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Bill
T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company
Arlene
Schnitzer Concert Hall
1037 SW Broadway, 224-8499
7:30 pm Wednesday, Oct. 18
$17.50-$39
No
on 9 Rally
Be there!
Pioneer Courthouse Square, 232-7176
Noon Thursday, Oct. 19
Free
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God is great. God is good. God has given the world Bill T.
Jones.
In 1985 Jones and his life/dance partner--the late Arnie
Zane--blew into P-town for what would be one of many trips
the openly gay couple's namesake dance company would make
to the Pacific Northwest. When they appeared as part of
Portland State University's legendary Contemporary Dance
Series, one of the first pieces they performed at PSU was
called Sacred Cow.
And while I don't remember the movement as particularly
moving, the name of the piece speaks volumes about the luminous
Mr. Jones.
You see, at the time, I was a wannabe modern mover and
completely out of my mind (it was an '80s thing). Artistically
I thought all dancers had to be skinny, fair and (sort of)
straight-acting--except for swishy ballet boys.
But when I saw Jones for the first time, my whole idea
of dance was blown to bits. Here was a dude willing to bring
all his "stuff" to the stage. A super-tall, gay, HIV-positive
African American, Jones does choreography that more often
than not reflects the issues encompassing his personal and
professional life. By allowing audiences a peek into his
highly individualistic world, Jones' dance often surpasses
movement to become big old life lessons. In honor of that
fact, the following is a list of what I've learned from
this big, old, black, fag dancer.
1. Size doesn't matter: Jones' dances excel at celebrating
diversity. In many of his works, you're likely to see a
short guy carry a tall guy and a skinny person lift a fat
person. It doesn't matter--as long as they can dance.
2. Black men do look better than white men (naked):
When it comes to showing some skin onstage, Bill and his
gorgeous bod can dazzle, delight and literally take your
breath away. It must be seen to be believed.
3. HIV is not a creativity killer: Bill has lived
with HIV for many, many years now. But, somehow, this supposed
death sentence hasn't slowed him down a bit. In addition
to dancing in and creating more than 50 works for his own
company, Jones continues to receive commissions all over
the world. In Portland his company will perform You Walk?,
co-commissioned by the city of Bologna, Italy, our own White
Bird and a handful of other presenters.
4. Be proud: Watching Jones gives the word "pride"
a whole new meaning. He walks tall and he doesn't have to
carry a big stick.
5. Fear is futile: According to Bill, fear gets
you nowhere--as long as you keep dancing.
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