In dance, our bodies are the paintbrush and the world is our canvas. Dance is performative, occupying space and elapsing time, and it is a particular challenge to capture motion within one static moment. Yet, it is a challenge many artists have endeavored for centuries.
We dance to celebrate, to commemorate, to commiserate and to initiate. It can be the play of free expression, or impressive and rigidly choreographed physical achievements. Dance can serve as a social function that communicates ideas beyond barriers of spoken language, allowing us to tell stories and say with our bodies what we cannot put into words.
Dance serves ritualistic and religious functions in historic cultures worldwide. We dance to entreat deities, remember our forebearers and to maintain traditions. We dance to celebrate the changing seasons of our world and the changing seasons of life.
“En Pointe: Expressions of Dance in Art” explores various forms of dance and more through paintings, prints, photographs, sculptures, masks and costumes. Over 60 works from the permanent collection are on display in the Edith-Marie Gallery, telling the story of this powerful and multifaceted form of expression. Several videos of dance add to the experience, and an interactive station invites visitors to add their own form of art in motion. From poetic paintings and drawings of the Ballet Russes by Ernst Oppler (German, 1867-1929) and prints of Native American dancers depicted by Alice Asmar (American, 1929-2021), to a full Panamanian Diablico Sucio costume (circa 1980) and a golden pair of traditional Thai headdresses (circa 1900), visitors can discover how performative arts have inspired the visual arts in cultures throughout history.
“En Pointe: Expressions of Dance in Art” is on view in the first-floor Edith-Marie Gallery.
(pictured) Ernst Oppler (German, 1867-1929), (detail) “Les Sylphides,” 1935, Oil on canvas, 19 x 27 in., Gift of Susan Oppler Wood, Florida Institute of Technology 2021 transfer.
Film Screenings: “Cunningham”
Saturday, August 3, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
In combination with the “En Pointe” exhibition, join us on Free First Saturday for two screenings of the 2019 documentary, “Cunningham.” An exhilarating testament to documentaries as a boundless form of art, this film traces legendary American choreographer Merce Cunningham’s artistic evolution from his early years in postwar New York to his emergence as one of the world’s most visionary choreographers. (PG, 1h 33m)
