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Thursday, November 19, 2009

??!! / Theater / Dance "Rita has made a decision that she wants to explore her own relationship with epilepsy."

Posted by Brendan Kiley on Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 1:58 PM

So Rita (Marcalo, a British modern dancer) is going to stop taking her meds and try to have a seizure onstage.

The project is called "Involuntary Dances" and some British epilepsy-advocacy groups are pissed, saying the stunt/dance/whatever trivializes the condition.

I'm only surprised choreographers haven't stepped up to argue that dubbing a seizure "dance" trivializes the art form.

Comments (16) RSS

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I remember my first dorm party at college, a kegger with a local punk band: the St. Vitus Dance. You sure as hell couldn't get away with that these days!

Posted by kk in seattle on November 19, 2009 at 2:06 PM

She has epilepsy and is trying to present it as an artform instead of as a debilitating condition. I don't think these Advocacy groups get to tell people with the condition how to live their lives. This is a dancer who wants to keep on dancing despite the condition. They should be praising her strength and all that.
Someone needs to get the stick out of their asses.

Posted by Enigma

on November 19, 2009 at 2:16 PM

Local choreographer (and former Stranger SPIT Award winner) Holly Eckert created a piece exploring her struggle with epilepsy about 3 years ago.

Posted by genevieve on November 19, 2009 at 2:17 PM

ETA: the Eckert piece was called Coming Unglued. http://www.livingpainting.com/hollyecker… and it was performed all the way back in 2003. God I'm getting old!

Posted by genevieve on November 19, 2009 at 2:19 PM

"Rita has made a decision that she wants to explore her own relationship with epilepsy."

Pretentious bourgeoisie.

Posted by Rotten666 on November 19, 2009 at 2:26 PM

What kind of sick freak is willing to pay money so they can watch a person seize on a stage? This is sheer, Barnum & Bailey hucksterism.

Posted by schmacky on November 19, 2009 at 2:31 PM

The whole thing smells like a stunt. She is a dancer and on meds to control her condition, thus allowing her to dance. She has decided to go OFF her meds so she can hopefully seize on stage. If she were any more self involved I believe she would be inside out.

Posted by Lissa on November 19, 2009 at 2:44 PM

I wonder if she realizes how dangerous what she's trying to do actually is...she's either to be admired as someone willing to literally die for their craft, or she absolutely cannot stand living anymore, and this is a cry for help.

Posted by j.lee on November 19, 2009 at 2:50 PM

"....plans to induce a seizure"

All I can wonder is... if a seizure doesn't hit her, is she planning to fake it?

But, maybe I don't understand epilepsy enough. Are there methods that are guaranteed to induce it, or just ones that are very likely to?

Posted by Dee on November 19, 2009 at 2:57 PM

How will the audience tell the difference between the seizure and normal modern dancing - zing

Posted by vooodooo84 on November 19, 2009 at 3:07 PM

"I'm only surprised choreographers haven't stepped up to argue that dubbing a seizure "dance" trivializes the art form."

Clearly you don't talk to dancers/choreographers very often.

(Actually, were you the one who interviewed Twyla Tharp? I remember listening to that interview and rolling my eyes. The Stranger needs to hire someone who knows a LITTLE about dance before attempting to interview the big names.)

Posted by Nick on November 19, 2009 at 3:07 PM

@8: Uhhhh... what? Over-dramatic much? I'm going to just assume she's going to take the precaution of, you know, lying down so she doesn't concuss herself. Beyond that, I don't think she's risking her life here.

Posted by Ben on November 19, 2009 at 3:37 PM