Everybody is talking about Performa 07, a dance biennial festival, or better said, a visual arts festival, that is taking place in New York City. At the beginnings of November, when it started, several artists have been presenting their works. From modern dance, to ballet, to ethnic dances, complemented with workshops, and conversations with famous choreographers and artists, is what this festival offers to everybody passionate with visual arts.
There are a variety of venues where the performances are taking place, but this one in particular caught my attention. The choreographer Pablo Bronstein has been showing his work on different lobbies of buildings around the Financial District. Even if lobbies are not the most favorable stage for dancers to perform, it serves as an opportunity to promote the art, and show people the beauty of it.
Taking Bronstein’s work as an example, I think that the purpose of this festival besides giving the opportunity for artists to show their works, it is a lesson for society to learn how to appreciate these arts and start opening their minds into different forms of dance.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Modern dance for anyone
Like a famous Spanish phrase says, “para gusto los colores,” meaning that for every personal taste there is a color; there is always something for everyone.
Yes, there is something for everyone in the world of dance that is why there are so many different branches in which people are passionate. And modern dance is one of them. Unlike the glamour, fantasy and elegance that usually characterize ballet, modern dance is abstract, is crude, is illusionist and contemporary. I am not saying that modern dance lacks elegance, and glamour, but it is not what a common person that only enjoys ballet sees for the first time in a modern piece. As Lisa Traiger mentioned in her article, a lot people in the audience does not understand it and they leave with that puzzled thought and avoid watching modern pieces again.
I know that there are dance works popularly categorized as bad ones. But not everything different from the usual is bad or less outstanding. At least, people should take the time and open their minds to appreciate a modern ballet work.
Like in ballet, modern dance also tells stories; stories of dreams, stories of life, narrated in a more contemporary form as from ballet. Sometimes, a modern piece does not give you the whole story, but establishes an idea or a thought. In my case, after watching a modern dance performance, I always leave the theatre thinking in the message of the work; I keep thinking on the performance (choreography and theme), it has a long-lasting effect in my head, and I think that is inspirational.
Like ballet had its origins hundreds of years ago, this is the time of modern dance. These are its origins, and there is nothing wrong with it.
Yes, there is something for everyone in the world of dance that is why there are so many different branches in which people are passionate. And modern dance is one of them. Unlike the glamour, fantasy and elegance that usually characterize ballet, modern dance is abstract, is crude, is illusionist and contemporary. I am not saying that modern dance lacks elegance, and glamour, but it is not what a common person that only enjoys ballet sees for the first time in a modern piece. As Lisa Traiger mentioned in her article, a lot people in the audience does not understand it and they leave with that puzzled thought and avoid watching modern pieces again.
I know that there are dance works popularly categorized as bad ones. But not everything different from the usual is bad or less outstanding. At least, people should take the time and open their minds to appreciate a modern ballet work.
Like in ballet, modern dance also tells stories; stories of dreams, stories of life, narrated in a more contemporary form as from ballet. Sometimes, a modern piece does not give you the whole story, but establishes an idea or a thought. In my case, after watching a modern dance performance, I always leave the theatre thinking in the message of the work; I keep thinking on the performance (choreography and theme), it has a long-lasting effect in my head, and I think that is inspirational.
Like ballet had its origins hundreds of years ago, this is the time of modern dance. These are its origins, and there is nothing wrong with it.
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