Danny Buraczeski is trading in his dancing shoes for a pair of comfy house slippers. After twenty-five years of rat-tat-tatting in Minnesota, he’s closing down Jazzdance, the clearinghouse of kineticism, spectacle, and imagination he gave birth to. The company is cooking up a finale inspired by everyone and everything from Duke Ellington and Judy Garland to African-American spirituals. There’s even a piece that sprang from the work of James Baldwin, Buraczeski’s favorite writer. After this final retrospective, Buraczeski looks forward to a simpler life of teaching and freelance choreography–and, perhaps, a lengthy sojourn on The Rake’s desert isle. Here’s what heÕd take along:
1. My new iPod, filled with every song composed by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn; every song sung by Mahalia Jackson; every song sung and composed by Rufus Wainwright; every piece of music played by violinist Gidon Kremer and the Kremerata Baltica; plus a few thousand other favorites. IÕd also have a portable solar charger, of course.
2. A case of Ketel One Citron Vodka–need one ask?
3. The Price of the Ticket, the collected essays of James Baldwin, whose mantra, “Say yes to life,” would be indispensable on an island.
4. A large box of unbreakable reading glasses.
5. Lots of paper, pens, and pencils to stay in touch with people I love. I could use the empty Ketel One bottles for sending messages.
A Life in Dance plays at the Southern Theater April 15 and 16; 612-340-1725; www.southerntheater.org
Leave a Reply