DPJ’s Urban Form series looks at the interplay between movement and surroundings through the lens of dancers and architecture in downtown Phoenix.
Dancer Alexandra Large. Photo by Ashley Baker.
Central and Camelback has always been a crossroads for the artsy and the posh. Lively with yogis, dancers, grocery shoppers and more, this Uptown Phoenix hub reminds me of my childhood. Whether it was my mother working in the area or modeling for Frances in school fashion shows, this spot is one that I love for its calm and its fullness. Though shops have come and gone, memories alway remain, like pizza at AJ’s Fine Foods and feeling like a cool kid in the parking lot on a Sunday morning.
Dancer Alexandra Large braved the chilly air as we investigated the storefront sidewalks at Uptown Plaza and found the peeking sun among the cooled cement. Between shots, we chatted about the “new” look of my childhood favorite spot. Still under construction, the something “new” is really something old. This idea of recycling and re-envisioning the existing structure is something I find admirable. Much like the streets she’s dancing on, jazz is a melding of older disciplines like ballet and African movement redesigned to create a new technique and aesthetic. The beauty of an ever-changing landscape is it often finds itself right back where it started.
