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Austin360 blogs > Austin Arts: Seeing Things > Archives > 2009 > February > 13
Friday, February 13, 2009
Remixing cultural history: DJ Spooky’s ‘Rebirth of a Nation’
Musician/multimedia artist DJ Spooky — aka Paul D. Miller — applied his brainy DJ techniques to probably the most infamous movie in American history, D.W. Griffith’s 1915 film “Birth of a Nation,” based on an explicitly melodramatic staged play and novel “The Clansman.” As bigoted as Griffith’s movie is, even today, film scholars note its groundbreaking cinematic innovations and technical effects.
Miller — an Ivy League grad whose work has often been presented at museums around the world — re-mixed Griffth’s film into “Rebirth of a Nation,” performing it as a live multimedia performance with Miller’s score. Think multiple screens flashing images and Miller at the turntables.
The live performance of “Rebirth of a Nation” was then made into a film with Miller’s score performed by none other than the notable and adventurous The Kronos Quartet. (Hey — Miller is smart. He edited “Sound Unbound: Sampling Digital Music and Culture,” a brainiac compendium of texts by musicians about music, sound and contemporary culture.)
Sunday, Miller comes to Austin to introduce a screening of “Rebirth of a Nation and conduct a Q & A afterwards.
‘Rebirth of a Nation’
WHERE: The Alamo Drafthouse RItz
WHEN: 2 p.m. Q & A to follow
TIX: $15 at the door or online at http://www.originalalamo.com/
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Talking, about cities and arts and music
Next American City — a national quarterly magazine published by a non-profit organization of the same name dedicated to promoting socially and environmentally sustainable economic growth — is setting up camp in town next week for two public discussion forums.
Admission for non-subscribers is $15 in advance or $20 at the door and includes a free one-year subscription to Next American City.
UrbanNexus Lecture Series
‘The Place for Culture’
6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 18
George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center
1165 Angelina Street
Featuring Michael Oden, graduate advisor for community and regional planning at the University of Texas at Austin. Can a vibrant cultural scene bolster economic growth? Join Michael as he discusses the relationship between artistic and cultural activity and local economic development. A panel of representatives from the arts community - Bobby Garza, Ann Graham, Jason Neulander and Beatrice Thomas - will respond.
‘The Future of Live Music’
The Independent, 501 Studios
501 North IH-35
Guests include host Mike Henry of Austin Poetry Slam and a panel of local music industry professionals including Paul Oveisi of the Live Music Task Force, John Riedie of Rampart Art Management and musician Chris Nine. The night will feature food, drinks and a salon-style conversation on Austin’s viability as a legendary music community.
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International dance teacher’s to descend on Austin
Ballet Austin’s Butler Dance Education Center selected as the site for the 2009 International Dance Teachers Seminar, April 3-5.
This intensive 3-day course, presented and organized by The Institute for Dance Education Arts will focus on enhancing teaching and coaching skills and the underlying methodology and technical understanding of imparting this knowledge.
The seminar has been held for the past five years in Miami at the New World School of the Arts.
The central presenter in this year’s three-day conference will be Dinna Bjorn—one of today’s most respected master teachers. Ms. Bjorn is recognized throughout the dance world as one of the premier pedagogues of the Bournonville style. The philosophy of the method of teaching employed by the Bournonville School along with basic understanding of the student’s development with class progression, placement and style, will be comprehensively covered.
REGISTER: By March 25 at www.americanballetcompetition.com
COST: $350 for teachers, $35 - $175 for intermediate-advanced students age 13-19
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