For the past two months, I have been publishing interviews with contemporary dance artists, trying to address (for both myself and my faithful readers) what exactly contemporary dance entails. Because, to be honest, I’ve always been a bit dubious about contemporary dance. It has seemed to me to be an umbrella term without any real delineations. But, through conducting several interviews with self-identified contemporary dance artists across the country, I think I’ve finally begun to wrap my head around the term.

For those of you who want the cliff notes, these are some themes from the past two months of interviews that have stood out to me:

1. There seems to be two divergent strands of contemporary dance. The first is the performance art strand, wherein it might not even resemble dance. It might resemble sculpture or theater, incorporate elements from several genres of art, and may or may not be presented in a proscenium theater. The second strand is the music-video “So You Think You Can Dance” strand, which usually involves highly emotive gestures to pop music. How on earth these two radically different modes of dance came to wear the same moniker is something I think we, as a dance community, should seriously address. These two strands seem to be the antithesis of each other.
2. Many of the dance artists interviewed said the ideal training for a contemporary dancer should include in-depth study of several different dance forms. However, the recommended dance forms were all Western and based in a classical orientation. Only one interviewee suggested African as a counterpoint to ballet, and otherwise the suggested courses of study were always along the lines of: ballet, modern dance, jazz, contact improvisation, floor work, and something slightly obscure like Countertechnique, Gaga or Forsythe’s improvisational modalities. This signified to me a lack of worldliness as to what a truly in-depth study of several different dance forms might look like. Flamenco anyone? Tai Chi? Capoeira? Irish step dancing? Any of the many forms of Indian dance? Even tap? The contemporary dance world seems a bit myopic when it comes to truly cross-genre study.
3. From a funding perspective, the outlook is dismal. Companies are closing, grants are drying up, people are getting tired of crowdfunding, and the likelihood of a contemporary dancer enjoying an actual salaried career is nil. That being said, there are tons of DIY initiatives. The best advice, which came repeatedly, was to find another job that allows for flexibility, in essence funding your own work. This is what I personally do and what 90 percent of the dancers I know do. However, if this is the contemporary funding model for contemporary dance, it seems strangely regressive.
4. The best part about contemporary dance, as far as I can tell, is its willingness to shun labels. Like a true millennial, I don’t care much for labels myself. Categorizing oneself as a ballet dancer, modern dancer or hip hop dancer seems just as limiting as being a Balanchine dancer, Horton dancer or Cunningham dancer. Unlike dancers of previous generations, contemporary dancers wear the label of whatever dance form best defines the project they’re currently involved with. And while I worry that dancers are expected to be jacks of all trades, I also like the idea of throwing out these old stereotypes that ballet dancers can’t boogey, or modern dancers can’t point their feet, or flamenco dancers can’t jump. I like the idea of a whole generation of polymath dancers, seamlessly embracing the strengths and weaknesses of different techniques and orientations.

When I first began putting together this series, I sent a few emails to friends asking for input and ideas. My favorite response came from my dear friend and colleague Emily Jones, who currently dances in Portland, Oregon. I asked her: “What does the future of contemporary dance look like?” She responded:

Post contemporary dance! Are we there yet? I hope this next era is all about dance as practice, dance as a form of community building, dance as expression, dance as healing, and dance that is more open to various socioeconomic platforms. Of course, there is something great about classical training and its rigor, as well as the study of dance in historical context and acknowledging what has been done and how it effects the codified forms we see now, but I hope the post contemporary era allows dance to continue to disperse throughout communities and be something people can engage with as a physical practice. I believe this will bring renewed interest into viewing as well!

I love this sentiment. I love the idea of moving past codification by expanding rigor (and vigor) to community building. I love the idea of truly throwing the socioeconomic gates open, instead of keeping dance as something only people of privilege can study and enjoy. Lastly, if dance isn’t getting funded, then perhaps a renewed interest in viewership by creating more bridges between communities might be the antidote we need to make dance socially and financially relevant again. Post contemporary dance, here we come!

The post Post Contemporary Dance: Are We There Yet? appeared first on Stance on Dance.

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How would you define contemporary dance to someone without a background in dance?

I would say it’s (ideally) the dance of now; contemporaneity expressing itself bodily; movement belonging to the bodies, art practices, potentialities, politics, sorrows and hopes of the present.

How would you recommend a student train for a contemporary dance career?

Learn everything you can about movement and the body: hungrily invest in ballet, modern, improvisation, gaga, somatic methods, cross-training, and and and. See as much (diverse) dance as possible, as well as theater, movies, art, music and lectures. You must obsess about your technique in order to master your instrument, but also remember that who we are as people manifests in the art we produce; selfishness and myopia show up onstage. We dance who we are, so attempt a generous, humble, thoughtful and creative life. Read books. Engage in political action. Fall in and out of love, poetry and leaves. Experience the world. Listen. Empathize. If we consider temporalities to be relative, then in order to be an artist of the contemporary and place ourselves in the now, we need to have an understanding of the past as well as a vision for the future.

When did contemporary dance emerge? Do you consider it a growth out of modern and/or post-modern dance?

I’m not sure I feel qualified to answer that within an accurate historical context. I do know that humans are constantly borrowing, learning from, getting inspired by, stealing, colonizing, and vice versa. As people and dancers, we are products of what has come before us; history, credited or appropriated, is alive within us all. Within that paradigm, contemporary dance emerges from both modern and post-modern traditions, and also from ballet, African diasporic, Native American and African American traditions (as well as countless others). Genealogical or artistic purity of lineage does not exist.

Photo by Stephen Texeira

Are there successful funding models for contemporary dance?

Whim W’Him in Seattle comes to mind as a highly successful model. With director Olivier Wever at the helm, the company has rapidly grown in terms of consistent seasons, an expanding presence in the community, an innovative commissioning project to bring in outside choreographers (disclaimer: I was a choreographer brought in under the company’s inaugural Choreographic Shindig), a vibrant and engaged board, and increasing financial support for the company’s dancers. But that type of growth entails grant-writing, fundraising, board meetings, audience and donor cultivation, etc., in addition to artistic leadership. Directing a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization is a radically different life-choice than directing a project-based company. While my current funding model isn’t necessarily successful (but then comes the question of how one defines success…), non-profit status is not a beast I choose to tackle (and I’m simply horrific at schmoozing).

How do you perceive your work contributes to the contemporary dance arena?

I hope that my work moves people and has a contributive, meaningful presence. Trying to be self-evaluative (without arrogance or false humility), I think my work has a distinctly feminist perspective, a unique movement language, humanity, and honesty.

What does the future of contemporary dance look like? In what direction do you see it evolving?

We are days away from a new and highly oppressive governance. Historically, artistic communities thrive under fascist regimes, and I hope that proves true as we navigate these next four years of oppression. Artists must remain the holders of revolution and compassion. As choreographers, dancers and educators, we must insist on the diversity of human experience that those overwhelmed by hate, fear and cowardice threaten to eradicate. We, as a people, need a more diverse representation in our communities (artistic and otherwise), so instead of being complicit in normalizing privilege off and onstage, let’s make otherness the new status quo. I know I am more committed than ever to my blackness and femaleness, and wanting that to reflect: who I am is the art I make.

Why is dance the least funded and respected of the arts? Perhaps it’s because, as a mentor of mine stated, dance always disappoints, it never lives up to its promises. In the virtual world, dance is pure potentiality: choreographers employ such beautiful and affecting language in programs and grant proposals to describe their work. But the de facto truth is that too often abstract shape-making kills the expectancy with which I enter the theater. My hope is that we can be anti-propaganda and anti-politician, but also be promise-keepers. We certainly don’t need more steps; we need to become neologists, not sly re-hashers of the old and tired.

I want to invent new languages and worlds that simultaneously expose dystopia and propose utopia. I want to witness and participate in dance that can teach me how to live and love… how to be a better human. My hope is that as artists we can be osmotic, masticatory and generative. In other words: wildly empathetic, thoughtful and imaginative. I want and I hope. How to transform that rhetoric into actuality? What does that look like? I’m not sure.

Onward.

Photo by Andrew Weeks

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The post Who I Am Is the Art I Make appeared first on Stance on Dance.

BY EMMALY WIEDERHOLT

Rachel Slater is one of the artistic directors of Muddy Feet Contemporary Dance, a contemporary dance company based in Portland, Oregon. In this interview, she wrestles with what exactly contemporary dance entails, how to fund it, and where the form is headed. This interview is part of a series on contemporary dance and its extended implications.

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How would you define contemporary dance to someone without a background in dance?

It’s always a tricky question. I recently took a job teaching dance at a public high school. While some of my students are highly trained, others are new to dance. When I explain contemporary dance, I often tell them it’s a dance form that prioritizes expression, but it’s tough to define what it looks like because it can be presented in so many ways. It can be done to any sound score: pop music, spoken word, classical music, silence. There’s a range of performance spaces, from a proscenium to a warehouse, from site specific to film. As far as choreographic creation, contemporary dance can run the gamut. There’s a lot of freedom and variety in the way choreography is generated, more than what is often found in a traditional or classical setting. There’s often a focus on research and improvisation to generate material. What I end up saying to my students is that contemporary dance can look like almost anything, and is largely defined by its intention to be contemporary dance.

Photo by Meghann Gilligan

What training would you recommend to a student who has aspirations to be a contemporary dancer?

There’s a huge emphasis on versatility. I would start with a strong background in ballet, because from there you have the ability to go anywhere. You can use the foundation or disregard it, but it’s hard to rewind and go back to ballet. After ballet, I would recommend layering as many techniques as possible. It would be helpful to take a Trisha Brown class, a Doug Varone class, release technique, Gaga, Countertechnique, Forsythe improvisation modalities, etc. It’s about getting your feet wet in a lot of different ways. Some settings will have a more classical approach, asking you to make certain shapes and perform certain steps. Others are going to focus on concept and task. If you can get a handle on multiple ways of working, you’re going to be valuable to many different choreographers. Having experience in diverse settings is also going to help you find your own interest and palette. Even at a younger age, it is important to consider what kind of dance you want to pursue, although your answer will probably change and evolve over time.

Does contemporary dance refer to any dance that is new, or is it a genre unto itself?

I catalogue contemporary as the most recent incarnation of modern dance. Modern dance was a rebellion in the early 1930s against the classical forms. In a way, I think contemporary dance is a rebellion against postmodern dance. Contemporary dance asks: How can we build upon post modern’s exploration of concept/performance art while still being expressive and technically daring? How can we still value the technique, training and physicality of dance? How can we train our minds to support the massive amounts of work we are asking our bodies to do? It’s also a constant exploration of what the human body can do. Has everything been done?

Are there new funding models for contemporary dance?

It’s a tough question to answer under the best of circumstances. There is a huge movement toward freelance artists. Of course, there’s still the company trajectory of: Hey mom, I got a job in a company and I take class every morning and rehearse the rest of the day. But as funding continues to dry up, that model is less and less feasible. Additionally, companies are not often able to take really big risks artistically or financially. In terms of successful funding for someone who really wants to push the envelope and take risks, honestly, I don’t know. Sometimes you can find foundational funding or build a donor base in order to put on a successful show, but a lot of times dance artists piece-meal their funding together. Many dance artists get their funding by doing other work, which is often what engenders the ability to take risks and explore.

I suspect every city and country are different. I have friends who work in Europe, and even though the funding for dance is less than it was 10 years ago, my dance friends in Europe don’t hold other jobs, whereas most dancers in the United States have to hold an additional job. Even if you’re in a company with a salary, you won’t have that job your whole life.

Being able to be creative with funding is often a necessity, especially for emerging artists. I’m in Portland, Oregon, and the city is growing quite fast. On the one hand, that’s awesome for dancers, as it means there are more people wanting to make work. But it also means the small amount of funding has more applicants. It’s tricky.

Photo by Chris Peddecord

What do you perceive is your own contribution to the field of contemporary dance?

As a choreographer, I’m interested in people. When I start to develop a new work, I’m interested in my dancers bringing their own perspectives, which I think is a distinguishing feature between classical and contemporary. I don’t want dancers who are blank slates waiting to be imprinted upon by a choreographer. If you go into a rehearsal process in a contemporary scene, you will often be asked to improvise, speak, write. As a choreographer, I’m interested in having real people in the room with me, not just someone who will nod their head and say, “Whatever you want.” I believe my work reflects that. I want to make work about a conversation relatable to the audience. Dance can often be elitist and obscure, but making dance about what’s personal can solve that.

For instance, I had a residency in 2012 where I made a piece about panic attacks. I made the piece because I was going through a period of having acute anxiety, and making Lorazepam, Sweaty Palms and the Shakes was very therapeutic. Afterward, many people came up to me and said it was similar to their experience and relieving to see onstage. It was an opening aspect to the work, and it made it relatable to the general population beyond dance fanatics. My interest in choreography is looking at people and seeing how dance relates, how it can be relevant to life.

What direction do you see contemporary dance moving?

I’ve noticed a huge impact from technology. Twenty years ago, you didn’t hear of long distance dance companies where the dancers Skyped and sent each other videos. But technology has not only affected the process of making dance, but performance as well. There are so many ways video can intersect with dance, live or otherwise.

There’s also a tension in the contemporary world. Some contemporary dancers are interested in expanding concept-based work that walks the line between being theater, dance and performance art. In this realm, work is often personal, political or social commentary. However, other contemporary dancers are solely interested in technical physicality. I’m interested to see which direction contemporary dance will go. Will it resolve itself or become two distinct paths? Or perhaps something in the middle will evolve.

Going back to the first question about describing contemporary dance to people who don’t know anything about dance, if you asked them to watch a heady performance art piece and then something akin to lyrical jazz, and called them both contemporary, they’d look at you like you’re crazy. But that’s the kind of world we’re in; you can name anything you want contemporary dance. It boils down to the intention of the maker.

Any other thoughts?

The funding question is really relevant right now, though I suppose it always has been. With Muddy Feet, we’re constantly renegotiating and trying to find new alternatives. It’s really about stability. If you have sustainability, you can focus on the art rather than funding the next show. It can be a draining question to readdress again and again.

Dance has a murky history in terms of finances. Dancers often don’t get paid. Because we have such a love of the art form, many dancers are willing to dance for free. On the other hand, it’s a cycle where the lighting designer and videographer get paid before the choreographer and dancer. I would really like to see more agency for the dancer and choreographer. It’s a tough juggling act.

Photo by Lindsay Hile

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The post Contemporary Dance: Which Way Will It Go? appeared first on Stance on Dance.

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How would you define contemporary dance to someone without a background in dance?

Moving or holding still with awareness and intention, with or without music, while relating to space or life in order to express something through the body. Or, present day dancing.

How would you recommend a student train for a contemporary dance career?

I would recommend legitimate classical ballet and at least one pioneering modern style (such as Graham or Limon) as a foundation. Once the foundation is laid, I would suggest branching out into hip hop (for musicality), jazz (for presentation), and a more current style such as Countertechnique. Supplementing advanced training with yoga, Gyrotonic, Alexander technique, or Pilates (depending on the individual’s needs) is also a great idea. Contact improvisation (for partnering) and improvisation (for the ability to generate material during a creation process and make “game time” decisions onstage) are imperative for any and every contemporary dancer.

When did contemporary dance emerge? Do you consider it a growth out of modern and/or post-modern dance?

Yes, I’d say contemporary emerged out of modern and post-modern dance. The beginning is difficult to pinpoint, but I’d say the genre was well established by the late 1980s.

Are there successful funding models for contemporary dance?  

Most cities in Europe have theaters with resident choreographers and dancers who are supported by the government (via tax monies). Also, Canadian artists seem to get quite a bit of government support.

How do you perceive your work contributes to the contemporary dance arena?

My co-director Tina and I believe in our repertory tremendously. The work moves audiences. We also do a ton of outreach (including customized experiences with differently abled and underserved communities) that rocks our souls while healing others through dance. We provide jobs, a platform for artists to collaborate and express themselves, and inspiration.

In what direction do you see contemporary dance evolving? What does the future of contemporary dance look like?

It seems inevitable that there will be more dance on film, in apps, on TV, and virtual reality. I am very eager to be a part of the next genre of dance. I don’t know what it will look like, but I’m certain, because it is dance, that it will be wonderful.

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Lillian Barbeito is the co‐director of BODYTRAFFIC. A native of Santa Fe, New Mexico, she received a BFA from Juilliard before embarking on an extensive performance career that took her to Europe, New York, and finally to Los Angeles, where she founded BODYTRAFFIC with Tina Berkett. Lillian is one of 20 teachers in the world who is certified to teach Anouk van Dijk’s Countertechnique. She has choreographed over 50 works for high schools, universities, ballet companies and modern dance companies throughout the US and Canada. Lillian is currently a professor at Loyola Marymount University.

The post Present Day Dancing appeared first on Stance on Dance.

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How would you describe contemporary dance to someone without a background in dance?

My experience with contemporary dance is fundamentally rooted in concert dance aesthetics, and is a cross section between multiple forms: ballet, modern and African with a focus on sensation and expression. The generation of dancers before me generally worked in one “house,” like that of Horton, Laban, Graham, Cunningham, Limon or Dunham, to name a few. I see contemporary dance as an expansive range of movement possibilities that tend to be more malleable, embracing fusion or hybrid thinking rather than codified vocabularies.

What training is essential for contemporary dancers?

Modern dance is very important, especially release technique or any form that allows a dancer to become comfortable with inversion and getting in and out of the floor. I would add cross-training with ballet, African forms and improvisation. It helps to be well-versed in movement vocabularies that have totally differing theories in terms of verticality, practice, rhythm, beauty, grounded-ness, and what is or is not “good dancing.”

Do you see contemporary dance as an adjective for any dance form that is new, or its own genre?

I associate the word “contemporary” with what is happening right now, but I don’t think there’s a single answer to that question. Contemporary dance is a response to the framework of modern and concert dance, in perhaps the same sense that modern dance was a response to ballet.

There’s the mainstream definition, demonstrated on programs like “So You Think You Can Dance,” that has popularized contemporary dance to mean anything without shoes that is highly emotive, sharp and gestural. That representation of contemporary dance tends to be entertainment driven, maybe because they are marketing to an audience that is not familiar with dance.

In contrast, the conversation in more experimental spaces tends to treat contemporary dance as moving art with focused consideration on research and the process of creating. I see this representation consider itself elevated to high art status, perhaps because it is marketed to an audience that is well-versed in dance, or isn’t concerned with audience at all.

Are there successful funding models for contemporary dance?

I see the company model shifting to be much more project-based because of lack of funding. The companies that do have a set ensemble of dancers seem to work on more long-form projects, researching an idea for a year or more instead of constantly churning out new work. I’m noticing the long-form process be more successful because those artists continue to apply for funding or outreach opportunities to keep the work alive longer, though the downside can include presenting seemingly unfinished work. Many individual artists follow this same model, as the alternative has become unsustainable at this point. If larger established companies continue to dissolve, I wonder how it will play out over the next five to ten years, and what it will make room for.

As a dancer, I came to explore different kinds of movement beyond modern dance because of the reality of getting a job. There weren’t enough jobs for modern dancers, so I had to be flexible, which led to my own explorations and building my own menu. The idea that you work with one choreographer and excel in their work over the course of many years exists less and less. It still exists in some circles, but certainly not mine.

Most choreographers today have to create opportunities for themselves with the resources they have. For example, performance spaces outside the proscenium are being utilized more often. Additionally, my generation of dance artists are the first to benefit from social media as a means of sharing work with a wider audience base, making it more accessible. Artists have been making shows in garages, homes or underground spaces forever, though the simplicity of billing it via Facebook is a game changer. In my current community, dancers are able to be use social media and crowd funding in order to not rely solely on institutional support.

What do you perceive is your own contribution to the contemporary dance field?

My career has mainly been based in Chicago, so I can only speak confidently to that. I spend my creative life in modern/contemporary dance spaces while also practicing in nightlife venues and working in theater. These experiences are part of my larger toolbox. I believe I have carved out a space where modes of inclusiveness and community are valued, with a focus on the responsibility and relationship of the artist to their audience.

When I began to make dances and dance events, I was working in modern and contemporary dance companies, while also heavily involved with an interdisciplinary artist space called The Inconvenience. I received two drastically different experiences within the field of dance. On the one hand, I was really excited about the movement practice I explored in modern and repertory companies. On the other hand, I was attracted to the direct connection I could have with audiences in the intimate and community-based scene of The Inconvenience projects. The difference between the two caused me to ask myself: Who is this all for? Is it just for me? Is it just to serve this art-maker? Is it just to appease this audience? Is it just to check a box?

Asking those questions was how projects like The Fly Honey Show or The Salts came about, because they explore notions of community, challenge ideas between high and low art, and work to tell our stories instead of just my story.

Although I don’t define The Fly Honey Show as contemporary dance, it is a project that fuses a large menu of styles, creative processes and perspectives that consider the body to be a form of celebration. It asks those same questions from before, but flips and redefines them for the purpose of trying to level the playing field, only in this case it takes the form of a power-femme-fuck-off rock show!

What might post-contemporary dance look like? In what direction is the form evolving?

I see contemporary dance increasingly taking the form of performance art. Many contemporary dance artists are not solely looking at the body as the only means of storytelling. They pull freely from other art forms. That being said, I also see contemporary dance moving in the opposite direction and simplifying to just the practice of the body. I don’t know where it will ultimately tip, though I see artists making stark choices in one direction or the other.

I see a very exciting future with the recent popular interest in the fringe arts being valued as high art; practices like vogue, drag, burlesque, hip hop, social dancing and cabaret are all part of that. I’m seeing spaces pop up that value this new understanding of what it means to be high or fringe art.

Maybe my definition of contemporary dance is conveniently loose to fit my own agenda, though I do find that looseness occasionally positions my work in opposition to more defined forms. However, I’m never saying, “I don’t want to work in your house.” I’m actually saying, “I don’t only want to work in your house.” Really, it’s far more interesting that way.

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To learn more, visit ErinKilmurray.com.

The post Contemporary Dance: From High Art to Fringe appeared first on Stance on Dance.

BY EMMALY WIEDERHOLT

Becca Fullmer is a member of Salt Contemporary Dance, a new contemporary dance company based in Salt Lake City, UT. She is also the director of its second company, Salt 2. Becca likens the work of contemporary dance to that of research, finding endless ways to research her body through movement. This interview is part of a series on contemporary dance.

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How would you define contemporary dance to someone without a background in dance?

Being a contemporary dancer, you would think this is the easiest question, but I have to re-think about my answer every time. To me, contemporary dance embodies every type of dance I can think of. Salt Contemporary dancers are classically trained, but also come from many different backgrounds and have many different facets to their technique.

Perhaps this wouldn’t be understood by someone without a background in dance, but when I think of contemporary dance, I automatically think of research. I can tell when I’m moving in a stale way; I’m not thinking and I’m not in it as much as I could be. But when I really focus on noticing how I’m moving or how something feels or relating it to my body in a new way or going further than I thought I could… it’s about being present. I never want to be moving without thinking. I’ve been practicing meditation this past year, and it’s helped me with how I research dance. I’m able to be more present and notice what’s going on within my body.

How would you recommend a student train for a contemporary dance career?

Travel and exposure is hugely important.

I also recommend learning to improvise. Whenever we have choreographers come work with Salt, it’s inevitably a collaboration between the dancers and the choreographer. The choreographers give us improvisation assignments and build the material from there, so having the ability to make up movement is important.

I also think it’s important to be technical, though it doesn’t necessarily have to be in ballet or modern. For instance, I wish I’d spent more time studying hip hop, as I have a difficult time moving really fast.

Generally, I don’t think there’s any form of dance that would be useless to study in terms of pursuing contemporary dance.

Does contemporary dance refer specifically to new dance being made, or is it a subgenre, like modern or post-modern dance?

Anything new could be considered contemporary dance. I don’t think right now is the only time dance has been made that’s been considered “contemporary.” Different styles branch off what’s been done before, and I think most dance artists are trying not to be stagnant.

There seem to be no rules in contemporary dance. Maybe I’m misinformed, but I haven’t heard of any. For me, it always boils down to research, within any movement.

Photo by Ismael Arrieta Photography

Are there successful funding models for contemporary dance?  

Salt Contemporary Dance is a new company, so we’re experimenting with funding models, though I’m sure all dance companies are always experimenting with funding on some level. Sometimes we feel so frustrated and clueless as to how to make it work. For instance, the Art Council in Salt Lake City gives money to the current companies – Ballet West, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company and Repertory Dance Theatre – but they don’t have any funds in their budget to offer new companies or artists. I don’t know how the dance scene can grow if there’s no room financially for new dance companies. We’ve been required to find other ways, like workshops and our annual choreographer’s festival. These are ways we’re trying to include new people in our mission and grow support.

What do you perceive is Salt Contemporary Dance’s contribution is to the contemporary dance arena?

I love that we only perform original works created on us. We never bring in a choreographer to set a piece that was created elsewhere. We’re always part of the process, which usually means we have created it ourselves in a way, because choreographers often give us improvisation tasks in that we create the movement and they organize it. We’re always involved in research from the beginning. It’s a way for us to contribute, because we’re giving our own movement and thoughts.

What do you see as the future of contemporary dance?

Maybe it’s not new, but something that keeps coming up is theatricality in performance. Up until recently, all of my performance experience was movement-based. It makes me uncomfortable to be theatrical onstage. I don’t consider myself an actress even though I know that’s silly because I consider myself a performing artist. For instance, in Brendan Duggan’s piece, I was required to speak onstage. Portraying someone I’m not naturally was difficult. It’s not new in dance, but it’s new to me.

Is anything ever really new though? I think we circle back. Which is fine, because for me, the most important thing is the research. It’s about the exploration within a piece or specific movement, whether it’s truly new or not.

Photo by Ismael Arrieta Photography

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The post Researching Every Step Along the Way appeared first on Stance on Dance.

BY EMMALY WIEDERHOLT

KT Nelson, co-artistic director of San Francisco’s ODC/Dance Company, muses on the blend of technical mastery and naturalistic humanity increasingly found in contemporary dance today. This interview is part of a series on contemporary dance and its extended implications.

KT Nelson

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How would you describe contemporary dance to someone without a dance background?

Let me back track. I believe most people have an idea what ballet is, and ballet has had a set vocabulary for several hundred years. We all agree upon what an arabesque or fifth position is. Over the years, choreographers have interpreted that language differently. Balanchine was very fast and up, the Russians favor more plies and power, Cecchetti had all those beats. Choreographers and companies have interpreted the vocabulary differently, like dialects, but it’s the same vocabulary, relatively speaking.

In the mid-20th century came modern and post-modern dance. I would say modern dance responded to the ballet world. Instead of ethereality, it was grounded. Instead of long lines, it welcomed flexed feet and broken elbows. Post-modern dance brought in a kind of physicality that suggested a pedestrian persona. The dancers run, sit, stand, talk, gesture, roll, as well as jump and turn. The dance vocabulary began to incorporate everyday movement, and the performance persona became more pedestrian.

What we see today, and what is being called contemporary dance, has two major influences. The ballet world, which had a received vocabulary for several hundred years, is now inventing movement from an internal source, similar to what the post-modernists did in the 60s. Exercises might include writing your name with a part of your body, moving through an imagined room, etc. The ballet world is reimagining what the body can say. Along with that is an exploration of the natural physical body. I see Ohad Naharin’s Gaga as a biggest influence in this regard. What is the ultimate expression of your body, instead of a received language from someone else? It’s a very individualistic approach. I think these two aspects are driving contemporary dance, for the most part, right now.

What training would you recommend to a student interested in pursuing contemporary dance?

My dancers do more cross training than ever before. Some rock climb, others tap dance. When I was a dancer in the 70s through the 90s, I just did ballet and modern. Although I did train in Aikido as well, cross training today is more much expansive.

Today’s contemporary dancer needs to be able to improvise and have an exploratory approach to movement and their body, as well as a strong technical base. The idea of an ensemble is found through a collection of highly diverse individuals. The notion of a united corps is not as prevalent anymore.

There’s a dialogue today about mastery, like the gymnast Simone Biles who has mastered those amazing tricks. Then there’s the humanity of exploring yourself, an idea or a relationship. In contemporary dance, there’s an interesting dialogue between humanity and mastery.

ODC/Dance Company

What do you perceive is your own contribution to the field of contemporary dance?

I think it’s hard to know, particularly if you’re desiring to be present in your field. As an older choreographer, I’m trying very hard to not express in the mode I grew up in, but to understand what is relevant today without giving up who I am. I grew up in a different time, but I want to partake in this new conversation. I’m not thinking about what I’ve done, but how my voice can be here and now.

What does post contemporary dance look like? Where is the future moving toward?

I still think there’s a conversation happening in dance about both being an expert and being human. Can we get so technical that we move beyond being human? I think this might come about as a result of our affection for technology. On the other hand, how connected to our humanness can we be?

Another consideration is how we, as a society, are increasingly connected mostly through our devices. Being in a participatory relationship with the audience, instead of being separate, seems to be needed these days. Our absorption of information is so specifically detached. Being connected is how the art needs to feel, so I think how dance-makers produce work is going to change. That, in itself, will change what the body does and how it speaks.

Do you see changes in the dance field in terms of funding and support?

Economics is definitely going to have a play, but how it gets played out I don’t know. Today, we don’t see a lot of full-time dance companies. We see a lot of dance artists working per project. And because dancers aren’t only working for one artist, their training is more extensive. I recently was speaking with two independent choreographers, and I asked them if they’d want a full-time dance company. They both said no. They prefer for each project to be realized with the dancers they’ve picked for that particular project. In other words, the idea of a constant relationship between choreographer and dancer has radically changed from when I was dancing. I see pitfalls in that, because a collaboration between artists over a period of time often grows richer. On the other hand, new relationships do instigate new ways of seeing and making. There are pitfalls in both models. And both are equally important contributors to the cultural conversation.

I think we’re redefining what it means to be professional. In some ways, when you get paid to do only one thing, you get lost in that world and can lose perspective. When you have to work outside the art world, as long as it’s not overwhelming, maybe you’re a better artist because you’re interfacing with different worlds. On the other hand, immersion in one’s art creates excellence and depth. However, it can also create isolation and disconnect. What conditions help make an artist excellent and relevant? I don’t know the answer to this.

It’s also important to look at how we consume culture, and whether people are actually interested in the body. Are we intimidated to move? Do we look at our bodies anymore? Or do they speak more intensely than ever? I believe our relationship with our bodies, because of technology, is changing. Some people don’t have any relationships to other living bodies. What does that mean for our art form? Audiences don’t know what it means to be in the body anymore. They might know what it means to be on a treadmill or bike, but not what it means to be expressive. It’s important to open that door, because it will affect what dance artists can make.

ODC/Dance Company

I have started a mentorship program for emerging choreographers, because I want to understand how young choreographers think about the body and their art. I’m trying to learn from them. To keep the cultural conversation varied, we need to support distinct voices early on so they don’t fall toward the status quo.

Lastly, there are huge influences in dance internationally I am not tuned into because of the world in which I spend so much of my time. As globalization increases, it’s important to notice how people are moving and expressing themselves in Asia, Africa and Latin America. These other views of the body and the world are a major part of the bigger conversation.

Any other thoughts?

The cross training is less than significant than the dialogue between the human body and expert body. What we call human and expert are interpreted differently depending on where we are, whether that’s in Mumbai, New York or Berlin. That’s an interesting conversation.

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KT Nelson is co-artistic director of ODC/Dance Company. She choreographed and directed the company’s first full-length family ballet in 1986, The Velveteen Rabbit, which has since been performed annually in the Bay Area as a holiday production. Over the past 25 years, KT has played a major role in defining and implementing ODC’s on-going as well as project-based outreach programs. She continues to mentor emerging artists in the Bay Area and abroad.

The post Merging Technique with Humanity appeared first on Stance on Dance.

BY EMMALY WIEDERHOLT

Robert Sher-Machherndl is a former principal dancer with Dutch National Ballet and Bavarian State Ballet, and choreographer and artistic director of Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet in Boulder, CO. He shares his thoughts on what exactly contemporary ballet entails, and the past, present and future of the form. This interview is part of a series on contemporary dance.

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How would you define contemporary ballet to someone without a background in dance?

In contemporary ballet, you take the ballet technique, but after that, anything goes. It’s essentially up to the individual choreographer what he /she does with the technique, what theme or music is used, and how the dancers are used. There are no rules.

The difference between contemporary dance generally, and contemporary ballet specifically, is the latter is very refined. When you specifically work with ballet dancers, they have refined technique. And when you apply that technique to the contemporary dance mindset, I think something magical comes out. The ballet dancer is so highly skilled in their technique and body, a choreographer can take it and do whatever they want, and its magic.

What training would you recommend to a dancer interested in pursuing contemporary ballet?

It’s difficult because there’s no such thing as a contemporary ballet teacher. In order to be a contemporary ballet teacher, you must also be a contemporary ballet choreographer. It definitely helps students to work with contemporary choreographers while they also train in classical ballet. But even then, it depends what choreographer you work with, as contemporary ballet varies so much from choreographer to choreographer. Lemon Sponge Cake Ballet offers workshops that are designed for students to learn what it’s like to work with different choreographers. The key is working with many people, as there is no specific contemporary ballet technique.

When did contemporary ballet emerge?

I would say contemporary ballet started with Pina Bausch in the 1970s. What she did was not ballet per se, but she worked with ballet dancers. From Pina Bausch came Jiří Kylián at Nederlands Dans Theater and William Forsythe at Frankfurt Ballet. This continued through the 1980s, and they are now big names in the dance world. While Jiří Kylián definitely developed contemporary ballet, I think the man who truly did the form justice was William Forsythe. He used the pointe shoe, which Kylián did not. Kylián’s pieces are very beautiful, but much more simple. Though it took him many years, Forsythe had the financial resources to take great risks. He himself said that if he had worked in America, there would be no William Forsythe as we know it. Nowhere else but Germany could he get that kind of money to do whatever he wanted. I don’t want to say he was lucky; he worked very hard. But he was in the right place at the right time. I believe William Forsythe is the true genius in contemporary ballet. 

Additionally, I would like to mention that I met Alonzo King of Lines Ballet when I first moved to the U.S., and he has been a mentor to me ever since. I believe him to be a leading force in today’s contemporary ballet scene. 

That brings me to my next question: Because contemporary dance is inherently new and perhaps risky, what are the successful funding models for contemporary dance?

It’s like every other ballet company or small non-profit organization. You find your financial pool in whichever city you are in. Of course, it depends on the city or state, and how much money is allocated for the arts. If you’re lucky, you find a private donor who loves what you do and says: “Do whatever you’d like. Here’s the money.” That’s what happened to Balanchine and the New York City Ballet with Lincoln Kirstein.

In the United States, you don’t see as much risk-taking as in Europe because there aren’t the resources. In ballet companies around the United States, you see contemporary ballet, but it’s generally machine-washed and very careful. If you look at the emerging choreographers, for instance, they are often re-imagining Balanchine’s style, which is beautiful, but not really risk-taking.

I’m not saying it’s perfect in Europe, but those big opera houses, especially those in Germany, still have state funding. There’s Stuttgart Ballet, Hamburg Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Paris Opera, Royal Ballet and others that have the resources to take risks. And, conversely, there are ballet companies in Europe that are not taking risks. It depends on the directorship. People say the financial pool in Europe is tightening, but it’s still huge compared to the United States. They still have so much money that it makes regional ballet companies in the U.S. look like they are working with nothing.

But I also think the quality of contemporary dance depends on the individual choreographer. If you stay true to yourself, you can still take risks. If you’re a true artist, you will find ways to do it.

What do you perceive is your contribution to the contemporary ballet world?

Just a few days ago, someone stopped me and said they thought Lemon Sponge Cake was a great contribution to the city, and to keep doing what we’re doing. Our past two pieces were public art projects. We got funding from the cities of Denver and Boulder, as well as through private donations, and produced performances in public. We used important and relevant themes to the community. Our pieces are not just for the sake of dancing; they are for the sake of making people think. Our audience has to work. They might think about the work for the next weeks, months or maybe years. You take care of your community first, and then let the work spread.

What do you see as the future of contemporary ballet?

The future is and was Pina Bausch. She used everything – voice, music, dancing, acting. Choreographers and dancers keep going back to her work. Even William Forsythe goes back to Pina Bausch. She was in the forefront. When she started working, people were shocked. They asked: “Is this dance?” But then obviously she became well regarded. People are doing again today what she already did.

It’s difficult to say where the future is headed. Choreographers are always emerging and trying new things. It’s important to keep classical ballet alive, but it’s also important to bring in and excite young people. As choreographers, we have to touch on the lives people are living. With the recent elections, so many people are upset, including myself. I think choreographers are trying to bring out these relevant themes in their work, so the future of contemporary ballet is tied to daily life. We’ve been doing that for a long time at Lemon Sponge Cake, bringing into the studio what’s going on in the environment or on the street. I think that’s the future, whether it addresses a local or political issue.

Any other thoughts?

In every piece we create at Lemon Sponge Cake, there’s always a challenge. The most important thing is to challenge yourself.

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Robert Sher-Machherndl, a native of Austria, has worked as a dancer, choreographer, teacher and artistic director. After performing extensively in Europe, he was granted the privilege of the US visa type Alien of Extraordinary Ability. Robert is a founder of Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet, based in Boulder, CO. He has created over 25 evening-length works, and has choreographed for the Finnish National Ballet, Vienna State Opera Ballet, Bavarian State Ballet, Scapino Ballet, Salzburg Ballet and more.

The post Contemporary Ballet Past, Present and Future appeared first on Stance on Dance.

Misa Kelly is based in Southern California and has been making dances for over 20 years. She is a founder and core collaborator of Art Bark, a cross-continental dance collective. This interview is part of a series on contemporary dance and its extended implications.

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How would you define contemporary dance to someone without a background in dance?

Contemporary dance is kindred to sports in that it uses the body as a vehicle while others witness and experience physiological reactions. Whereas sports have rules and guidelines, in contemporary dance the rules and guidelines are different from dance-maker to dance-maker.

While a contemporary dance-maker may be competitive—and there is a competitive dance scene—in the arts it is generally not the intention to compete to win. While practitioners in both sports and dance can be viewed as elite athletes, contemporary dance draws upon aspects of the human condition not considered in sports. The contemporary dance-maker, additionally, is an innovator of forms, and may integrate sensibilities from other disciplines into their choreographic process.

A contemporary dance may be performed in a traditional theater, but may also make use of site specific venues such as parks, streets, subways, galleries, grocery stores, laundromats, and so on. Performances may also occur in informal settings such as a dance studio or in someone’s home.

A contemporary dance-maker may earn nothing, and even go so far as to pay out of their own resources to create and produce a dance. Why do we do it? Passion, purpose, life work, calling.

How would you suggest a student train for a contemporary dance career?

Training is evolving as the field of contemporary dance evolves. As one who began to dance at the late age of 28 in the 80s, my training included six years in a dance program at a university, and two years of study for an MFA. I brought to this my experience with pantomime, gymnastics, equestrianship, and adventuring on skateboards and boogie boards. I had over 150 different teachers in various movement modalities, and also attended workshops by leading figures in the field.

A traditional route would be to grow up learning how to dance in studios, major in dance, and go on to pursue a career. Some dancers may skip a degree and launch directly into a career, which is more usual in ballet than contemporary dance. The types of dancers who contemporary dance-makers use in choreography are not limited to dancers with extensive training. More and more, dance-makers work with people from all walks of life.

If one wants to make their life work being a dancer, then focusing on some movement modality is essential. Develop strong improvisational skills. Be curious, open, good-natured, easy to work with, and reliable. Retain the integrity of your body while receiving technique. Understand that the bones of ballet will serve as a springboard into anything as long as you honor the architecture of your body. Lastly, knowing arts admin skills is a plus.

It is my observation that the concept of “career” could be better framed. I would call it more of an extreme lifestyle. A life as a contemporary dance artist requires not only pursuit of one’s primary passion, but development of a tandem career which may or may not be related to dance. It is rare when a dance-maker makes their livelihood solely from dance-making.

Are there successful funding models for contemporary dance?

I prefer to think along the lines of resource acquisition as opposed to funding. If you are a contemporary dance-maker locked into receiving money to make your dances and get them out into the world, well, that could quickly prove to be exasperating.

I embrace the success of a dance-maker by their ability to entertain a vision and follow through with concrete action to bring it into a physical manifestation, be it sharing new work in a studio, producing a large festival, or touring internationally. Given this definition, I see myself and my fellow dance-makers successfully manifesting our visions every day.

I know of one dance-maker who had a daily guerrilla practice for a year in open spaces, which cost him nothing more than his time. On the other hand, I know one person who charged dancers to be in her company; they paid for classes in which they learned choreography, and in exchange they performed in locally produced showcases. I know of another dance-maker who funded her first season all out of her own pocket, and this year launched a crowd funding campaign. Another model is a local dance company affiliated with the university who has access to a plethora of resources.

Our own collective exists in a small city where there is not a single organization that funds the type of work we do. The patrons give to conservative forms such as the ballet, opera or university. Additionally, the least costly alternative for rehearsal space in my town is $17 an hour, with scant availability. The one venue that does provide subsidized space is $20 an hour. Despite the challenges, our collective has manifested amazing things. Granted, we aren’t hugely visible in the world of dance, but we are happy little clams in our orbit. Do I get paid for my efforts? Not usually, but sometimes. Does that matter to me? Not anymore. I value creative freedom, and I find I can maximize this by doing something entirely different for my bread and butter income. Would I say no to being paid every time I undertook a project? Of course not!  I live in the shadow of a shoestring budget and dip into my dwindling savings to make ends meet.

How do you think your work contributes to the contemporary dance arena?

I have always been an oddball in the field of dance in my small community in Southern California. My process involves breathing in between different mediums of creative expression; some things are better expressed in written word, song, drawing, painting, photography, installation, video, sculpture or ceramics. By sourcing other disciplines, my work itself is impacted. Integrative is a word that comes to mind, which reflects my own psychological journey.

Seven years ago, I witnessed Lloyd Newsom’s DV8 in Santa Barbara, and am still coalescing from the experience. I realized technique had stripped me of something essential, and so I set out to de-dancify my body. I recently had insight into a possible modality that could be brought into an academic setting to train dance artists in a way that is relevant to where we are in time/space. It isn’t a “technique” in the sense that it isn’t created to serve my choreographic voice, and it isn’t training for a specific movement vocabulary. It is intended to serve the planet, culture, society and community. It is an integrative awareness practice. Whether this goes beyond me simply carving it out, archiving it and articulating it, I don’t know. I am just doing my part by showing up and allowing the information to synthesize and flow through me.

Another way I might be contributing to contemporary dance has to do with my relationship with the societal container in which my dance-making occurs. I’ve shed for the most part what I call the hierarchical “all about me” model with a single choreographer directing. For a period of time, I used the term “artistic director,” but I’ve always created in the context of community. My first show was co-produced with a group of choreographers.

Art Bark’s approach, developed out of a desire to create together in spite of living in different geographic regions, contributes to the field of contemporary dance in that it brings a global perspective. It harnesses the positive power of the internet to bring us closer together.

What does the future of contemporary dance look like?

Modern technology is impacting how we interact, and collaborations are easily becoming global in nature. The artists I collaborate with work independently in different cities, consult via chat, email, Skype, send recorded notes via Dropbox or upload videos to YouTube, confer on progress, refine our respective research, and then meet for an intensive session, usually one week, to flesh out the expression and either perform in an event we produce or co-produce, or participate in a showcase hosted by another dance-maker.

The nature of funding for dance is always shifting. The competitive, patriarchal and hierarchical models are antiquated. Although it may seem counter intuitive, the notion of being all-inclusive and sharing resources actually generates more opportunity than less.

With regard to the form itself, I see it possibly impacted by how our brains are changing with the use of technology and social media. When I set a dance on some SBCC students, I became acutely aware that this generation was brought up with access to technology. It seemed as if some vital component of being human was on the cusp of being lost. I felt like I had to roar in order to awaken what I sensed inside them. As our connection with nature lessens, our work changes.

I would rather not go into further detail about what I see as the future, but give my energy to being part of the now. I am currently processing a man headed to the White House who seems like a really poor match. I once thought that focusing on being an artist was the most important way I could contribute to society. I no longer hold that view. My new goal is to meet with like-hearted individuals in the studio and have move/write/sound/draw sessions that creates a safe container for processing. My thought is to harness the power of the body to source ideas and, from these ideas, to come up with bite-sized action plans.

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For more information, visit www.artbark.org.

First three photos by Tone Stojko; last photo by Sue Bell

The post An Evolving Dance World appeared first on Stance on Dance.

BY EMMALY WIEDERHOLT

Gerald Casel is a Filipino-American choreographer, dancer and teacher whose work problematizes colonial narratives and invites cultural contemplation. In this interview, he reflects on the dominant voices in contemporary dance, who’s being heard and who’s not being heard, and why neutrality is a dangerous position. This interview is part of a series on contemporary dance and its extended implications.

Photo by Ho Chang

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How would you describe contemporary dance to someone who doesn’t have a background in dance?

I actually looked it up on Wikipedia because people often go to Wikipedia to get a general idea. I have a lot of problems with the Wikipedia description of contemporary dance. The first sentence reads: “Contemporary dance is a dance performance genre that developed during the mid-twentieth century and has since grown to become one of the dominant genres for formally trained dancers throughout the world, with particularly strong popularity in the U.S. and Europe.”

“Mid-twentieth century,” “dominant,” and “U.S. and Europe” are problematic for me. I think the idea of contemporary dance is still being developed, so to locate it in a specific time and place, like “mid-twentieth century” and “U.S. and Europe,” is myopic and limiting.

In my work, I always look at intersectionality. Who’s performing? Who gets to dance? What is their age, experience, gender, history, etc.? This is all important information for the performer, choreographer, curator, critic and audience. But this is not unique to contemporary dance; it’s part of everyday life.

So what can someone expect in contemporary dance? They can expect a performance that will be live with bodies moving through space and that is responding to contemporary issues. I think “responding to” is better than “representing,” because successful imagery for me might not be successful imagery for another person, so representation—although definitely present—is not what I go to first.

I also think there’s an issue of aesthetic. The dominant perception of contemporary dance is through TV shows like “So You Think You Can Dance” and “America’s Got Talent.” That, to me, feels limited in its definition of what is beautiful and worthy. So when I talk to someone who has no conceptual framework for what contemporary dance is, they may ask if it’s like what they’ve seen on TV, and I say, kind of, but here are more things you could think about: history (histories of omission not being taught in curricula), dominant voices (like Cunningham, Limon, Duncan, Graham, Taylor…why are these voices dominant?), and then continuing on to the Judson Church era and ideas about resisting spectacle and embracing all movement as performance.

Photo by Beau Saunders

Based on the influences and dominant figures you just listed, do you consider contemporary dance to be an outgrowth of modern/postmodern dance, or a separate genre unto itself?

It’s problematic to think of contemporary dance in terms of time and, unfortunately, the word itself refers to time. Contemporary dance is related to, but not an outgrowth of, modern and postmodern dance. They are connected, but not a consequence of each other. The word itself, “contemporary,” feels like a trap, since it relates to time. It refers to a U.S./European sense of time and what is modern or postmodern, when dance has been happening for many centuries, and what was contemporary or modern back then is now considered primitive or ritualistic. I wish there was a better word than “contemporary” to describe what we’re doing.

What training and exposure do you think is necessary to be a contemporary dancer?

I came from Juilliard and have taught in the U.S. and in Europe, both in professional and academic settings. I would recommend somatics, learning about yourself and your relationship to your environment. We are interconnected. Usually, people come into my class with all this training from ballet or competition dance, and I have to un-do a lot of patterns and modes of thinking about what we’re trying to achieve and replicate. Maybe we don’t have to replicate anything, and can focus more on function rather than aesthetic effect.

All of these subsystems like Axis Syllabus, counter-technique and gaga that people latch onto are great because they create diversity and a wide perspective for dancers to train. People are rethinking the methodology of teaching technique, and even the very idea of technique class. Improvisation is also key. It is often separated from choreography, but a lot of contemporary choreographers use improvisation in their process.

Another thing I think about in terms of education is decolonization. What legacies have we been continuing in our education systems that don’t honor diverse points of view? We privilege American or European perspectives, and everything else like African dance or Indian dance are elective. I’m trying to look at technique beyond ballet and modern.

It’s always important to challenge titles and labels. When I say, “I’m a professor of dance,” people ask, “Oh, what kind of dance?” I say contemporary, and then I kind of make a face, because it’s not that simple. I wish I could have an hour to explain.

Photo by Gerald Casel

What do you perceive is your own contribution to the contemporary dance field?

I’m motivated by my own history. I’m looking at the colonial history of the Philippines and the collective cultural amnesia involved. People conveniently forget oppression in order to endure it. These ideas contribute to what I’m thinking about as an artist.

I just presented a paper about choreography as a colonizing force. One of the things I question is the dominant syllabi used in university dance programs around the country. I ask why we’re continuing to teach from select texts when, for instance, the masculine pronoun is always used to describe a choreographer. In fact, Doris Humphrey uses “he” to describe a choreographer, even though she’s essentially describing herself. I also found across the board an implementation of Liz Lerman’s critical response. I find it problematic because it asks us to be neutral. When I am asked to be neutral, I am essentially silencing my voice because I might hurt another choreographer’s feelings.

Do you have a sense of what post-contemporary dance might be?

If you look at dance festivals around the country, it’s increasingly inviting communal curation. It’s asking us to be activists and ask questions about our community. Rather than asking questions about what’s on the stage, we’re asking questions about who we are and what we represent. I think that’s a good and healthy trend. However, I think this trend is hard for people who watch dance and say, “I don’t get it.” They’re going to get it even less. There are layers of education that have to be addressed as we progress curatorially.

Any other thoughts?

Maybe it’s because of Trump, but attempting to be neutral is related to white fragility. For me, as a person of color, when I talk about something that might be stressful or difficult, I often have to obfuscate what I’m saying and couch it in a place of “I’m not trying to hurt your feelings.” It’s similar when I apply the principles of critical response. I feel like I’m being surveilled.

Photo by Jamie Lyons

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Gerald Casel Dance will be presenting its upcoming San Francisco home season at ODC Theater on December 8-10, 2016, and will feature a preview of Cover Your Mouth When You Smile (a collaboration with Seoul and Hong Kong based choreographer Na-ye Kim that explores racial melancholia, the model minority myth, and mimicry in Asian and Asian-American cultures), Thirdperson (a new work), and a re-staging of the acclaimed work Fluster (2010).

Gerald Casel was born in the Philippines and raised in California. He received a BFA in dance from Juilliard and an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has danced in the companies of Michael Clark, Sungsoo Ahn, Stanley Love, Zvi Gotheiner, Russell Dumas, the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Lar Lubovitch and Stephen Petronio, and has created choreography for The Barnard Project, New York University’s Second Avenue Dance Company, Da Da Dance Projects and The X Factor Dance Company of Scotland. He currently serves as assistant professor of dance at University of California – Santa Cruz, and as the artistic director of Gerald Casel Dance, which has been presented at Danspace Project, Movement Research at Judson Church, Dance New Amsterdam, Dance Theater Workshop, Joyce SoHo, Dixon Place, Dancenow NYC, Aaron Davis Hall, 92nd Street Y, The Yard, Jacob’s Pillow, Danceworks, Conduit, ODC Theater and Dancebase Edinburgh. Gerald is currently an ODC Resident Artist and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Fellow.

The post Questioning Neutrality and Colonization in Contemporary Dance appeared first on Stance on Dance.