Attore, modello, ballerino... Se poi aggiungiamo che è australiano, è proprio il caso di dire che non vi facciamo mancare nulla...
Coreografo, insegnante, cantante, ecc...
Il suo corpo disegnato sulla danza ha ispirato molti fotografi ed artisti, noi l'abbiamo intervistato:
Q. Let's speak about your art: why did you start dancing and what do you like to do?A. I started dancing at the age of 6. Myself and my two older sisters formed a singing group called The Simons Trio when I was about 5. We would sing and dance, performing around the local area at different functions. Naturally, we all got put into dance classes. Graduatly, my sisters decided to stop dancing, but I kept going!I love contemporary dance. I am trained in ballet, and have performed a lot of it, but my passion is in contemporary dance and choreography. It’s a fantastic job.Q. For how much time per day do you train? Do you follow a hard diet?A. When I was studying dance in university, I was dancing about 11 hours a day. Nowadays, as a freelance dancer, it depends on the project I’m doing at the time. Whenever I’m not dancing, I try to hit the gym to make sure my body keeps moving. I’ve fallen in love with the gym.I watch what I eat, but I don’t follow a strict diet.
Q. Do you put a bit of eroticism in your art? If yes, what's the "perfect erotic thing" in your mind?
A. I don’t actually think about erotism when doing dance photography. For me it’s more about making shapes with the body and helping to create interesting body shapes.
When on stage, dance is about storytelling, and even when there isn’t a strict narractive or characters to follow, I always try to find a REASON for the dance to place. Otherwise it’s just gymnastics (which I love as well, but it’s a diffrent thing!)
I guess if I had to comment on erotisism, I think what is not seen is often more interesting than what is being seen. Imagination is a powerful thing.
Q. Let's speak about your life: do you like it, are you happy?
A. I’m incredibly happy with how things are going. I’ve worked with many great companies, fantastic choreographers and performed all over the world. I’m now starting to perform my own work which I love too. I lead a very busy life, but it’s busy because I’ve made it that way, and it’s busy with exciting things that make me want to get up in the morning.
I love being a freelance artist. In a single week I can be choreographing a musical, editing a dance film, writing an article for a dance magazine, and performing that evening. I love it.
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| gli incredibili scatti di David Kawena |
Q. Nowadays what's the role and significance of dance? What's the point of dancing in TV shows, theatres, movies?A. I think dance will always have a place in our word. There’s something emotional about it, a physical response to how you’re feeling. Good dance can be incredibly entertaining, so it makes sense to team it with our most popular entertainment mediums. I love seeing fantastic dancers doing awesome choreography on TV. It brings the artform to the masses, and that can only be a good thing. Having dance in TV, film and theatre legitamises dance, and makes it relevant. I don’t think it will ever become insignificant.Q. Have you ever worked for fashion? What do you think about fashion?A. I’ve done a small amount in fashion. A little modelling, and have even coached some fashion models in movement training! Fashion and dance have had a long and happy life influencing each other, and I always think there is room to continue that love affair. I’d love to work more in fashion, perhaps not as a model, but directing runway shows. I would love that.
Q. Let's speak about art in general: do you have fav artists? Do you have inspiring people in your mind while working?A. When I’m choreographing, I often think of some of the classic choreographers of our generation: Pina Bauch, Mats Ek, Lloyd Newson etc. Not to copy them, but I do think it’s important to acknowledge the work that has come before you.Outside of dance, I am often inspired by writers. I’m particularly passionate about comedy, and a lot of my choreography seems to have a comedic underscore. I think Oscar Wilde and Tina Fey are brilliant. I LOVE the TV show ‘Friends’, so the writing of David Crane and Marta Kauffman is enourmously inspiring to me, also stand up comedians like Michael McIntyre. And of course, the true Shakespeare of our time: Steven Sondheim.Q. And what about technology: are a tecno-maniac?A. I wouldn’t call myself a techno-maniac, but I do have a deep fascination with technology - in particular its ability to expand the audience for dance. I think social media and the internet in general holds great potential for generating new audiences.I do spend most of my time outside of the dance studio on my laptop or on my phone. As a freelancer, I am an artist, but I am also a businessman, manager, my own advertising team, my own Personal Assistant, and my own producer. All those roles keep me very busy, and I rely on the technology around me a lot.
Il sito ufficiale dell'artista: josephsimonsdance.com