Trevor Copp and Jeff Fox: Ballroom dance that breaks gender roles
Trevor Copp, Jeff Fox: La danse de salon qui rompt avec l'idée de rôles sexo-spécifiques
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,
de « Danse avec les Stars »
à ce que vous venez de voir.
ballroom dance instructors
de danse de salon à temps plein
a eu son renouveau télévisé
geeking out that we had always done
qu'on avait eues sur les danses de salon,
than the competitive rumba
de la rumba de compétition,
dans le sens inverse de la valse,
the public consciousness,
à la portée du public
somehow, we were cool --
tout à coup, on était cool --
d'une certaine réserve.
would get together for training seminars
nous retrouvions pour des stages
to lead all the time.
for switching lead and follow
pour changer de meneur et suiveur
as part of a performance
ce système lors d'une représentation
que quelqu'un nous a remarqués.
on the shoulder.
and director of a playwright center,
d'un centre d'écriture,
après le spectacle et a dit :
how political that was?"
ceci était politique ? »
collaboration to create a play
de 8 ans pour monter une pièce
our system for switching
pour changer de rôle
of being locked into a single role,
le fait d'être coincé dans un rôle
isn't just a system of dancing;
juste un système de danse ;
des valeurs d'une période.
consistent, though:
est restée constante :
c'est toujours pareil :
it's all the same --
spécifique au genre.
you don't throw it out,
that this is the past.
que c'est du passé.
respect it, revive it -- great!
respectez-le, redynamisez-le, soit !
notre mode de pensée actuel.
de la danse de couple ?
of partner dancing
de la danse à deux,
the other one follows.
et l'autre suit.
regardless of who's playing which role.
la manœuvre est la même.
give a crap about your gender.
se fiche bien de votre genre.
la forme existante,
more representative
maintenant, en 2015.
don't just watch what's there.
ne regardez pas que ce qui est visible.
only a man or a woman.
juste un homme et une femme.
couples just disappear.
à un genre disparaissent tout bonnement.
ballroom competitions,
des compétitions internationales,
recognized on the floor,
sont rarement valorisés
"professional Latin dancer,"
« danseur professionnel, danses latines »,
of white, straight Russian couples
de couples russes, blancs, hétérosexuels,
there are no Asians,
just disappeared.
ont simplement disparu.
couple-only paradigm --
du couple blanc et hétéro,
en une conversation
would never stand for this.
en tant que culture, le tolérer.
straight or anything --
hétérosexuelle ou autre,
or functional looks like that,
un minimum saine ou viable, n'y ressemble
you slap some makeup on it,
avec du maquillage, des paillettes,
as movement, not as text,
en tant que mouvement et non un texte,
from partner dancing.
de la danse de couple.
two men dancing together.
deux hommes danser ensemble.
ballroom circuit can attest
entre personnes du même sexe diront
can be dynamic and strong and exciting,
puissante, dynamique et enthousiasmante,
quelque peu étrange.
closed ballroom hold ...
prise traditionnelle en danses de salon,
must be larger and masculine
doive être plus large et masculin
from a totally different angle.
d'un point de vue totalement différent.
the idea of lead and follow
de meneur et suiveur
was connected to gender?
de la notion de genre ?
could lead and follow each other
mener et suivre l'autre
comme une conversation,
comme dans la vraie vie ?
just like we do in life?
la « danse du rôle liquide ».
called the cross-body lead.
de transition clef : le pas transversal.
to break up the improvisation.
pour rompre l'improvisation.
if you're not used to looking for it,
pour ceux qui n'ont pas l'habitude,
to this transitional step,
à ce pas de transition,
de changer de rôle.
to take over the lead,
to surrender it,
de passer la main,
a counter-cross-body lead.
un contre pas transversal.
when we danced it in the opening dance.
dans notre danse d'ouverture.
the dance moves from being a dictation
la danse passe d'un diktat
n'importe qui peut suivre.
you can change your mind.
of how this applies,
exemple pratique du concept,
anything can happen.
tout peut arriver.
could apply to a classic waltz.
le concept de rôle liquide
de changement de meneur,
the dance itself more efficient.
rendre la danse plus efficace.
traveling backwards,
à se déplacer en arrière,
where they're going.
ça se dirige droit vers vous.
of accidents out there
d'accidents sur les pistes
of this blind spot.
were to just allow for
un changement de posture
but allowed this switch to happen,
mais permettait ce changement,
offering new aesthetics into the waltz.
touches esthétiques à la valse.
about your gender.
se fiche bien de votre genre.
dans des clubs, des conférences
in clubs, convention centers
the play we created with Lisa,
le spectacle créé avec Lisa,
en Amérique du Nord et en Europe.
of seeing two men dancing together,
qui dansent ensemble,
Lisa see our initial demonstration
a perçu de « politique »
switching lead and follow;
qu'on changeait de meneur ;
in our presence, our personality
dans notre présence, notre personnalité
of which role we were playing.
quel que soit le rôle qu'on jouait.
by whichever role you're playing,
défini par le rôle que l'on joue,
true to yourself.
égal à soi-même.
to look like, or a follow.
est censé ressembler.
off the dance floor as well,
aussi hors des pistes,
the perfect opportunity
ça nous donne l'occasion parfaite
reinvigorate an old relic,
revigorer une vieille relique
of our era and our current way of being.
de notre époque et nos manières d'être.
all the time with women and men
en couple avec hommes et femmes
that this is a historic form
qu'il s'agit d'une expression historique
and produce invisibility
that we enjoy today.
dont nous jouissons aujourd'hui.
all the ideas that don't belong to us
qui ne nous appartient pas
to what it really always was:
à ce que cela toujours vraiment été :
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