Amazing BBC program (Part 2) "Imagine..."
Last night I also watched "Imagine... Rhythm is It!". Imagine... is a BBC1 art and culture program, presented by Alan Yentob.
This episode showed a German documentary film called "Rhythm is It!", which shows the development of a project between Berlin Philharmonic orchestra, lead by Sir Simon Rattle, and 250 mostly under-previledged secondary school kids in Berlin.
They are to dance in front of a couple of thousand audiences, behind the orchestra playing Igor Stravinsky's Sacre de Pritemps, at the end of 6 weeks training by dancer/choreographer Royston Maldoom.
You will see that disorganized, chatty groups of young students transform into real dancers, pushed and infected by Royston's passion, seriousness and openness, all in a course of 6 weeks.
At one point, Royston asks everyone to look up into the sky, with their arms stretched, pointing upwards. Then he walks up to some students, telling everyone what he can see from their body-language. "This boy will become whatever he wants to become." "This boy too can fulfill his true potential, but he doesn't know yet." "This girl has energy and talent, but she doesn't believe in herself yet." He encourages them to never stop, always to find new challenge, to be serious and to concentrate. He's a great tutor, initiator, and caretaker, as well as a good dancer and choreographer.
Slowly the whole group comes to share that passion, and for a lot of them it was a life-changing experience, to express with all their body, to be part of the wonderful alchemy of dance and music thanks to Berlin Phil, and Simon Rattle, an eccentric genious who woozes charisma.
To be honest, I was in tears even before the kids performed towards the end of the program.
It's an urban ugly-duckling story, multiplied by 250, with a couple of really passionate teachers thrown in. I felt so good after watching this film, and I felt like dancing like hell!
Dancing is great. It takes music or rhythm and transcends them into something personal, tactile and dynamic.