I have been thinking a lot lately about the role of dance in my life. A thought has been forming in my head for a long time and it has to do with my idea of pre-futurism in dance. This is to say that dance does not need to stand alone in a theater. I saw the play Lord of the Flies at the Round House Theater choreographed by Kelly Mayfield and what she did with movement in the play was quite inspiring. What I liked about Lord of the Files was that there was a solid story, the acting was good and they moved well. The choreography made sense to what they were communicating and it was not over done but it was intricate and relevant and resolutely dance! The set, the costumes and the suspension of disbelief were all integrated in a well executed performance.
So often someone makes a dance about a subject and in the end the dancing is the least important part of the work. Why do we feel like we have to put movement to something that does not require a display of movement? You know what I mean, you look at a work and wonder why this is not a five second piece or done as another art form. Why not just make a work that does just that, a 30 second commercial. Is that not how our minds work? Why ramble on for 20 minutes saying nothing or saying the same thing over and over without using other non-dance devices to go deeper into the subject. Movement cannot say everything, so for all of you who repeat the line that movement speaks for itself, wake up, it does not.
My skills as a dancer and choreographer are valid skills that transfer to theater and visual arts. Dancers have skills that they just do not use and they put movement where something else would work better. Collaborate with yourself!
SUPA
Neil Greenberg Susan Rethorst John Jasperse Jeanine Durning
WORKSHOPS BY CHOREOGRAPHERS FOR CHOREOGRAPHERS
July 7 - August 2, 2008
Intensive yet relaxed working situation - small groups - affordable -
located on the campus of Wilson College in Pennsylvania
Studio Upsun* in Pennsylvania - SUPA - is designed to provide
opportunities to engage in in-depth investigations of choreographic
practices. We have looked for rigorous and sophisticated choreographers who
are also interested in teaching and its relationship to making. We have
given them an entire week to work with a limited amount of students (max
14) via composition, repertory, mentoring, or any combination of practices
they feel useful. It is our hope that these workshops will result in a give
and take of knowledge and practice that is rigorous, personal, intense, and
intensely pleasurable.
*Upsun: (noun) the period between the rising and setting of the sun.
One week $330 plus room, discounts available.
For more information and/or to register, write to
susanr@ahk.nl, or visit www.wilson.edu/supa .
As I traveled around NYC I thought that the subway was a great place to do a dance so I did one. David Morneau created the score for this one.
http://60x365.com
David Morneau sent me a composition he calls Say What and low and behold if there was not a great big statue of Confucius that plopped down in the middle of the George Mason University campus. I decided to explore what Confucius said through movement.
http://60x365.com
I can't quite say why I went to the supermarket for this dance but I do the double helix for Thresa's birthday. Her birthday was yesterday so I was looking for microbes. Did I find them, yes, they are everywhere. Happy Birthday T.
Ok so I was listening to David Morneau's 60x365 and Todd was around the corner and he said that is what you should have used for my dance. I told him that it was not Friday and I only do music with David on Friday. Todd insisted and I thought it worked pretty well. So here is Todd at the Newseum with a composition by David Morneau.
http://60x365.com
Todd and I went down to the Newseum the night before it opened on Friday and flimed some dances. I really loved the Newseum. I went there on opening day and would certainly pay the $20 admission fee or the $75 yearly fee to see it again and again. The news is timeless. Todd does a double solo for you.
http://www.newseum.org/
http://onanonproductions.com
This dance takes place in front of Union Station. It is the DC train station which was designed by Daniel Burnham. David Morneau created composed a score while in the NYC subway.
http://60x365.com
This is my beginning modern class at George Mason University. We took a break from jumping and rolling on the floor to making up funny stories. I learned this from Liz Lerman in the early 1990's and I still use it.
I have 30 days left before danceaday ends. In some ways I know it will go super fast. I just can't believe that it has been almost a year. Making 30 videos seems like nothing now and perhaps that is why I wanted to spend this past year making these videos. I have not explored as much as I would have thought or used all of the possibilities of Premiere Pro that I planned to. Most of the effects are not that interesting and many times I added an effect just to remove it before I posted it.
An exciting new website is live. http://choreojournal.com/index.html
This is amazing stuff.
Forty years ago today Martin Luther King was assissinated. This dance honors the legacy of this great man. David Morneau says: this is another piece made from his voice. this time i used the phrase "Like anybody, I would like to live."
http://60x365.com
More of Kate dancing at the Cherry Blossom festival. I especially like the little boy at the end. The Washington Balalaika Society provided the music for this one as well.
Kate and I were at the Cherry Blossom Festival and we heard some music from the Washington Balalaika Society and danced among the blossoms.
http://www.balalaika.org/
http://katejordan.net
