I believe that John Martin was too harsh on the way he puts classic dance down and praises modern dance. As these are two different styles of dance, I feel that Martin was too biased in his review. My question for John Martin is: Don’t you think that people have the right to favor one thing over another without being criticized by someone else? Do you really think modern dance is better than classic dancing and not just different?
Andrey Grebenetsky
IDC1001H Fall 2008
Modern Dance
I’m going to try and play the devil’s advocate here, but I have always been inclined to criticize and go away from tradition. I feel that taking and accepting change in actions and surroundings is an important part of intellectual growth. Therefore, while traditional dance is beautiful and artful, and some dancers prefer it over other forms of dance, I’d always gravitate away from it towards the edgy. Some people go their entire lives without an original thought. My question to John Martin would be: Where do you see dance going in the future? Will the traditional dance forms themselves ever change?
I want to know why John Martin thinks so highly of modern dance, to the point of selling other types of dances short. I don’t agree with his style of writing, either.
-Yan Davydov
My question to John Martin would be: How can he go about saying that dance styles such as tap and/or acrobatic do not qualify as dancing as a fine art? These styles require just as much practice, patience, and skill as any other style of dance. Also, any dance that is used as a means of expression should be considered a fine art.
~~~Morris Dabbah
Prior to reading Martin’s piece on the characteristics of the modern dance, I read my classmates’ responses on the blog. Right away, I felt that my view on this critic might be equivalent to the class’ view of Ben Brantley. John Martin is overwhelmingly biased against ballet and other classical dances. Who is Martin to criticize dances that have been around for centuries. Ballet is a beautiful form of dance, as is modern dance, that is a form of self-expression by the dancer. In calling the extract “Characteristics of the modern dance,” John Martin does more than explain aspects of modern dance.
