Week Three

I often find it difficult to qualify some dancers as “good” (and therefore others as “bad”) due to the utter subjectivity I’ve found in the art of watching. What I might find impressive and beautiful is not necessarily the same as what others might find appealing. And that’s what makes dance and art so exciting! I do not believe that you have to be flexible (or thin, or ridiculously strong, or insert another adjective of choice here) to be a captivating performer. My aesthetic preference has proven to be as such: if you "own" the movement, if you "commit" to the movement, if you are personally invested and interested in the movement you are performing, I will be interested as well.

One element I believe we can agree on is the importance of expressivity in dance. You’ve led me to my next set of questions.

Check out these clips from Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, Belgium’s premier state-sponsored choreographer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs3wFNtqdAs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BkdcL804fo

Corollary Question(s):

Is dance expressive? Or rather, does it have to be? Can dance exist simply for the sake of movement? Or is there always inevitably an imbedded message? If you know anything about the history of modern dance (say, the Judson Church group), feel free to reference some of the historical ideas on this topic. If you are not familiar with this line of philosophical thought in dance theory and history, I’d love to hear your own ideas on the matter!

Week Two

I believe that you will agree that dancers who demonstrate an impressive “commitment” to movement achieve that distinction by giving whole-body, uninhibited performances. I hope that you begin to consider how you can apply this observation to your own dancing. Get your whole body involved! Let go of those inhibitions! No soapbox, here – just raw enthusiasm for the progress you’re going to make this term!

Many of you commented on the enviable flexibility of the dancers from Batsheva. What else besides the dancers’ flexibility caught your eye? This has inspired the next round of questions.

Check out this excerpt from “Café Muller” by German choreographer Pina Bausch, and a few clips from the brand new Wim Wenders documentary about her life, “PINA.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL31OTG7Io4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV2mPO5Ckeg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fy63Y1qAMI&

Corollary Question(s):

What, if any, are the baseline characteristics of a “good” dancer? For example, do you have to be flexible to be a good dancer? Or, can you be a captivating dancer even if you’re not especially flexible? Are there any traits that all successful dancers share?

Week One

Welcome to Beginning Contemporary Dance. These responses will not only be a vehicle for expressing your ideas, it will be my chance to share with you some of my favorite choreographers from around the world and some of my favorite topics of discussion. I have provided links to Youtube clips (generally under 5 minutes) and corollary questions. Your weekly tasks follow like so: watch the Youtube clip, read all of your classmates ideas and responses, and then provide a clear and concise reply to both the corollary questions and points brought up by your classmates. I hope that this will: 1) familiarize you with some important names in the dance world, and 2) encourage you to develop the observation and language skills to see and talk about dance. Since we only have 80 minutes in class each meeting, we will use all of that time to move! This, then, is where we will talk things out. Shall we?

First clip for viewing: Batsheva, a modern dance company from Israel. Over the summer I took a week long intensive with this company, and began learning their movement technique, called "Gaga". No, not like Lady Gaga. Batsheva has been around since before Lady Gaga was even born. My movement style is greatly influenced by Gaga technique. Check it out!

Corollary Question(s):

What stands out to you about their dancing? Do the dancers demonstrate an ability to embody movement that impresses you? What does it mean to "embody" movement? How do these dancers inspire you to approach this class?

If you need another example of a dancer fully embodying movement, enjoy the second clip from a DV8 Physical Theater (performance art group from the UK) dance-for-camera film entitled "The Cost of Living." Amazing.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=rCaHbOLGXfY

http://youtube.com/watch?v=yHV0CSwF25M