Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Dancing Jesus - Performance Art - Greenmarket Square, Cape Town
As part of the "Infecting the City" public arts festival, I saw today Beezy Bailey's short piece "Dancing Jesus" which involves two life-sized bronze sculptures and a tap dancing, high heel wearing Messiah, doing his thing to a very contemporary (almost rap) version of "Lord of the Dance".
I spoke to one of the organisers, who said that they had received a lot of hate mail from "Christians". Isn't that ironic? I wonder if those same "Christians" sing "Lord of the dance"? And if they do, I wonder what they think it might mean!
Lord of the Dance by Sydney Carter
I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth;
At Bethlehem I had my birth.
Refrain:
Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I'll lead you all in the dance, said he.
I danced for the scribe and the pharisee,
But they would not dance and they would not follow me.
I danced for the fishermen, for James and John
They came with me and the dance went on.
Refrain
I danced on the Sabbeth and I cured the lame;
The holy people said it was a shame.
They whipped and they stripped and they hung me on high;
They left me there on a cross to die.
Refrain
I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black
It's hard to dance with the devil on your back.
They buried my body and they thought I'd gone;
But I'm the dance and I still go on.
Refrain
They cut me down and I leapt up high;
I am the life that will never, never die;
I'll live in you if you'll live in me
I am the Lord of the Dance said he.
Refrain
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This sounds wonderful. I wonder if there's a video of it?
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of the Dancing Jesus icon by Phillip Barcio:
http://www.tikkun.org/article.php/may_jun_09_barcio
Going on the defensive stems from insecurity. Doesn't say much for the faith of the "christians". Or perhaps it speaks volumes?
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