Considering the lack of public arts funding and awareness in the US, I propose a "trickle down" system to make dance more popular. To start, presidential candidates will now be required to debate issues such as health care, social security, the military, the environment, and of course, funding for the arts, via interpretive dance (classical mime is also allowed). However, I think this can go farther. We need the government to use art (and especially dance, particularly ballet) in creative ways during its day-to-day operation. Other ideas? One benefit I can see from this is more women becoming involved in the government.

If Condoleeza Rice was a ballerina, who would she be?

Lauren Anderson of Houston Ballet

OK, I really don't want to be subjected to dance (or singing or ...) by _most_ public officials. My eyes! My ears! Nooooooooo!

My office does have a reference database with the acronym DANCE. Alas, the information in the database has (as far as I can tell) absolutely nothing to do with the acronym.

What, you mean you don't want to hear the Bush/Cheney rendition of "O Mimi, tu piu non torni"?

MY EYES!!! MY EARS!!! THE TIN FOIL HELMET DOES NOOOOTTTHHINGGGG!!!!!1!!

I have this sudden image of George Bush doing the Roddy McDowell speech (as Augustus Ceaser) in Cleopatra. "Show me the way to war! Show me the way to Egypt!" while holding the spear aloft in front of the crowds. (I hope I got that quote right)

If i remember right? Edward Villella taught ballet classes to the men and West Point?

Perhaps offereing a free ballet class for our elected officials at the capitol around lunch time would be a nice investment.

Maybe WSB could offer a "Congress Card" for its adult classes.

Hans hereby volunteers to teach the class.


It's August, isn't it?

If only I were on the faculty there.

But what fun that would be--I'm picturing John Ashcroft in tights!

julip writes:



And now thanks to you, julip, I have a vision of the President in Roddy McDowall's peroxided Shirley Temple curls. They are oddly flattering...........

My eyes! My eyes!

Hans clearly has the strong stomach that would be needed to work with such a, uh, challenging group of students.

<slight randomness>
My colleagues who cycle to work as a group are considerably younger and reasonably fit, and still, the bike shorts are...well, sometimes it's better when the contact lenses are out.

Actually, it can be very interesting (and not in a bad way) to have a group of adults accomplished in many different fields all trying to get something that all the 15 year olds are breezing through.
</slight randomness>

dirac, your post just made it necessary for me to pretend to have a coughing fit for several minutes--oh, cubicle culture. :rolleyes:

koshka, I think my main problem would be keeping a straight face! It might be interesting to include some of WSB's little twelve-year-old students in the class, demonstrating correct posture and how to point one's foot.

The present political leadeship should be required to take one of Mr. Balanchine's classes. 30 minutes of concentrating on producing the perfect tendu might be good for those with attention deficit.

In ballet, unllike all too much government, attention is paid to execution, and a large audience notices when something doesn't work. You can't get away with announcing and selling ticket to Swan Lake, performing your own improvised choreography to Raymonda, making the corps dance with one pointe shoe and one sandal, switching half-way through the second act to calesthenics, -- and then expect a standing ovation. (Unless your're smart enough to bring a claque.)

Maybe, instead of ballet-trained politicians, we need an electorate that's more like the best ballet-audiences -- i.e., who pay attention, know the art form, and can tell the difference between a good performance and one that stinks.

You couldn't DARE to use any French terms in the class though.... (HAHA perfect smiley for that one!)

Aieee, my eyes!

Yeah. We may just have to drape Mr. Ashcroft in the name of public decency.

Hm..."Freedom Jumps" anyone? :rolleyes:

Carbro, all I can say is: