Keone Madrid is Bold as Love

April 10, 2015

These days, watching the news can feel pretty depressing. It seems like there’s a lot of hate—between countries, political parties, even members of the same family. But just because hatred hogs most of the media spotlight doesn’t mean we’re living in a loveless world. One of the things we can do as artists is highlight the bond of shared humanity, (excuse the High School Musical reference but) the “we’re all in this together” mentality that can be so much more powerful than any war.

You’ve probably heard dance referred to as the universal language. For example, at least twice within the last couple of years, we’ve witnessed U.S./Iraq communication through dance: first with the break-dancing diplomats of First Step Iraq, then with the Skype dance student Aadel Qies Aadel. But dance’s power to bridge oceans can happen on a much smaller scale, too. Maybe you’ve danced with an international student at a summer intensive, or been one yourself. Or perhaps you’ve seen a company like Nederlands Dans Theater or Batsheva perform, or studied with a choreographer from outside the U.S. Point being, the dance world is super small, so chances are, you’ve already had at least one international dance experience.

This idea inspired Keone Madrid‘s most recent video, set to John Mayer’s “Bold As Love.” The video features members of Madrid’s biological family (including his adorable baby sister), as well as members of his widespread dance family—namely members of the Japanese crew Stkgz. The message is powerful: The boldness of love overpowers hate. And the choreo is true to Madrid’s distinctly musical style. Seriously, his ability to capture every single sound in a completely original way is ridiculous. Check it out!