The financing, adds $50 million in federal money already designated to the development corporation.

Still unresolved is whether to build the performing arts center on the World Trade Center site, as called for in the master plan, or at 130 Liberty Street, site of the former Deutsche Bank building. The center’s primary tenant is to be the Joyce Theater, which presents dance.”

Furthermore, “Ms. Julie Menin, chairwoman of Community Board One, says “It can’t just be the Joyce,” Ms. Menin said in an interview. “We need major world-class cultural organizations that are going to bring people from all over the world. We need to incentivize the private sector to come behind the performing arts center.”

Why not just cut to the chase, and have an international performing arts center. As a part of the “master plan.”

Either way, the point of this gig, is that “body as sensual instrument” (ala dance) is the jewel of NYC’s crown for this arts complex. Very sensual. About physicality. About dancer’s touching. Bodies everywhere.

Random (not logically written) thoughts and possible directions of the future of arts and culture’s trends based on this news:

Beyonce is a better dancer than Lady Gaga. So she’s sitting pretty -as dance strong.

After 9-11′s news imaging of bodies leaping out of windows in extreme heat, (a picture of waste, hate, fear, futility, devaluing of life); images of a ‘body garden?’ uplifting the spirit in dance, is quite a good answer – as the central focus of this center at site Ground Zero.

In an age of digital media, where touching computer screens or phones, is what we do to entertain, find news, order dinner, meet new people, or chat to them online; dance, provides the perfect spectacle of watching dancers touch – to balance out digital media culture’s effects on disconnection in real time, face to face dialogue.

Of course, dance showcase stories? are still a stand in for intimacy, just like digital media is. Yet this gives the allusion of communities touching, with a dance center, with ancillary arts facilities, around dance for New York.

I am reminded that Kanye West, has a gazillion teen ballet dancers, around him, as he role plays a leader in his latest outing of hip hop culture. (Kanye’s SNL performance, with Caesar/ Empire imaging.

More importantly, from a hori perspective, how can Maoris of New Zealand and Polynesian people from Hawaii down to Tokelau Islands and Stewart Island etc, jump on trapezes and learn that Cirque de Soleil French-Vegas acrobatic stuff – so that we can start having kapa haka (Maori cultural performing arts musical theater) happening in this gig too?

Imagine ‘the impossible’ if Polynesians were taken ‘seriously’ as super-skinny dancers and could rock it out, with our beautiful cultural dances, being elevated a little – to entertain from The Big Apple also? Lol!

Now casting those kinds of Polynesian dancers.

What’s needed now, is an array of different, world cultures that can tell narratives through dance diversely. Meaning, choreographers are big, next on the American star template.

Cross-cultural narratives (cross-class narratives too) are always going to be the best.

Because new culture happens at the center of two opposing axis (like debate. or a cross. or colliding stars. or juxtapositions meeting -opera/ meets rock/ or hip hop. etc). That being a tip, for anyone writing the next big musical, or danced based musical on the planet. Exciting stuff.

The next big star then, is a pairing between an ‘Andrew Lloyd Webber’ musical writer and a ‘Dance Choreographer’ then. Obviously.

And um, who exactly is going to be whispering in these peoples ears to create dance showcases or dance musicals (Britney Spears Circus Tour, was a proven touring dance musical template already -cos, she lip-synced, proudly and danced her way through the entire tour)? The people who create ‘The Master Plan.’ Kidding. :)

Washington political themes as dance and culture?, overlaid with magnificent, disciplined (mainly young) faces? A winning combo to get a message across via the arts.

Dancers are always supermodels of health, exercise and fitness at a top level. Lean as the new model citizen. But healthy lean, not model thin without strength.

I wonder what the narrative themes could be, of good upcoming dance material?

Given the location they’re being performed in – obviously, forgiveness, tolerance, resilience, rebuilding, grace, healing, restoration – will all be hot themes of this center, to evoke the significance of the tragedies that once occurred through the dance centers walls.

This is the center – of America’s future ‘dance confessional’ of sorts for ‘reflection’ and ‘inspiration.’

For example, if something bad happens to anyone in America – ‘everyone gets tickets,’ (Oprah style) to see one of these dance shows – to reflect at this Arts Center – like the 9-11 families have had to transcend family loss. This arts center, is that place. Almost hallowed ground.

A national grief monument, where you leave your grief behind, and leave inspired by dance – is going to be more meaningful than Broadway musicals. Not a bad sweetener – for those who’ve loved, lived and lost.

But back to the present: A doubled budget for an Arts Center. Very cool.

[In 1971, Alvin Ailey created one of his best-known ballets as a birthday present for his mother. Ailey dedicated it to "all black women everywhere -- especially our mothers."

The three-part ballet, set to popular and gospel music by Alice Coltrane, Laura Nyro and Chuck Griffin, depicts a woman's journey through the agonies of slavery to an ecstatic state of grace:
http://www.alvinailey.org who was recently was honored by Michelle Obama in The White House. Dance is hot. And, star dancers are the new arm candy for the 2010's of the A-List set. But dancers being taken seriously to be A-listed. That will be a change. Beyonce, Britney Spears, Janet Jackson are three that are A-List. More coming soon in the ballet genre].

~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 10.7.10~