48 hour dance challenge

Good Morning,

I've been on a little bit of a dance hiatus but the beat never stops! Recently, a good friend of mine in NYC (hellooo Eva!) passed along this challenge from the Dance Films Association.

"On Friday July 17, 2009, DFA challenges you to read, hear or see the news of that day, decide right then what resonates with you and e-mail us what moves you, and then create a dance film inspired by that in 48 hours."

Ever the "new next hip hop dancer!" I thought i'd give it a shot. Before i enter the contest though, i though i should practice. I woke up June 16th and picked through the news of the day. The item that "resonated" with me was a post on the website Hip Hop DX. Here "Remy Ma" a female rap/hip hop artist had posted a letter to her fans...http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.9309/title.remy-ma-pens-letter-from-prison. I've created a "special" dance based on my reaction to this letter...in roughly 48hrs.

Happy Monday,

Amanda

p.s. mitty's touring now. she does improv.

Dance Films Association 48 hr. Challenge from Amanda Vallo on Vimeo.

The "Tweaked" Letter (Remy's letter translated through a SCI experience)

I always find myself thinking about what I was doing a year ago, two years ago, five years ago today. I never remember exactly where till I find myself imagining where I would be today. I rarely play adapted sports because it’s sort of depressing. Not being able to run is stressful not because I’m a runner but because being an athlete that was my way of venting and expressing myself. So I run on an elliptical machine a lot! So much that now I have a purple toenail from my toe jamming into the toe box of my kicks! I guess I got used to the pain.


I get a lot of questions from good Samaritans and everyone asks me how I’m doing? I say fine, the way I see it I never imagined making it this far with my sanity. Not being able to go somewhere when you want, seeing your family A LOT (i.e., on many occasions when you don’t need to), can't hold the phone, take a shower, wear clothes, or even eat like you want - super aggravating. Whenever, which is almost everyday I get looks, a lot of kids ask questions. It’s something that I used to do almost enjoy everyday but now it actually feels weird, I really feel like an inmate.
And as much as I hate to admit it, I really am an inmate. I mean, it kind of grows on you when certain people go out of there way to make you feel like that.


They have this thing called spinal cord injury they keep asking me to join. It’s people that bring others with SCI into the community to show them what it’s like to keep living. I hear that every group asks about me but I’m a little hesitant to join. They think it will give others a reality check that this can happen to anyone. I however feel that it’ll be more strangers wanting to see the freak in the wheelchair and because of that they won't get that I'm actually a person. So I'm still contemplating. If I figure out a way for them to actually get it, that this is really not a place you would ever want to be whether for 8 years, 8 months, or 8 minutes then I’ll do it.

Everyone with a disability isn't a victim but everyone in a chair isn't a hero either. So whether you end up with a SCI “for a reason” or by accident, the pain you’re feeling is still the same. And I can quote a lot "others” by saying that “I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy…”

Forever rollin’ A-lo"