National Dance Week (NDW)-NYC, what a lovely hidden gem in the NYC dance sphere. The10-day long festival that I was (as embarrassed as I am to admit) previously unaware of, I am happy to say I was involved and impressed with this year's festivities. One of the reasons I'm madly in love with Manhattan is the privilege of walking around - to the Subway, around Union Square at work, past many a dance studio - and being surrounded by dance both formally and informally. This comes as no surprise though - this is, after all, very "New York."
To get a feel for what happened from June 15th-26th please take a look at the below articles from examiner.com. It's the kind of thing all us dance lovers should really make an effort to not only partake in, but promote, as it exposes dance (and all different kinds of dance!) to the wider public...and isn't that one of our constant challenges?
Recap:
NDW-NYC 2011 Festival Line-Up
NDW-NYC Flash Mob Kick-Off Event 2011
NDW-NYC Culminating Performance 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Placing a Price on Dance
"Combative Interview" indeed.
Interview: "A Lack of Compassion?"
The Canadian Sun News interview occurred on June 1st, 2011, offering a truly astonishing look at the gap of knowledge, appreciation and understanding of the arts and the wider public - or to be more specific, the "taxpayers."
It is truly amazing how ignorant people can be about the arts... particularly when they are not "their cup of tea." Sun News journalist, Krista Erickson, made quite a jab when she asked, "Why is this (insert a condescending arm movement that seemed to imply "modern dance") costing the taxpayers $1.2 million dollars?"
Interviewing dancer/choreographer (hailing from Canada herself) Margie Gillis, Erickson brought up many more hard-hitting, constant challenges for artists such as surviving in the Creative Economy, the idea of censorship, and the tax payer's role in funding the arts. Each revolved around the notion of WORTH.
Erickson certainly doesn't present herself as a fan of the arts, nor open to a respect of their worth to an overall society. Her views portrayed in her questioning blindly equate this idea of compassion that Gillis brings up with fiscal generosity. The question of value in terms of profit vs. the intangible betterment of society, soul is seen from Gillis' and Erickson's two extremely different notions.
Any dancer, choreographer, general appreciative audience member will most likely find this disturbing. It is not so much the issues brought up - valid, controversial even - rather it's the vivid absence of understanding about the "why's?" and "hows?" of the sector of the arts when it comes to funding, appreciation, and WORTH in society. People genuinely are unaware, which is easy to forget when you are one of a minority living and making efforts in that world.
Talk about a wake-up call to talk more, see more, dance more and write about it more. Thanks to Gillis for starting this conversation.
Interview: "A Lack of Compassion?"
The Canadian Sun News interview occurred on June 1st, 2011, offering a truly astonishing look at the gap of knowledge, appreciation and understanding of the arts and the wider public - or to be more specific, the "taxpayers."
It is truly amazing how ignorant people can be about the arts... particularly when they are not "their cup of tea." Sun News journalist, Krista Erickson, made quite a jab when she asked, "Why is this (insert a condescending arm movement that seemed to imply "modern dance") costing the taxpayers $1.2 million dollars?"
Interviewing dancer/choreographer (hailing from Canada herself) Margie Gillis, Erickson brought up many more hard-hitting, constant challenges for artists such as surviving in the Creative Economy, the idea of censorship, and the tax payer's role in funding the arts. Each revolved around the notion of WORTH.
Erickson certainly doesn't present herself as a fan of the arts, nor open to a respect of their worth to an overall society. Her views portrayed in her questioning blindly equate this idea of compassion that Gillis brings up with fiscal generosity. The question of value in terms of profit vs. the intangible betterment of society, soul is seen from Gillis' and Erickson's two extremely different notions.
Any dancer, choreographer, general appreciative audience member will most likely find this disturbing. It is not so much the issues brought up - valid, controversial even - rather it's the vivid absence of understanding about the "why's?" and "hows?" of the sector of the arts when it comes to funding, appreciation, and WORTH in society. People genuinely are unaware, which is easy to forget when you are one of a minority living and making efforts in that world.
Talk about a wake-up call to talk more, see more, dance more and write about it more. Thanks to Gillis for starting this conversation.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
First Impressions
Often the first sentences of my dance reviews are descriptive of the first few moments of the performance - the moments right after the curtain rises and lights go up. Similar to a job interview or simply meeting someone for the first time, the beginning moments of a dance performance create an instant impression on an audience member. It sets the tone of what we are about to witness, sometimes welcoming us, intriguing us, perhaps even shocking us. It's an opportunity for the choreographer to grab our attention somehow. It's comparable also to writing - entering the piece creatively to get the reader's attention right away, which is something I've only recently noticed I do when writing about dance - a way to parallel my experience viewing the performance, I suppose.
This idea of making a "first impression" certainly speaks to the prevalence of short attention spans in our society, but knowing this also gives the choreographer (in regards to dance) a challenge and chance to make the impression they wish that, hopefully, the audience will take away with them as it is expanded or toyed with throughout the rest of the dance.
Nicely done by choreographer and co-artistic director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Dwight Rhoden in the opening scene created in Moon Over Jupiter (2001) at the Joyce Theater this past weekend...
"Beginning with female dancers upstage, their weight pouring onto their pointe shoe tip as they sit in a deep lunge, the male dancers in front balance on their hands, crouched with legs bent and open, their arms winding behind their knees. The abstract image of the shapes of their chiseled bodies is slowly illuminated, igniting the wonderfully off-kilter, quirky ballet."
To check out the complete review of this performance please visit EYE ON THE ARTS.
This idea of making a "first impression" certainly speaks to the prevalence of short attention spans in our society, but knowing this also gives the choreographer (in regards to dance) a challenge and chance to make the impression they wish that, hopefully, the audience will take away with them as it is expanded or toyed with throughout the rest of the dance.
Nicely done by choreographer and co-artistic director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Dwight Rhoden in the opening scene created in Moon Over Jupiter (2001) at the Joyce Theater this past weekend...
"Beginning with female dancers upstage, their weight pouring onto their pointe shoe tip as they sit in a deep lunge, the male dancers in front balance on their hands, crouched with legs bent and open, their arms winding behind their knees. The abstract image of the shapes of their chiseled bodies is slowly illuminated, igniting the wonderfully off-kilter, quirky ballet."
To check out the complete review of this performance please visit EYE ON THE ARTS.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Thank you
barely a whisper
inside out
mistaken
consumed
it was only a sliver
she'd let herself capture
too worn out for the stare down.
sure of this,
but not ready
the "how" unbearable for more
than the fleeting thought
Still, the present holds its name
cannot be ingnored
ugly or unwanted = irrelevant
look.
look right at those blue
vulnerable
eyes. reflecting back
with their dimmed light
they are there.
barely a whisper of herself today.
but still Relevant.
maybe relevancy sparks
Surprise.
J. Thompson
12.16.2010
Not much to be said other than 'thank you' to the wonderful friend and dancer who asked to use this poem as the starting point for her next dance project. It's incredible to see something that stemmed from such a hard place for me inspire someone else.
<3
Ankole Modern
Last January 2010, I had the pleasure of spening a little under a month in Kampala, Uganda, studying dance with fellow college students (from NYU's Dance Education Graduate program as well as Uganda's Makerere University) and teaching dance to children from various organizations. It was an experience that I cannot speak highly enough about and I think about often.
Just recently, one of the many great friends I made in Kampala, Ssekate Ivanovich, shared some video footage of our performance at the Uganda National Theater of Ankole Modern - a piece choreographed and taught by Deborah Damast, an NYU professor, that was inspired by the Ugandan Ankole cow's look and movement.
If you have a facebook account, please check out the links below to view footage of our performance!
ANKOLE MODERN - Intro (1 & 2)
ANKOLE MODERN - Part 3
ANKOLE MODERN - Part 4
To read further about this trip, please visit Dancer's Diary: CULTURAL COLLABORATIONS, my diary for Dance Spirit Magazine's January 2011 issue chronicling my experience as a student, teacher, American and dancer in Uganda.
Just recently, one of the many great friends I made in Kampala, Ssekate Ivanovich, shared some video footage of our performance at the Uganda National Theater of Ankole Modern - a piece choreographed and taught by Deborah Damast, an NYU professor, that was inspired by the Ugandan Ankole cow's look and movement.
If you have a facebook account, please check out the links below to view footage of our performance!
ANKOLE MODERN - Intro (1 & 2)
ANKOLE MODERN - Part 3
ANKOLE MODERN - Part 4
To read further about this trip, please visit Dancer's Diary: CULTURAL COLLABORATIONS, my diary for Dance Spirit Magazine's January 2011 issue chronicling my experience as a student, teacher, American and dancer in Uganda.
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