| A. Ursyn Orchestra / Saxophone Lucas |
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Lucas,
Joe, and Oscar participate
in an exchange program that takes them to the Island. Lucas took
his saxophone and Oscar takes his accordion
to play on the beach with a group of local musicians. Joe
takes her keyboard as she hopes it might help her to learn new tunes.
She also takes a video camera to shoot the dances. Nothing is as
simple and easy as they wish. The music is quite different and the dances
need explanation to be fully understood. All the female dancers perform
each piece of music in a way that conveys particular ideas or emotions in
their lives. Fortunately,
Joe meets a hula dancer named Waiaka who
gives Lucas, Joe,
and Oscar
many details about the ways of replacing speech with dance and reasons
for using specific gestures and motions. Female dancers make distinctive
movements with their hands that tell stories that are further expressed
by their dances. They also convey feelings resulting from the events they
are telling about, such as the dangers coming from the exhausting work
of their men when they go to sea to catch fish. After mutual discussion with Waiaka
and clarification of previously unknown concepts, Lucas, Joe,
and Oscar return home with a video production
about the music and dance of the Island. After a short time they invite Waiaka
and a group of musicians to present their art on their theater stage. They
arrange for a performance by hula dancer Waiaka
with accompaniment of musicians from the Island. Entrepreneur Darren
uses his experience hosting a foreign theatrical
group. Last year, actors played Noh,
a form of a drama using music, dance masks, and traditional costumes. The
Noh Theater actors used a highly stylized way of expressing ideas and events.
Understanding them was only possible when somebody translated into speech
what the actors said in a language of Noh theater. A translator
ascribed a particular meaning and significance to specific motions and facial
expressions.This time Darrenarranged for the
same kind of translation, so the audience would feel fully engaged and interested.
At one moment, a steam filled up the room, so soon it was not only wet but
all the dancers looked like their own silhouettes.
