A Tribute

George Jackson

28 Sep 2020 — 1 min read

"Ave Maria"

dance solo choreographed in 1914 by Michio Ito
to music composed in 1825 by Franz Schubert
performed by Christin Arthur
set by Dana Tai Soon Burgess
dedicated to the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the USA's Supreme Court

It is a slow dance, mostly for the upper body. Watching it, one is ever more aware of independent motions that belong to the head and face, to the neck, to the shoulders and arms plus hands, and to the rib cage above the waist. Yet one is also certain that these parts of the human anatomy are animated by one soul existing in a sea of light and shade. The camera shows us the dancer's whole body only briefly. She is dressed in blue, as painters have depicted this figure of motherhood, womanhood and humanity. She takes barely more than one step, but that suffices.

Christin Arthur dances the solo simply. Ruth Bader Ginsberg (1933 -2020) took the time from her work to attend performances of opera, ballet and drama. These works of art broadened her perspective as a judge.

copyright 2020 by George Jackson

http://dtsbdc.org/ave-maria-by-michio-ito-dedicated-to-ruth-bader-ginsburg/

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