Re: CV OT Test Department

[Richard Zvonar <zvonar@zvonar.com>]

At 1:22 PM -0800 12/14/01, rich wrote:

>i guess IMHO, i would call what [Stomp] do  "Tap on steriods".
>
>taking tap and rhythm into the realm of what the Cirque De Soliel 
>troops are doing...with Cirque, and Stomp, and other troops like 
>Diavolo and LaLaLa, the "wow" factor has been taken up a notch.
>
>Test Department, on the other hand, was a politically bent outfit 
>intent on making a purely rhythmic force burrow into your brain.  To 
>me, they had the same force and might of a marching army, but they 
>seemed to be very anarchistic and free thinkers.  Just well crafted, 
>extremely focused POWER.  no frills, no melody, just POW!

My typical reaction when I see underground, political, or avant garde 
art appropriated and brought into the mainstream entertainment world 
is to be annoyed, even angry at the "rip off." This was my initital 
reaction when I became aware of Stomp, even when I first heard of the 
Blue Man Group. However, once I saw these acts I was myself 
entertained and I respect what they're doing. After all, I didn't get 
pissed off when the Beatles appropriated the idea of orchestral sound 
masses and used them to effect in "A Day in the Life."

However, I'm still rather annoyed at the trivialized adaptation of 
Survival Research Labs' work in the now-popular robot wars on TV.
-- 

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Richard Zvonar, PhD
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