Trevor Copp and Jeff Fox: Ballroom dance that breaks gender roles
تريفور كوب, جيف فوكس: رقصة قاعة الاحتفالات التي تكسر أدوار الجنسين
Trevor Copp is known for innovative social justice theater that blends physicality, image and narrative. Full bioJeff Fox - Dancer
Jeff Fox is a professional dancer, competitor, choreographer who has won professional titles in American Smooth, Rhythm, Theatre Arts and Showdance. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
first hit the airwaves,
برنامج "الرقص مع النجوم" لأول مرة
ballroom dance instructors
في التلفاز
geeking out that we had always done
في معرفة
than the competitive rumba
عن الرومبا التنافسية
the public consciousness,
somehow, we were cool --
كنا رائعين --
would get together for training seminars
في جلسات تدريبية
على الدوام.
to lead all the time.
القيادة والمتابعة،
for switching lead and follow
as part of a performance
on the shoulder.
and director of a playwright center,
في مركز مسرحي،
how political that was?"
collaboration to create a play
التعاون في تأليف مسرحية
في تبادل الأدوار فحسب،
our system for switching
بدورٍ واحد أثناء الرقص،
of being locked into a single role,
isn't just a system of dancing;
القاعة ليسا مُجرد نظام رقص،
consistent, though:
it's all the same --
مُتشابهان --
you don't throw it out,
that this is the past.
respect it, revive it -- great!
أعيدوا إحياء أعماله،
of partner dancing
the other one follows.
regardless of who's playing which role.
بغض النظر عمّن يلعب الدور.
give a crap about your gender.
more representative
الآن، في عام 2015.
don't just watch what's there.
only a man or a woman.
couples just disappear.
اختفى تمامًا.
ballroom competitions,
recognized on the floor,
نفس الجنس في الرقص.
"professional Latin dancer,"
عن "راقصة لاتينية محترفة،"
of white, straight Russian couples
الجنسية الروسية، سويّين جنسيًا
البشرة كما المهوغني,
there are no Asians,
ولا آسيويين،
just disappeared.
couple-only paradigm --
السويين جنسيًا --
would never stand for this.
straight or anything --
مثلية، أو أي شيء --
or functional looks like that,
هذا مبدؤها.
you slap some makeup on it,
وبهرجها قليلًا،
as movement, not as text,
كرقصة وليس كنصّ سينمائي،
from partner dancing.
two men dancing together.
يرقصان معًا.
ballroom circuit can attest
نفس الجنس يعتقدون أن
can be dynamic and strong and exciting,
المرونة والاثارة،
closed ballroom hold ...
المغلقة في الرقص الثنائي
must be larger and masculine
لابد أن يكون عريضًا وأكثر رجولية
from a totally different angle.
من زاوية مختلفة تمامًا.
the idea of lead and follow
was connected to gender?
could lead and follow each other
بنظام القيادة والمتابعة
just like we do in life?
كما نفعل في الحياة؟
called the cross-body lead.
تُسمى قيادة نصف الجسم.
to break up the improvisation.
if you're not used to looking for it,
مُعتادًا على البحث عنها،
to this transitional step,
الخطوة الإنتقالية،
to take over the lead,
to surrender it,
a counter-cross-body lead.
when we danced it in the opening dance.
الإستفتاحية.
the dance moves from being a dictation
السيطرة
يُمكن لأي شخص أن يتبع
you can change your mind.
of how this applies,
تطبيق ذلك.
anything can happen.
يُمكن حدوث أي شيء.
could apply to a classic waltz.
السلسة في رقصة الفالس الكلاسيكية.
the dance itself more efficient.
traveling backwards,
where they're going.
of accidents out there
الحوادث هناك
of this blind spot.
were to just allow for
but allowed this switch to happen,
ومع ذلك سمح بالتبديل،
offering new aesthetics into the waltz.
لرقصة الفالس.
about your gender.
لنوع جنسك.
in clubs, convention centers
في النوادي، مراكز مؤتمرات
the play we created with Lisa,
التي قمنا بتأليفها مع ليزا،
of seeing two men dancing together,
Lisa see our initial demonstration
switching lead and follow;
فحسب،
in our presence, our personality
of which role we were playing.
في الرقصة.
by whichever role you're playing,
الدور الذي تلعبه.
true to yourself.
to look like, or a follow.
للقائد والتابع.
off the dance floor as well,
خارج ساحة الرقص أيضًا،
the perfect opportunity
reinvigorate an old relic,
وتجديد المفهوم القديم،
of our era and our current way of being.
حياتنا الحالي.
all the time with women and men
منذ زمنٍ طويل مع الرجال والنساء
that this is a historic form
هو النموذج القديم
and produce invisibility
that we enjoy today.
all the ideas that don't belong to us
لا تنتمي لنا
to what it really always was:
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Trevor Copp - Artistic directorTrevor Copp is known for innovative social justice theater that blends physicality, image and narrative.
Why you should listen
Trevor Copp was a full-time ballroom dance instructor and regional Fred Astaire's Canada American Style Latin/Ballroom Champion. He retired from teaching to pursue his love of theater and now runs Tottering Biped Theatre, a professional theater company emphasizing social justice and highly physical work in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Copp has performed in over 30 international cities and theater festivals. The salsa scene keeps him dancing, however. Locally, he coaches the World Salsa Champions, and internationally he's an avid salsa tourist, having danced it in 13 countries so far.
Copp and Jeff Fox met as colleagues during their shared tenure with Fred Astaire's Canada and remained friends after Copp retired from teaching. They would dance at social occasions where they developed their "playing fair" method of sharing the lead, which caught the eye of local dramaturge, Lisa O’Connell. Thus began the theatrical collaboration which led to the creation of a full-length Ballroom Dance/Theatre production, "First Dance," about the development of the first dance for a same sex wedding. Through building the show they formalized their "Liquid Lead" concept and continue to tour the piece at regional professional theaters, festivals and even as part of an international dance festival in Tirana, Albania. In 2015 Alida Esmail, a former student of Copp's, championed the TEDx Montreal proposal and graciously volunteered to help the Fox and Copp demonstrate their work on the TEDx stage.
Trevor Copp | Speaker | TED.com
Jeff Fox - Dancer
Jeff Fox is a professional dancer, competitor, choreographer who has won professional titles in American Smooth, Rhythm, Theatre Arts and Showdance.
Why you should listen
After graduating with an honors degree in psychology, Jeff Fox entered the world of dance in the fall of 2000 almost by accident, investigating an ad out of curiosity, and he hasn't looked back. Working as a full-time instructor, choreographer and competitor, Fox has taught hundreds of students and won professional titles in American Smooth, Rhythm, Theatre Arts and Showdance. In addition to his ballroom work, Fox is a double black belt martial artist and creates lyrical contemporary work focusing on the universal experiences we all share, which has been featured in festivals across southern Ontario, Canada.
Fox and Trevor Copp met as colleagues during their shared tenure with Fred Astaire's Canada and remained friends after Copp retired from teaching. They would dance at social occasions where they developed their "playing fair" method of sharing the lead, which caught the eye of local dramaturge, Lisa O’Connell. Thus began the theatrical collaboration which led to the creation of a full-length Ballroom Dance/Theatre production, "First Dance," about the development of the first dance for a same sex wedding. Through building the show they formalized their "Liquid Lead" concept and continue to tour the piece at regional professional theaters, festivals and even as part of an international dance festival in Tirana, Albania. In 2015 Alida Esmail, a former student of Copp's, championed the TEDx Montreal proposal and graciously volunteered to help the Fox and Copp demonstrate their work on the TEDx stage.
Jeff Fox | Speaker | TED.com