New York City Ballet
This past Thursday night, our class had the pleasure of meeting Michael Gordon, an innovative composer, before attending a percussion concert performing his works. I found that this made the experience more personable and welcoming; it was comforting to know that the performers, organizers, and even the composer were willing to take time before the show to sit down and talk with us. This made me wonder if artists involved in bigger and more public productions do pre-show discussions as well. An article in the New York Times yesterday clarified my curiosity.
Surprisingly, this is becoming a practice featured before performances at the New York City Ballet. Ballet has always been a quiet and mysterious art-form, and so it often came across to viewers as “standoffish.” In order to erase such previous judgments, those involved in the company have decided to feature meet-the-dancer interactions. The goal is to connect the audience with the performers, which will hopefully increase ticket sales.
However, this seems unorthodox when compared to the dance’s established traditions. The performers were trained to not make a single sound when dancing – vocally or non-vocally – in order to have the audience become lost in a trance of art and beauty. The slightest noise from a dancer’s foot hitting the floor could easily distract a steady listener. Thus, the idea of speaking to an audience before a performance was not initially welcomed with enthusiasm. Now that they have experimented with the idea, the ice has been broken and the practice is becoming more popular. Other artists, such as painters and musicians, are also encouraged to do similar interactions in order to build relationships with their audiences.
As an artist myself, I couldn’t agree more with the idea. When one is forward with others, one gives off a sense of confidence and amiability, which are both attractive features. The more attractive the personality an artist has, the more people will be drawn into his/her crowd. I have experienced this phenomenon myself both ways – as a musician and an audience member. If one is looking to increase his/her popularity and attention, this is an excellent method to try.
To read more, click here for the article.
This is a new phenomenon in the dance world, though pre-concert lectures (including lectures and discussions with the performers) have been a feature of the music world for a long time. There is even a composers organization called “Meet the Composer” which gives money to composers to go and give pre-concert lectures. I have seen this work (and I have received their grants) numerous times. It is astonishing to see that even the most inarticulate talk by the artist can lend a humanizing effect on the way the art is communicated to the audience. It is much harder to “hate” the artwork after you have met the artist and have made even the slightest contact with him or her as a fellow human. I think this has a lot to say about the way art in general is a natural part of our human expression.
I agree with Professor Smaldone in that it is much harder to “hate” artwork after you have met the artist. The idea of 6 people banging on wood for an hour did not particularly peak my interest upon first hearing of the concert featuring Michael Gordon’s piece. However, meeting with Mr. Gordon and getting to know him a little bit before hearing the piece allowed me to understand a little of what he intended when he wrote it. Therefore, I was able to really enjoy the concert a lot better than I thought I would. He talked about his favorite part when the percussionists played quarter notes, so I made sure to listen for that part in order to see why he thought it was so cool. Getting to know him as a person before hearing his piece helped me feel like I knew the music better. I would love to have the opportunity to meet many more artists in the future.
I think that this is a very interesting concept, although I do understand the side of critics. Breaking the silent tradition of ballet is not going to be easily accepted by everyone, but I think it still needs to be done in order to “shake things up” and attract a bigger audience.