Editorial – Page 33

Making Dances: To Theme or Not to Theme?

June 21, 2012 by Ashley David

by Lauren Warnecke

I was working tech on a show recently and the choreographer presented two pieces of modern dance. Before the show she gave a brief introduction to each piece, and explained that the first piece was a narrative and the second was a “pure movement” dance. She encouraged them to find the story within the first dance, while not toiling over the second; just to sit back and relax. It might be crucial to mention at this point that the audience consisted of 800+ physicists who inherently look for the greater meaning in everything. This got me thinking about how they might respond to the two pieces, both individually and as a whole experience.

There are conflicting opinions in modern dance with some choreographers gravitating toward stories and themes, and others making “dance for dance’s sake”. Many do some combination of the two, or abstract their work to the point that any allegorical relevance is beyond comprehension to the naked eye (this is where program notes come in handy). Some dances may rely on a simple adjective, feeling, or concept to generate the dance, where others may go to the extreme of being full-on story ballets that aren’t ballet. You might see this in choreographers like Mark Morris, while Trisha Brown runs a tight ship of process-driven, anti-thematic dances consisting of pure movement. [Read more…]

Positivity and Self-Awareness in Dance

June 11, 2012 by 4dancers

by Emily Zager

Dance encourages us to improve our bodies, tell a story, and embrace the energy in every moment. It can enable us to grow, encourage focus, and leave our own worlds behind as we take to the classroom floor or stage. Dance can universally improve quality of life for us, no matter our age, body type or level of technique.

As dancers, we are faced with our share of challenges that can hinder or threaten our growth in the industry as well as in ourselves. Sometimes, these instances are out of our control. However, these are the times it is most important to encourage our emotional and mental identities to reflect our physically strong and resilient selves.

In October 2009, I was a busy and energetic junior in college when I fell ill. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a disorder that causes inflammation within the small intestine and colon. Immediately, I wondered how this unpredictable condition would alter my daily activities, as well as affect my ability to dance. At the time, I was in the midst of obtaining my minor degree in dance, taking multiple classes and preparing for performances.

I was suddenly faced with an uncharted situation, but I refused to let my condition change me or my dancing. In those times of uncertainty, I turned to dance even more. I realized how important it was to embrace every movement fully in class and focus my thoughts on each moment. On stage, there was no time for doubt, and the joy of dance overcame any pain I felt.

In times of swift change and questions, dance was the perfect outlet to improve myself inside and out. Looking back on the past few years, I realize how fortunate I am, and it’s wonderful to feel the freedom and optimism that dance gives me. I graduated with my degree, took advantage of many opportunities, performed for crowds of thousands and have learned to take each day at a time.

Throughout life, we face questions, setbacks, injuries and detours. As my dancing career has developed, I have learned how important it is to keep an open mind and maintain a strong awareness with my body.

Has dance helped you get through a difficult time? We’d love to hear your story…

Contributor Emily Zager is a 24 year old dancer and account executive currently living in Milwaukee, WI. She graduated from Loyola University Chicago and has trained in dance for over 20 years (ballet to ballroom). Nothing brings her more joy than the art of performing. She thrives off connecting with the world around her, whether in a face-to-face conversation or through social media.

Besides dance, Emily’s favorite things include traveling, sports, and spending time with friends and family.

A Studio Director’s Change Of Heart: Why Ballet Exams Work

June 7, 2012 by 4dancers

by Risa Gary Kaplowitz

I would have never thought that I would one day espouse the idea of examinations for the ballet students at my school. Certainly the studio in which I grew up, Maryland Youth Ballet, has produced dozens of professional dancers, and they never presented their students for exams. And weren’t the students at my own studio thriving and going on to pursue their own careers without ever having taken an exam?

I am far from the only studio director to have disregarded exams. Even as ballet exams are relatively common in Europe, especially at the world’s major ballet schools with their own training systems in Russia (Vaganova), France (Paris Opera Ballet), Italy (Cecchetti), England (Royal Academy of Dance, also known as RAD), and Denmark (Royal Danish Ballet), most American ballet schools, which generally offer a potpourri of the above curriculums, do not offer graded evaluations to their students.

An example of a typical American ballet teacher’s reaction to exams can be found in my thoughts several years ago, when I witnessed Paris Opera Ballet School students prepare for their exams (a perk of being a former famous ballerina’s business partner at the time). The students were going from one combination to another, which they had memorized.

At the time, my thoughts were thus: Didn’t we American ballet instructors need to keep our impatient students happy and their aversion to boredom at bay? And didn’t American ballet students need more diversity in their ballet classes than simple preparation for an exam in order to be prepared for an American ballet company where they could be dancing a Petipa variation one minute and a Nacho Duato piece the next?

This video shows young Vaganova Ballet Academy students’ incredible clarity. Surely this type of regimented single-curriculum training system couldn’t be possible in an American studio with varying body types and skill levels.

Or could it?

Enter American Ballet Theatre’s National Training Curriculum, which offered it’s inaugural training sessions to ABT alumni dancers in 2007. For the simple reason that ABT was my favorite company, I was curious enough to start to nibble on the ballet curriculum bullet. However, I never gave serious thought to presenting my students for exams, which were an optional part of the ABT training system. [Read more…]

Breaking Pointe: Behind The Scenes Ballet?

June 1, 2012 by 4dancers

by Catherine L. Tully

Dance lovers everywhere have been anxiously awaiting the debut of the CW’s new series, Breaking Pointe, but the opening episode appears to be more of an introductory piece, rather than a true insider look at the ballet world. As part of the set up, viewers are taken into the studio at Ballet West in Salt Lake City to meet all the players and define their roles.

Looks like we’ll have to wait a little bit longer to get that glimpse…

Adam Sklute is the Artistic Director who decides the fate of the ballet dancers, and as he evaluates them in class and rehearsal, we see much of the dancing that takes place in this episode—which is minimal compared to time spent outside the studio. Despite this, the timing immediately creates drama, as dancers are in the process of finding out whether or not their contract with the company will be renewed for another year.

In-between time spent in the studio, the show follows dancers as they go shopping, sip coffee and dance at a club–all done in a style that is reminiscent of The Hills. It’s polished and well-shot (if a little close up on the dancing at the studio), but a bit light on substance. Still, with this being the first episode a certain amount of back story is necessary, so as the series moves forward, hopefully there will be more depth–and more dancing.

Relationships between the dancers run from the expected (the Principal Artist who is keeping close watch on a talented 19-year-old moving up the ranks) to the less common (two brothers who are in the company together). Viewers go into Sklute’s office and share the joy as one dancer gets promoted—and watch the tears as one is let go. Friendships, dating drama and the “pecking-order” hierarchy are all established here, undoubtedly setting up the storyline for future episodes.

This is a wonderful opportunity for Ballet West to tell the real story of ballet and share what it is like to be a dancer; both personally and professionally. Thus far the show has taken the higher ground for the most part; opting out of the typical reality television ploys of endless petty fights, jarring cuts and senseless banter. Mix in the fact that Ballet West has some top-notch ballet talent and an Artistic Director who is well-respected in the field and the stage is set for something that could be truly spectacular.

We’ll see where things go from here…

Did you watch the first episode? What did you think?

Haven’t seen the preview yet? Here it is:

National Museum Of Dance: Art In The Foyer 2012

May 31, 2012 by 4dancers

by Christopher Duggan

05_NMD_IO_2007_Collage Dance Collective_CDuggan_018 — Photo by Christopher Duggan

Last night was the opening of my year-long exhibition at the National Museum of Dance, and it was a really exciting moment in my artistic career–not just because any curation of my work is incredibly flattering, but because the photographs I chose to display all showcase a space that is very dear to me, a place I’d love to share with everyone I meet.

When the museum contacted me and expressed interest in my photographs of performances at Jacob’s Pillow’s Inside/Out, I couldn’t have been happier. The Inside/Out series features a diverse group of outdoor dance performances that are free and open to the public. These performances take place on a large outdoor stage on the festival grounds, and the backdrop offers a panoramic view of the Berkshires Hills—it’s a stunning visual.

Shooting at Inside/Out is very personal for several reasons. It’s my favorite place to shoot dance, it’s the most challenging space I shoot dance, and it’s the place that in a single image encapsulates the feeling you get when you’re on campus at Jacob’s Pillow.

It’s wonderful that my exhibition coincides with Jacob’s Pillow’s 80th anniversary season. The Pillow’s longevity as a vital presenting and educational institution in the dance world is nothing short of extraordinary, and Inside/Out is one of the Pillow’s most celebrated performance series. The dance concerts take place four nights per week during the festival season and a wide range of family-friendly styles are represented. Outdoor dance scenes have been iconic of Jacob’s Pillow since its founding by modern dancer and choreographer Ted Shawn (not surprisingly, a C.V. Whitney Hall of Fame member at the National Museum of Dance), and I’ve always hoped to pay homage to this tradition in my photographs of Inside/Out shows.

Capturing dance at an Inside/Out show is challenging, not only because the light is ever-changing, but also because I’m always looking to showcase the incredible feeling you get when you’re watching dance in that space. I knew I had to find a way to print my photos on a grand scale to get that feeling right. I wanted museum-goers to feel a little part of what it’s like to watch dance underneath huge trees, which are in turn dwarfed by a spectacular sky. In the end, I went with images that were 28×40 or larger, with the biggest photo at 50 inches tall. I hope my exhibition showcases a bit of that live-performance magic.

Some of my dance photography idols have presented work at the National Museum of Dance’s past exhibitions. Examples include Paul Kolnik, who has been shooting New York City Ballet forever, Lois Greenfield, who has photographed everyone (and everyone recognizes her images) and Rose Eichenbaum, who has made such an impact with her photographs and books, not to mention the fact that she has worked with so many important people in the dance world.

I’d love for you to visit my exhibit this year if you get a chance. Better yet, plan a weekend getaway to the Berkshires to see part of Jacob’s Pillow’s 80th anniversary season. The roster includes favorite programs and companies from past festivals–Crystal Pite’s Kidd Pivot in Dark Matters, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company’s latest work and Doug Elkins and Friends’ Fraulein Maria–as well as companies new to Jacob’s Pillow theaters.

While you’re there, be sure to look for the bald guy with the camera and say hi.

Contributor Christopher Duggan is the founder and principal photographer of Christopher Duggan Photography, a New York City-based wedding and dance photography studio. Duggan has been the Festival Photographer for Jacob’s Pillow Dance since 2006. In this capacity, and as a respected New York-based dance photographer, he has worked with renowned choreographers and performers of international acclaim as well as upstarts in the city’s diverse performance scene.

He has created studio shots of Gallim Dance, Skybetter + Associates and Zvidance, among others, and in 2011 alone, he has photographed WestFest at Cunningham Studios, Dance From the Heart for Dancers Responding to Aids, The Gotham Dance Festival at The Joyce Theater, and assisted Nel Shelby Productions in filming Vail International Dance Festival.

Duggan often teams up with his talented wife and Pillow videographer Nel Shelby (http://nelshelby.com). A New York City-based husband and wife dance documentation team, they are equipped to document performances, create and edit marketing videos and choreography reels, and much more.

Christopher Duggan Photography also covers Manhattan’s finest wedding venues, the Metropolitan and Tri-State areas, and frequently travels to destination weddings. The company’s mission is straightforward and heartfelt – create timeless, memorable images of brides, grooms, their families and friends, and capture special moments of shared love, laughter and joy.

His photographs appear in The New York Times, Destination I Do, Photo District News, Boston Globe, Financial Times, Dance Magazine, Munaluchi Bridal, and Bride & Bloom, among other esteemed publications and popular wedding blogs. One of his images of Bruce Springsteen was added to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s celebrated photography collection in 2010. His company has been selected for inclusion in “The Listings” in New York Weddings magazine.

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