“Screw chicks tonight, I just want to dance!” Hold your horses, hot shot. Goofy, side-to-side grinding at frat parties can only take you so far in this world. And don’t even think about trying to get fancy — skanking might seem like a legitimate form of dance after a few ’Stones, but, alas, this is not the case. And, yeah, trying to Cripp Walk might seem like a good idea, but it’ll probably just end in tears (I may or may not know about this from personal experience, but that’s another story entirely). Why don’t you just sit down and take some notes from an expert before you embarrass yourself any more.
Lucky for you, next week Cornell will host to Muriel Maffre, a former principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet. The university is extending a one-week residency to the acclaimed dancer in the Hans Bethe House. Maffre will be leading a number of lectures and dance demonstrations throughout the week, both at the Schwartz Center and in Lincoln Hall.
“New media, new forms,” Maffre’s Monday lecture, will showcase a number of multi-media performance pieces — one such work, called Ballet Mori was designed based on the seismic movements of the Earth. The presentation will take place in Schwartz SB10 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Maffre willl be leading two presentations on Tuesday. The lecture, “Forms and ideas,” will be held in Lincoln 149 from 11:40 a.m. to 12:55 p.m. and highlight an “improvisational intervention.” Later, the dancer will screen a video of her last performance with the San Francisco Ballet, and discuss some of the works from the show.
So stop by one of Maffre’s lectures, and please, for the love of God, leave the Soulja Boy at home next time you “just wanna dance.”