poem Johnm it was very thoughtful. I like wrting poetry myself however I haven't in awhile. Hello there Emily :)
Oh, John - beautiful poems!!!!
Emily, do you have a tape of The Four Seasons?
Of your dance, that is? I would love to see it!
i am 25 years old. my parents divorced when i was 5. when i was old enough to care about marriage i didn't want to. my dad said it changes people. Maybe it's because they don't have the freedom to leave if they want to or maybe some feel that it gives their partner too much control over their own life. that's how i felt about it anyway. i didn't want to get bored and then trapped. I've destroyed perfectly good relationships to cancel the time limit before we had to marry. But emily, i feel hopeful when i see you and your husband.
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