[img]541|left|Carter Dewberry||no_popup[/img] I will always remember most from last Friday’s performance the man who danced with abandon near the front of the crowd.
Eyes closed, he ignored all those seated around him as he grooved to his own rhythm.
This is why I spent three years of my life writing a dissertation that angered so many of my mentors at UCLA. I am a fellow dancer.
I have loved classical music my entire life.
I recall the concerts I used to attend as a little kid, including the Chicago Symphony’s 4th of July extravaganza and my neighborhood chamber orchestra’s season series.
Even in the midst of my angst-ridden teen years, I could still soothe my woes more readily by listening to Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet than Metallica or Nine Inch Nails.
I Need to be Active
At the same time, I have not loved being asked to sit still at most of these concerts.
I was the kid who danced so hard I won the chance to “conduct” the Chicago Symphony in the Star Spangled Banner when I was 5. At other concerts, I learned to count the letters in my program while listening to keep myself still.
This need for motion continues in my adult years.
I was recently yelled at for dancing to Carmina Burana in Row V at the Hollywood Bowl.
(Note that I sat in the back for that very reason!)
I feel lost at indoor performances without my journal. Even when performing, I have been critiqued for moving too much.
There is something about experiencing music in my body (and not solely my ears) that makes all the difference for me. This must be why I love to play music with rhythm, dance, and fire, and why I thrive on creating opportunities for the audience to express themselves however most moves them.
It is for all these reasons that I eagerly anticipate my upcoming Saturday, July 25, show. It will include choreography, film, rhythmic grooves – and plenty of space for the audience to do their thing.
I hope to entice my fellow dancer friends to join me in the full immersion experience.
(If you are interested in learning more about my show or dissertation, please feel free to email me. I would love to share.)
Ms. Dewberry, an accomplished cellist, completed her DMA in Chamber Music Performance from UCLA in December 2005. She received her MM in Cello Performance from UCLA in June 2002 and her B.M. in Cello Performance from Western Michigan University in April 1998. She also holds a B.A. in French with a minor in Women's Studies and Philosophy.
Her website is www.carterdewberry.com
She may be contacted at carter@carterdewberry.com
