Part 2: The competition business
Over the past 20 years, the field of dance competitions has ballooned from a select few in to thousands of different companies holding events around the country every week. There are competitions that stand alone or others associated with conventions. There are also conventions that just offer classes and showcases. Some are quality organizations with the best intentions. They hope to share their knowledge of dance and the arts, give constructive critiques, and encourage young dancers to stay with it. However, in recent years a certain culture seems to be emerging. I'm going to call it "The Dance Mom Culture". I don't think I need to say more if you've ever seen the show "Dance Moms" currently on television...
The competition circuit has literally created it's own style of dancing. It's full of tricks, turns, amazing jumps, incredible displays of flexibility and peppered with gymnastics and wild gyrations. Generally the costumes are scant and loaded with hundreds of rhinestones (why not just rhinestone fabric?) and the song choices and subject matter are often provocative. I've already voiced my opinion on this to my own peril. (and support!)
For me, competitions are always a touchy thing in dance. It seems unfair to judge art or entertainment with a point system. I realize the judging is based partly on technique - which is most certainly an important part of dance. However, dance is personal and a matter of taste and style too. It's sometimes a ridiculous thing to try to put a number on it. I spent some time working for dance competitions in my early teaching years. It was grueling and difficult. I tended to score the entertaining numbers higher as I value the enjoyment as much as the accomplishment. Hence my love of the "Entertainment Award" at any competition. It's the one I want to go home with. Dance is a performing art, meant to be shared and it's impact on an audience is the most important thing to me. The other thing I always took notice of was the choreography. It's an amazing feat for a teacher to create art with their students. That is why the other award I always hope for is the choreography accolade. The competition scene does not always reward creativity, but often encourages conformity. Not something I feel is enhancing the art of dance.
My reasons for attending competitions with my dance studio have always come from my students. They want to be able to get out there and show what they are doing as well as see what their peers are up to. However, the more I attend these competitions, the more dismayed I become with what they are rewarding and how they are influencing young dancers. The style of dance that competitions are encouraging is close to absent in the professional dance world.
After my last exposure at competition, I have decided to be as selective as possible when choosing a company to work with. These competitions exist because of businesses like mine. They would not BE if it weren't for the dance studios that they solicit. They charge between $30 and $100 per number in some cases just to perform, and many times my dancers leave feeling let down. We are not the type of studio that pushes for the technical perfection at a young age. It's about development and timing. So, we sometimes are overlooked because our routines do not include moves that seem to be compulsory to the top scorers. Most of my kids understand this but the younger ones have a harder time.
Perhaps finding a way to bring some of the dance community together to celebrate what we do rather than compete is a better idea! I don't like feeling competitive towards other dance studios as I think those of us who dance and teach dance have so much in common! A love for dance and children and a desire to share our knowledge and love for the art form. As a creative person, when obstacles arise I am interested in finding a way around them. How about we create something BETTER for kids to achieve rather than a plastic trophy and an elite top first platinum titanium award. Isn't it time to find a cause other than winning to use our talents towards? I think so.
Showing posts with label contemporary dance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contemporary dance. Show all posts
Monday, November 14, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
The Origins of Contemporary Dance
By Tamara Warta
The origins of contemporary dance are illustrious and span the globe, with beginnings in both Europe and North America. Read on for a brief history of this genre of dance, as well as some of the great names behind its start
What is Contemporary Dance?
Contemporary dance is officially the name given to a series of dance styles including modern dance. Extremely interpretive in its choreography, contemporary dance often includes an innate focus on alignment, opposing movement, raw emotions and systematic breathing.
While many dance genres including jazz and lyrical, focus on flexibility and excellence of various structured steps, the technique in contemporary dance is focused much more upon unconventional choreographic moves that were devised in the first 60 years of the 20th century by various masters of the craft. Below is some brief information on these key contributors to the origins of contemporary dance.
The Masters of the Dance
There are several individuals who helped develop what we know as contemporary dance today. Each has made a unique contribution in his or her own way, providing us with a rich tapestry to reflect upon when investigating the origins of contemporary dance.
Martha Graham
Graham is often credited as the founding mother of contemporary and modern dance. As a dancer and choreographer for over seven decades, she brought this unconventional style into the mainstream, as the first dancer ever invited to perform at the White House and receive a medal of freedom.
Ironically, she hated the terms "modern" and "contemporary," as she believed dance styles were constantly evolving and changing according to the times. She didn't want her choreography or her ideals boxed in, and this has continued to be a running mindset amongst contemporary dance choreographers immediately after her through today.
Merce Cunningham
Born in Washington in 1919, Cunningham danced for Martha Graham's company until he formed his own company in 1953. He and his romantic partner, John Cage, created what is known in the contemporary dance world as "chance operations." It is based upon the Chinese thought of casting your fortune off of the hexagram. The number 64 in music, for example, could allow you to cast by chance to discover what sound will first appear, and then casting again to predict the second, and so on until an entire song has been operated this way. Cunningham applied the same principle to dance, using a chance series of movements that he wrote on pieces of paper. He cherished this sporadic style of choreography, and it continues to be practiced in studios across the nation today. In his contribution to the more modern version of contemporary dance, Cunningham was instrumental in its technological, 21st century origins, serving as a developer for a dance software program called Danceforms, which allows one to choreograph via a computer.
Lester Horton
Horton was known for infusing elements of Native American dance and modern jazz into his contemporary dance routines. He went on to train some dance greats, including Alvin Ailey. He founded the Dance Theater of Los Angeles, and while this company is no longer together today, his technique and distinctly different style of choreography that lended itself to the origins of modern dance will forever be remembered.
Other Origins of Influence
One of the beautiful things about contemporary dance's origins is that they come from all different directions. In contemporary movement you will not only see technical dance steps, but also moves borrowed from pilates, yoga, and plenty of dance improvisation like none other. Perhaps the true origins of contemporary dance are found in the hearts and creativity of all who've dared to take it on, stretching their choreographical limits and abandoning their inhibitions for a craft that tolerates none
The origins of contemporary dance are illustrious and span the globe, with beginnings in both Europe and North America. Read on for a brief history of this genre of dance, as well as some of the great names behind its start
What is Contemporary Dance?
Contemporary dance is officially the name given to a series of dance styles including modern dance. Extremely interpretive in its choreography, contemporary dance often includes an innate focus on alignment, opposing movement, raw emotions and systematic breathing.
While many dance genres including jazz and lyrical, focus on flexibility and excellence of various structured steps, the technique in contemporary dance is focused much more upon unconventional choreographic moves that were devised in the first 60 years of the 20th century by various masters of the craft. Below is some brief information on these key contributors to the origins of contemporary dance.
The Masters of the Dance
There are several individuals who helped develop what we know as contemporary dance today. Each has made a unique contribution in his or her own way, providing us with a rich tapestry to reflect upon when investigating the origins of contemporary dance.
Martha Graham
Graham is often credited as the founding mother of contemporary and modern dance. As a dancer and choreographer for over seven decades, she brought this unconventional style into the mainstream, as the first dancer ever invited to perform at the White House and receive a medal of freedom.
Ironically, she hated the terms "modern" and "contemporary," as she believed dance styles were constantly evolving and changing according to the times. She didn't want her choreography or her ideals boxed in, and this has continued to be a running mindset amongst contemporary dance choreographers immediately after her through today.
Merce Cunningham
Born in Washington in 1919, Cunningham danced for Martha Graham's company until he formed his own company in 1953. He and his romantic partner, John Cage, created what is known in the contemporary dance world as "chance operations." It is based upon the Chinese thought of casting your fortune off of the hexagram. The number 64 in music, for example, could allow you to cast by chance to discover what sound will first appear, and then casting again to predict the second, and so on until an entire song has been operated this way. Cunningham applied the same principle to dance, using a chance series of movements that he wrote on pieces of paper. He cherished this sporadic style of choreography, and it continues to be practiced in studios across the nation today. In his contribution to the more modern version of contemporary dance, Cunningham was instrumental in its technological, 21st century origins, serving as a developer for a dance software program called Danceforms, which allows one to choreograph via a computer.
Lester Horton
Horton was known for infusing elements of Native American dance and modern jazz into his contemporary dance routines. He went on to train some dance greats, including Alvin Ailey. He founded the Dance Theater of Los Angeles, and while this company is no longer together today, his technique and distinctly different style of choreography that lended itself to the origins of modern dance will forever be remembered.
Other Origins of Influence
One of the beautiful things about contemporary dance's origins is that they come from all different directions. In contemporary movement you will not only see technical dance steps, but also moves borrowed from pilates, yoga, and plenty of dance improvisation like none other. Perhaps the true origins of contemporary dance are found in the hearts and creativity of all who've dared to take it on, stretching their choreographical limits and abandoning their inhibitions for a craft that tolerates none
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