Barbies and Fosse Choreography-
As virtually every dancer, choreographer or dance company with a smart phone and a web connection has put their original and archival material online, the internet is awash with options—short and long, professional and amateur, serious and ironic.
The following written content by Lisa Traiger via Dance Magazine
As virtually every dancer, choreographer or dance company with a smart phone and a web connection has put their original and archival material online, the internet is awash with options—short and long, professional and amateur, serious and ironic.
But few are as novel as Warren Wright’s recent effort: re-creating Bob Fosse’s iconic “Rich Man’s Frug” entirely with Barbie dolls. The self-taught graphic and visual artist admits to a penchant for 20th-century movie musicals and mid-century pop culture and, while he never played with his sisters’ Barbies growing up in Los Angeles, he began collecting them as an adult. So when he wound up with plenty of time on his hands while sheltering in place, the Brooklyn-based Warrencito (his nom de plume) put the dolls to use.
Tell us a bit about your dance background.
When I was coming out in the early 1990s in Los Angeles, I had lots of friends who were back-up dancers for Britney Spears and were featured in other music videos. When we went out, I was on the dance floor learning moves from the big-name choreographers. People asked me if I was a professional dancer, and my running joke was, “No, I’m just gay.”
Why Barbies?
I’ve been collecting Barbies since the early 2000s. I’m very much into kitsch culture—the vintage Barbies are classic Americana. I just love the side-eye—it was just kinda shady, with an attitude. I began experimenting, first with dioramas in shadow boxes a few years ago, making set pieces and costumes like theater sets for Barbies.
And then stop action animation?
I began experimenting with that last year, before the shutdown, making stop-action videos—some less than a minute—of Hollywood films and TV shows. I did the Marilyn Monroe/Jane Russell number “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” from “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” There was a little movement here and there, but it was more about formations.
And then?
I always admired Fosse and that number. The great thing about it for me is it’s really stood the test of time. It’s very chic and it’s very aloof. I worked in luxury retail for 13 years in the West Village and the aloofness is everything. I also noticed that a lot of the Fosse stances were like mannequins. I wanted to see if I could capture that sophistication. Read more from Dance Magazine.
Follow News Without Politics for updates on arts, business and more amazing unbiased news stories.
Stay informed daily unbiased without media bias and ahead of influence.
