Many of us, stuck at home, have tapped our feet while sauteing vegetables, or spun around in a swivel chair, and suddenly found ourselves shimmying in front of the fridge. But what is a home dance party like for professionally trained swing dancers?
Nathan Bugh and Gaby Cook give us a peak in 5-10-15 Hours.
A Spot of Joy From Works & Process at the Guggenheim
The dance film, commissioned by Works & Process at the Guggenheim, begins with Bugh in the kitchen and Cook at her desk. The apartment could belong to any city-dweller, except for its suspicious level of cleanliness. Bugh’s green and gold shoes start tapping, and soon he is pulling Cook into an impromptu dance party. The duo maintain the joy of spontaneity throughout, though in reality each twirl and stomp must have been expertly choreographed. For some viewers, the piece may bring to mind a pantless Tom Cruize leaping about in Risky Business, or Hugh Grant wiggling his hips around 10 Downing Street in Love Actually.
The title 5-10-15 Hours refers to the soundtrack, a blues tune by Rudolph Toombs (though the version heard is from the Eyal Vilner Big Band) about two people in love. Bugh and Cook say in their artist statement, “Mr. Toombs was wise to stop [at 15 hours] as the present reality of indeterminate amounts of time together has proven difficult for some folks. Our film offers a daydream about what joy might be available despite these circumstances.”
The camera follows our protagonists as they dance through the bedroom, back to the kitchen, and over a chest of drawers. Their footwork is fast; their shoes are shiny; their smiles are bright—and possibly contagious. With a run time of just under four minutes, 5-10-15 Hours could be the perfect pick-me-up for those stuck at a desk all day. Hit play at lunchtime for a simple boost of positivity, or let it inspire you to have your own quarantine dance break. No, you probably won’t look quite as sauve as Bugh and Cook, but hey—you aren’t being filmed!
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To watch this film, visit the WPA Virtual Commissions YouTube channel.
Images courtesy of Works & Process at the Guggenheim.
