Buddha With Thousand Hands hello humanity, generous, generous humanity…
in lieu of writing about my own experiences in the realm of film making i’d like to present something simply lovely in its performative existence. this is a recording/presentation of an ode to the buddhist goddess of compassion, kuan yin.
i admit it is peculiar to be presenting religious worship from the atheist corners of this world. the government of china has been disabusing its populace of the notion of religion for quite a long time. and if it wasn’t such a horrror show i’d be laughing at the way they install their own proxies and doxies into positions of nonsecular power and prominence. whatever became of the fake dali lama they threw out there anyway?
i’m sure this presentation is no different. who are these young men and women enacting the body of kuan yin? and those white garbed cheerleaders off to the sides? we will never know. and while it is an amazing job they do how much more powerful would the work be if there were no injunctions and the dancers were all believers.
Published by Pol Rosenthal
Pol Rosenthal has been working in Seattle's theater and music scenes for over 20 years. He used to publish a cultural arts journal then moved to Seattle to be in a rock band, TCHKUNG. This lead to him working with DK Pan's senses altering Butoh company, the P.A.N. In the late 90s he worked for sonic conspiracy company Muzak and while
walking out the door helped found radical street art/action group the Infernal Noise Brigade. There he befriended and became a member of multi-disciplinary effort The Degenerate Art Ensemble. Eventually, he
moved in next door to Seattle theater company Implied Violence (now St. Genet) and has enjoyed a multi-year, unhealthy relationship to
their demanding work and philosophies. Last year he was in Curtis Taylor's 'The White Days' as an "actor". Presently he's wrapped up dancing in Paige Barnes' modern dance piece 'Lead Bunny' (Oct 2012) and is working on Dayna Hanson's rock musical 'Gloria's Cause'. In October he collaborated with Real Change editor Rosette Royale on a wonderful installation, 'JungleBox', for City Arts Fest.
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