This blog has been sorely neglected. This hasn't stopped any of my thought processes, I just haven't gotten them put online. And for the 5 or 6 of you who read this, you know the generalities of why. Artistically I'm in a slump. The dance community in my area strikes me as being banal and asinine. And for many of you artsy types, like myself, who don't know the exact meanings of those words, google them. They are great words. Granted, a large portion of my frustration is my personal lack of time and ability to commit. Life sometimes gets in the way. Yet I'm finding more and more that dancers lack the ability to simply think about what they are doing. I am interested in working with intelligent people. So many dancers get stuck in their own world that they are unwilling, or unable, to genuinely listen to their choreographers. And choreographers are so wrapped up in their own mysticism (as in the worship of subjective experience, or feelings) that they can no longer view their work as it exists in the world. They are more worried about how their dancers feel or whether their dancers like them. I have met one choreographer in Boston willing to yell at dancers to make them do what she wants. Never with malice, only with care for the work.
How to turn this post into something positive... Hmm...
Dancers: THINK!! You are all capable of it. Your mind is more important to the creation of art than your ability to put your leg behind your head. Now some choreographers are looking for your ability to put your leg behind your head and there is nothing wrong with that. But I would contend that those are the choreographers less interested in art and more interested in their vision of 'dance'. Use your head. Engage choreographers in discussion about their work. If you don't understand why you are doing something, say it. Tell them you think it is going no where. Be ready for their rebuttal, but ignite the conversation if they do not.
Choreographers: THINK!! You are not the center of the universe. Your work is not the greatest thing in the world. But you have something important to say, or else you would not be choreographing. Ask your dancers what they are thinking while they dance. Don't be afraid to yell. Tell them they are wrong. Tell them they can take their opinion and sit on it because you are in charge. Seek their thoughts and engage them in honest conversation. Honest conversation rarely results in instant agreement. The process of argumentation is an exercise in logic which will inevitably result in better art. Conflict can be a very good thing. But always bring a resolution. Don't leave people hanging. The quickest route to resentment is unresolved conflict. Be the bigger person. The dancers don't have to be there, and it is always a pain in the butt to train someone new. This is not to say that you should give up easily. Stand firm. Say 'no'. Say 'yes'. Say 'you are wrong'. Say 'do this not that'. Don't beat around the bush. Get your work done.
How to turn this post into something positive... Hmm...
Dancers: THINK!! You are all capable of it. Your mind is more important to the creation of art than your ability to put your leg behind your head. Now some choreographers are looking for your ability to put your leg behind your head and there is nothing wrong with that. But I would contend that those are the choreographers less interested in art and more interested in their vision of 'dance'. Use your head. Engage choreographers in discussion about their work. If you don't understand why you are doing something, say it. Tell them you think it is going no where. Be ready for their rebuttal, but ignite the conversation if they do not.
Choreographers: THINK!! You are not the center of the universe. Your work is not the greatest thing in the world. But you have something important to say, or else you would not be choreographing. Ask your dancers what they are thinking while they dance. Don't be afraid to yell. Tell them they are wrong. Tell them they can take their opinion and sit on it because you are in charge. Seek their thoughts and engage them in honest conversation. Honest conversation rarely results in instant agreement. The process of argumentation is an exercise in logic which will inevitably result in better art. Conflict can be a very good thing. But always bring a resolution. Don't leave people hanging. The quickest route to resentment is unresolved conflict. Be the bigger person. The dancers don't have to be there, and it is always a pain in the butt to train someone new. This is not to say that you should give up easily. Stand firm. Say 'no'. Say 'yes'. Say 'you are wrong'. Say 'do this not that'. Don't beat around the bush. Get your work done.
1 comment:
Hopefully this vent was satisfying to let out, it was fairly satisfying to read.
Now... figure out what you want out of this imperfect dance community and take it by force!!! You're far too talented to walk away or accept the slump. Screw dancers, screw choreographers, what do YOU want for yourself in dance land?
Motivational speech aside, I do agree with a lot of these thoughts. I love being questioned by dancers, even if I am grossly unprepared to answer the questions. It makes me think and scramble for answers and often forge great trains of thought stemming from in rehearsal discussions. There's nothing less motivating than trying to push through a rehearsal with apathetic really flexible robots. I agree in theory with your words on choreographers, but I rarely put that approach into practice for some reason. There's something great about watching dancers try to find their way out of a choreographic problem on their own, before stepping in or correcting. Most of the time you get some weird results, but every now and then you get something brilliant.
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