The Parable of the Sound Dubber and the Dance Film

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, what art form most captures the energy of life?”

Josh spoke thus:

A sound dubber was watching a dancer on film.

“I don’t want to add sound,” the sound dubber said to the movie director.

“It’s meaningless without sound,” the movie director said.

“The music is the sound,” the sound dubber said, “The dancer is motion.  What more do you need?”

“I need breathing,” the movie director said, “I need weight.  I need lightness.”

“I can do the breathing,” the sound dubber said, “And weight I can do, but lightness, that’s a challenge.”

“Counterpoint the music,” the movie director said, “Harmonize the movement.”

“Like this?” the sounder dubber asked.  The sound dubber made a tapping sound on a piece of wood.  The tapping sounded like footsteps.

“That’s not counterpoint,” the movie director said, “That’s augmentation.  Everyone knows what steps sound like.  I need them to hear what the steps feel like.”

The sound dubber tapped on a bongo drum.

“No, no, no!” the movie director said, “I said harmonize, not syncopate!”

“That was counterpoint,” the sound dubber said.

“That was jazz,” the movie director said, “This is ballet!  Haven’t you ever been to the ballet?”

The sound dubber admitted to never having been to the ballet.

“A stage floor,” the movie director said, “Especially a dance floor, has a give to it.  It absorbs the dancer’s energy, then gives it back.”

“Like a trampoline?” the sound dubber asked.

“Tighter than a trampoline,” the movie director said.

“Like a bass drum?” the sound dubber asked.

“Like a window and a butterfly,” the movie director said.

The sound dubber looked around the sound studio.

“I know it’s around here somewhere,” the sound dubber said, but the sound dubber couldn’t find whatever it was.

“I’ll be back,” the sound dubber said, and the sound dubber ran out of the room.  When the sound dubber returned, the movie director asked where the sound dubber had gone.

“There’s a medical supply wholesaler across the street,” the sound dubber said, “Now, listen to this!”

The sound dubber put the earpieces of a stethoscope in the movie director’s ears and held the diaphragm to the movie director’s chest.

“Not a heartbeat,” the movie director said.

“Just listen,” the sound dubber said.  The sound dubber tapped on the movie director’s chest.

“Lungs, blood and beat,” the sound dubber said, “Breathing, weight and lightness.”

“The sound of life,” the movie director said.

“The sound of motion,” the sound dubber said.