The poetry of unstable balance
We are accustomed to grasping art through the emotions aroused by sculptures, paintings, installations, ballets or musical compositions. It is less often the case that equally intense emotions are expressed through performance art such as that of Miyoko Shida.
Miyoko Shida is a Japanese dancer who makes the power of concentration the foundation of her art, that of creating extraordinary compositions that exist solely through precise precarious balance.
We have told you about Balance Stone, the art of "balancing stones," practiced by Michael Grab. In Miyoko Shida's case, the concept is the same: to create masterpieces that defy all physical laws, where each piece supports the other thanks to the invisible thread of concentration that keeps the entire work in balance.
The balance that Miyoko Shida shows us is fascinating and has something poetic about it, perhaps because of the elegance of the movements that are so accurate, the sweetness of the background music, or the white feather meticulously placed on the palm wood, reminding us throughout the performance how delicate and harmonious the artist's technique is.
Miyoko Shida creates her compositions by "dancing" to the rhythm of the accompanying music.You will be surprised to see how the artist manages to create a work with such precision and in perfect precarious balance, using only long, thin palm wood and a large white feather, a symbol of lightness and elevation.
Don't miss this spectacular video of the performance that Miyoko Shida performed during a television broadcast, and which left the entire audience breathless for the duration of the performance! Only at the end, when the work is done, do we realize how unstable and precarious the balance created is. Miyoko shows us that the whole thing is in perfect harmony, but that it only takes a single gesture to collapse the entire work: simply removing the feather.
We leave you with seven minutes of poetry not to be missed: click here.