Dancing with Life with Bill T. Jones

Product Description

Called today’s most daring choreographer by Newsweek, dancer/artist Bill T. Jones is transforming the world of art as we know it. He says “I believe an act of creation is a spiritual activity.” Here he discusses what led him into dance, the formation of his world-renowned dance company, dealing with the loss of his partner (in dance as well as in life) and how he transformed his grief, confusion and alienation into expressions of beauty and joy. Dance, for Jones, is not just a sequence of beautiful moments on stage, but an instrument of survival. “There is nothing like seeing a beautiful idea blossom in front of you. If you can provide the environment where these ideas can come forward, it is so satisfying.”

Jones is the author of Last Night on Earth (Pantheon Books 1995).

Topics Explored in this Dialogue:

• How spirit affects our artistic life
• How to deal with the loss of a partner, friend or lover
• The evocative experience which made Jones fall in love with dance
• How to live with a life threatening illness
• Coping with racism and homophobia
• Transforming grief and loss into beauty and expression
• Dealing with parents and siblings when coming “out of the closet”
• The art of teaching dance and inspiring young dancers
• Dance as a political statement

Host: Michael Toms Interview Date: 4/10/1997