The Arts in NYC

Tango originated in Argentina around the 1800s, as a combination of both African and Argentinian influences.  In 1983, the right-winged military dictatorship of Argentina fell, and acceptance of homosexuality grew.  Soon after, Argentina was the first Latin American country to legalize gay marriage.  And now, same-sex tango is growing to be more popular.

I find it interesting how art reflects the changing values of our times.  As acceptance of homosexuality grows, and gender roles are starting to become more obsolete, dancing tango with the same gender develops.  Open-role tango isn’t only about having the chance to dance with a lover who is of the same sex.  It allows a women to lead, and a man to follow, thus breaking the mold of gender roles.  It also shows a different side to tango.  In another sense, open-role tango can also take the lead-follow aspect out of traditional tango.  In a quote by Patrick Loughran, “Eventually it turns into this Ouija board, where there’s no leading or following. It’s just being.”

Anton Gazenbeek, who is 26, has been dancing tango since he was 14.  He says, “With women it’s nice, soft, romantic, gentle, sweet.  With men it’s very powerful and very athletic, and very much like a game.”  In anticipation of the Queer Tango Festival, he has been instructing people in “open-role” tango.  People of all sexual orientation and tango skill level are welcomed.

Queer Tango Festival Buenos Aires

It seems to be that nearly everyone loves the popular TV show “So You Think You Can Dance”.  Personally, I have never watched it enough to become an avid follower of the show, but I hear that it is riveting and entertaining.  People audition with a dance routine for judges, and if selected to continue, they compete with the other finalists, trying to avoid elimination, until only the winners remain.  A review in the NY Times of the “So You Think You Can Dance” live tour at Radio City Music Hall left me wondering if the show is even worth watching.  The critic did not enjoy the performance, so much so that she wrote, “I wish that I will never again have to endure anything so tedious, simplistic and amateurish as this empty boob-tube spectacle.”  Besides the over-the-top lighting, “screensaver”-like backdrops, and ” loud, but unimpressive” music, the author of the review was horrified by the dancing.  She wrote that the routines would be left with nothing if one were to take away the “splits, kicks, hair-tossing, high lifts, gymnastic tricks and posturing.”  The most entertaining part about being at the performance seemed to be watching the hardcore fans of “So You Think You Can Dance” as they excitedly cheered on their favorite winners and finalists.

However, aren’t the “splits, kicks, hair-tossing, high lifts, gymnastic tricks and posturing” all part of the dance performance?  Isn’t that a huge part of what makes up dance?  Maybe the critic is used to more “traditional” dance, because I think that all of the other aspects play a huge role in creating a worthwhile performance.  This review made me think of the performances we saw at Fall For Dance.  Would the first performance have been as awe-inspiring without the flashy lights, sparkly costumes, and repetitive–sometimes corny– in-sync movements?  I think not.  I can only wonder what this NY Times critic would have had to say about that performance!

You can check out the review here!

Japan is very well known for its unique styles in culture and this is even shown in a particular dance that originated in Japan in the 1950’s called Butoh. In 1975, Amagatsu Ushio created Sankai Juku, an all male troupe dedicated to the dance of Butoh. The distinctive aspect of this dance is shown through the attire and make up of the performers. For example, these performers are covered from their shaven heads to their toes in white rice powder, which looks almost like paint. Sometimes they are costumed, partially costumed, or unclothed wearing long skirt-like garments. Their slow eccentric movements incorporate the entire body, usually focusing on their fingers and feet. After reading the NY Times article, it is certainly a new type of dance I am exposed to now.

Music and sound effects are employed, often repetitiously, and range from dynamic drumming to jazz, natural sounds such as wind, sirens, etc., to electronic music and sounds so soft as to be barely perceptible – and periods of silence.

NY Times Article

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxq-jzymytI&feature=related

It is always interesting to appreciate how many different perspectives the audience can have when observing a work of art, especially a dance performance. Today, we held a vote in class for the best performance from Fall for Dance, and all three of us guys selected “Rhythmdome,” the tap/hip-hop piece. On the other hand, 11 of the girls selected the “Keigwin + Company.” Furthermore, the piece that most people seemed to like the least was “AfterLight Part 1.” In fact, not to mention any names, but several students claimed that they “dozed off” during “AfterLight Part 1.”

Well, Gia Kourlas of The New York Times Dance Review would have added one vote for best performance to none other than “AfterLight Part 1.” Kourlas harshly criticizes all of the performances, aside for the one that our class seemed to give the worst rating. Kourlas describes “AfterLight Part 1” as “the finest contribution” of the night. “It was enchanting,” according to Kourlas; yet, according to several our classmates, it is seemed to suck the energy out of the audience much more than it enchanted us.

This begs the question: What did Kourlas see that we did not? Kourlas indeed recognizes the tiring aspect of the piece, but he prefers to describe it as “languorous.” One definition I found of languor is “the state or feeling, often pleasant, of tiredness or inertia.” Therefore, while many viewers viewed the tiredness of “AfterLight Part 1” as a negative, Kourlas felt a more pleasant tiredeness. Another aspect of the dance that Kourlas appreciated was the mesmerizing effect of the dancer’s movements. The subtle movements made Kourlas perceive that the dancer was “floating in space” at first, and later “fighting his way through fog.” At the conclusion of the dance, Kourlas says the dancer “was as distant and remote as a figure in a music box.”

I personally had “AfterLight Part 1” ranked as my third favorite piece out of the four. But after reading Kourlas’s eye-opening review, I have a totally new outlook on the aesthetic of the piece. That is truly the beauty of art.

Read how Kourlas critiques the other three dance performances

Marina Abramović once suggested an intellectual inquiry: “Who creates limits?”
Trisha Brown certainly does not.

In the Whitney Museum (New York) last week, a re-enactment of Ms. Brown’s “Man Walking Down the Side of a Building” was performed. The activity was part of a larger project titled “Off the Wall: Part 2 — Seven Works by Trisha Brown.” The choreographer’s original piece was created in 1970, and featured a dancer suspended by a harness attached to the ceiling. He/she would stand horizontally erect, and maintain complete grace as he/she slowly walked down the wall. This takes control from more traditional forms of dance, such as ballet, to the next level.

The exhibit intends to present a new approach in perceiving art. Since the piece is so extreme in nature, it is apparent that its style strays from the traditional. The fact that the work revives the rebellious notion originating in the late 60’s positively indicates that the concept is growing stronger as time passes and as art modernizes.

Ms. Brown has explored the fundamentals of dance in several other works, as well. For example, ordinary bodily movements are glorified as they are coordinated in a repeated manner in “Accumulation”. Her pieces combine elements of the ordinary (simple bodily movements, and ordinary activities such as walking) with those of the extraordinary (like gravity). The possibilities for this form of expression now seem infinite, thanks to the artistic contributions of this phenomenal woman.

The original article is here.

Below is another re-enactment of the piece.