Song by Lana Del Rey (here or vid down below)
"Money is the reason
We exist
Everybody knows it, it's a fact
Kiss, kiss"
"Money is the reason
We exist
Everybody knows it, it's a fact
Kiss, kiss"
For our International Show on the Fourth of July, I had wanted to celebrate my bioregion, Cascadia, which should secede from the U.S., Ecotopia style, because it is a world all its own. I searched long and hard for a song, which is not how I like to create, I want the dance to come from the song. I did not find any anthem that would be appropriate and palatable to the GB audience, knowing that even my favorites were just too local to be of interest. Flippin' bunch of hippie anarchist folk singers.
But I did come across a song in my search that evoked the opposite imagery, and decided to run with that instead. I like the heavy layer of cynicism that I feel in the song itself, though I am not really sure if that is just my bias or Lana's intent.
In all honesty this was THE hardest act to conceptualize I have ever done. I had to do research on mansions, imagery of wealth, etc. etc. I even watched the video for the song which I never do for fear of contaminating my process, but I was desperate for a direction. Why was it so hard? Because I do not idealize wealth or the 1%. I do not visualize it or my place in it. I might like fine things in my life, my mom always said I have "champagne tastes and a beer pocketbook." But lifestyles of the rich and famous...I am completely out of touch.
Limos, champagne, luxury pool, and a whole lot of cash, well that is answer isn't it? I do love the way the act turned out. Challenging myself to see the world differently even if I do not covet that life, was good.
For very good reasons I was an absolute nervous wreck while performing it, not only was it the first performance after our break, but there was a special man in the audience who (for reasons that will remain out of here) was "meeting" me for the first time and I really wanted to impress him. I think I did. *winks*
But I did come across a song in my search that evoked the opposite imagery, and decided to run with that instead. I like the heavy layer of cynicism that I feel in the song itself, though I am not really sure if that is just my bias or Lana's intent.
In all honesty this was THE hardest act to conceptualize I have ever done. I had to do research on mansions, imagery of wealth, etc. etc. I even watched the video for the song which I never do for fear of contaminating my process, but I was desperate for a direction. Why was it so hard? Because I do not idealize wealth or the 1%. I do not visualize it or my place in it. I might like fine things in my life, my mom always said I have "champagne tastes and a beer pocketbook." But lifestyles of the rich and famous...I am completely out of touch.
Limos, champagne, luxury pool, and a whole lot of cash, well that is answer isn't it? I do love the way the act turned out. Challenging myself to see the world differently even if I do not covet that life, was good.
For very good reasons I was an absolute nervous wreck while performing it, not only was it the first performance after our break, but there was a special man in the audience who (for reasons that will remain out of here) was "meeting" me for the first time and I really wanted to impress him. I think I did. *winks*
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