In Motion with Poetry

This past Saturday night I was pleasantly surprised by Marc Bamuthi Joseph's performance.  You see, I am not much of a poetry reader, and don't generally enjoy eclectic art forms.  And to be perfectly honest, I wasn't too thrilled about spending my Saturday evening at this Zoellner event.  But when the performance started, I quickly changed my mind - engaged and entranced by the man before me and what he had to say.

Joseph has an extraordinary ability to catch his audience's attention, and keep their rapture throughout the entirety of his performance.  His passion and mastery of the English language showcases this novel art form and how it can change people's perceptions of the world.  He speaks from personal experience, which helps the audience connect on a deeper level with the artist, making them feel as though they are a part of his vision and world.  Personally, I was touched by his stories and how he told them.  Specifically, the story about tap dancing for his father was such a magnificent analogy and light into his culture and life.  His diction matched with his choice for movement really told a story.  Not to mention, his physical capabilities were incredibly impressive - showing great strength, mastery, and careful articulation.  While I normally enjoy more traditional dance (ballet, jazz, and tap), I understood the purpose of his meticulously selected movements.  He made me believe in his dance.

A stage performer for the majority of my life, I appreciated his use of the stage and expressive nature.  He traversed the entirety of the platform, even entering into the auditorium.  He made a bare stage seem filled.  While I'm normally used to full-on productions with scenery and costumes, his minimal approach let the art form really shine. With no costume and only a few lighting effects, he made you focus on what he was saying - transporting you away to his world. He knew how to effect his audience - making them laugh, cry, say "aha!", and even sing.  For an hour long performance, he was able to touch my heart and open my eyes to a new type of art.

I see now why we were asked to come to this performance.  As we discussed in class, art is all-encompassing and is often up to interpretation and perception of the master artist.  Marc Bamuthi Joseph clearly is the Lord of the Poetry Dance, and I see how art like his can add to our society and possibly even change lives.