#aplang20art

So recently I found myself working for a couple dance companies that ranged in teaching dance for children starting from the age 2 until their senior year in high school, with any children older than 4 performing. This was for the most part a pretty mind numbing, if not sometimes adorable experience that involved me watching little kids doing basic jazz steps, while wearing bright costumes that resembled different animals. Needless to say it wasn't much a spectacle worthy experience. Until I saw one dance that actually one senior student choreographed entirely on her own for her senior recital set to young and beautiful by Lana Del Ray, that involved an instructor at the studio. It caught my eye with it's simplicity, not relying on the same spectacle that the other senior girls did, it had the same athleticism, but her dance wasn't meant to showcase it. Instead it focused on telling a story about the girl as she grew older, having the instructor come in to represent an older her, both wearing the same outfit mimicking each other's steps, it was truly beautiful. I remember it so vividly because it really changed my outlook on dance, and art in general, and showed me how really nonexistent the parameters for art are, at least in my own eyes. I had seen dance as not really an art form, it was just a natural reaction to certain stimuli, and what studios do is harness them to entertain others. But now I had been proven wrong, shown that not only could a dance tell a story with no words from an actor, only using lyrics the song has, and the body of the performer, could tell an amazing story, about one's fear of aging with the person they love, this talented artist was able to do in their senior year, what some artist, myself included, can only hope to achieve with some tiny bit of success. She told a compelling and impacting story that people could connect with, and not just that. She did it with just her body and the lyrics of the song. Dance is a truly skillful craft, I can see that now, not only requiring physical aptitude, but also a strong ability to visualize text and sound to make something truly magical.

This is something called a multiple. It is an example of one that was brought to a competition last year. Multiple is a style of forensics piece that can be done. You are supposed to cut a play or movie down to ten minutes, and perform it without looking or touching each other. This is one of the many categories forensics has to offer. There’s also storytelling, poetry, sales, broadcasting, and more. Forensics is a very unique style of art, that I hold very close to my heart. It gives you the opportunity to tell a story, while also limiting you in certain aspects. In order to have the best pieces it takes technique. This form of art can bring you to tears and then have you on the floor laughing within minutes of each other. I love watching kids share there stories through scripts, or speeches. Forensics appeals to everyone with all it has to offer.

I believe a very under appreciated form of art are comic books. They show stories not just through words, but also through their great drawings of characters. To me, a big part of art is being able to inspire, and that’s what comic books also do. Kids grow up wishing they can be Spider-Man, Batman, and the Hulk. You even see kids dressing up like those heroes on Halloween so they can be like them. Comics also were signs for something bigger. For example, Captain America was made to show a sign of hope during war. These books could be viewed as childish, but adults still read them to relive their childhood. Comic books not only are a form of art through their words and images, but also through the inspiration they give off.

If I’m watching something on Youtube it’s most likely a Tiny Desk Concert from NPR. Tiny desk concerts are a way to allow artists to showcase their raw, unedited versions of their most popular songs. They have a variety of artists who come in order to cater towards everyone’s music taste. Some artists they’ve had include, Daniel Caesar, the Jonas Brothers, Chance the Rapper, and Adele. In these concerts, they all express so much emotion and demonstrate their vocal ability which is truly a form of art. Hearing the difference between the studio version and the live version is eye opening because they are allowed to add notes, change beats, change the tempo, and overall change the vibe of the song. Many people, including myself, like the idea of bringing in artists to an office area and perform which goes to show that you don’t need to have amazing visuals, loud beats, or dancing to prove that your music is art. I chose to show Khalid because I’ve seen him in concert and he does a great job of putting on a performance, but it doesn’t compare to hearing only his voice and a guitar. It even shows where the song was before it was edited, which brings another perspective into play. It’s nice to see how other people around the world enjoy listening to their favorite artists perform with acoustic music.

....thank you for coming to my ted talk (:

Whenever I’m doing my homework, I always organize my space so I don’t loose track of things. Even though it doesn’t look as aesthetic as this picture, I still manage to keep a clean space. This picture reminds me of doing my homework in a quiet coffee shop with my friends. I really enjoy doing my homework in a coffee shop because it helps me become more productive. The coffee shop also has calming music that helps me focus on my work. Also, seeing that other people are also there working inspires me to be more producitve overall. If I were to go to a coffee shop and do my homework there, this is what my ideal workspace would look like. Half finished coffee, earbuds, pencils, notebooks everywhere, and a computer. I really like how aesthetic this picture is. I’m really into being organized because it helps me stay on track of my homework. I really enjoy going to coffee shops because they are quiet and are a perfect place for studying since they offer food as well. 

Golf is art. You may think golf, is art? How? Think about it, art and golf both resemble each other. When you start a art piece you have a outline, of what you are going to do. The same applies to golf, you have a outline of the course and hole. Next, to start an art piece you need a certain tool, if you were to paint or create something. Along with golf, to start you need the right club to use to start off the hole. Following in art when you are done with one tool, you need another tool to use. So it is easier to get close to finishing the art piece. Which in golf to continue with the hole, you need a different club to use for the next shot. Also, while creating the art piece pressure, and speed is important, on what you are trying to create. This is why golf ties in with art because of, pressure and speed. When taking a swing you need to know how fast, and hard you are going to hit the ball. Therefore, you can know if you need to hit it harder, or softer so the ball can get to the hole. As in art having harder or softer strokes improves the art piece. To add, on when you are about to finish the piece you are finishing the touches carefully, so you don’t mess up the piece. When in golf, on the green you have to be very careful with where you are going to hit the ball. So if you mess up you don’t get strokes added to the hole. Lastly, when you finally finish the art piece it is completed and done. When you get the ball in the hole it is picked up, and out of the hole and you are done. All in all, when you are done with the piece, and done with the hole you reflect back on what you did. You see the mistakes that were made, the really good parts of what took place, and how you did overall. Golf and art are both different in their own ways, but in the end golf and art are very similar. This is why golf is indeed art.

This picture feels like art to me for multiple reasons. The game of soccer to me is art itself. There are so many different moves and roles in the game of soccer with so many different strategies it is impossible to remember. Every game will be different from the last, something new. The second reason this picture applies as art is the person in it, Mason Greenwood. He was 17 when he signed his first contract with Manchester United, a club team in the Premier League, and just turned 18. He already has 4 goals for the club. He is an artist himself in the way he plays. He explodes when he gets the ball and is fast. He always shoots the ball in the lower corners of the net away from the goalie. He is very skilled in the way he plays and even though he can explode to create chances to score himself he always puts his team’s needs in front of his. In this picture taken of him after he scored a goal, he clearly shows off his jersey showing off his love for the club, no matter what haters say. Even though Manchester United is having a hard time this year coming together as a team, Mason Greenwood is one of the players giving the team a new identity like Paul Pogba did when he moved to Manchester United, changing the art of soccer at Manchester United.