Being somewhat foreign to the art-form of dance, I was in complete awe after reading the Life+Times interview with Kyle Abraham, and after watching the excerpt of “The Getting” from the dance Watershed and When the Wolves Came In. Having seen quite a few recital performances of other art-forms, I always assumed that dance would be no different. However, I found myself completely dumbfounded and wrong.
Kyle Abrahams, who choreographed the performance we are attending this Thursday night, is not only an exceptional artist, but also a purposeful one. Dance used to remind me of very boring and strict, purposeless movements—basically representing nothing. Nevertheless, Abrahams has taught me to see dance from a new angle. The purpose and passion in which he creates these dances is truly astounding. Abraham feeds off “history and a contemporary aesthetic” in a way to create a performance with endless meanings.
Seeing dance as a meaningful and worthwhile work has changed my representation and opinion on it completely. I now see that dance is much more than just a few steps and flexible movements; but rather it can be a story, a lesson, a commentary, or whatever it pleases to be.
Ultimately, though dance may have an underlying theme, I now see how an audience can interpret a dance performance for themselves. The dance itself is just presenting the information or subjects in a different form; the viewer has the supreme power to feel and interpret all that is going on in front of his or her eyes. The first thing that comes to my mind when realizing all this is how the media lacks this characteristic; and in doing so, does the complete opposite. I find that today we live in a world where every news network, magazine, website, or any publication, has its own bias and twist on things. The information may be presented, but ultimately there is some distortion or partiality. Dance defies this new trend, and creates a form of complete clarity and expression.
The excerpt of “The Getting” confirms my new appreciation for dance, and also shines a new light on the physicality and technique involved. In this specific case, I found the dancers to be completely light on their feet, and free flowing as if there was no set way of movement. Whether or not this was the actual message Kyle Abrahams was trying to portray, I found that the style and motion of the dancers symbolized freedom. Though I am almost certain that each move was strategically planned and choreographed, the entire excerpt seems as if it is totally boundless and a type of improvisation. The independence which I interpreted translated into a sense of liberty. It seems as if a dance like this is extremely prevalent today, as there is much debate and controversy across the globe over societal and individual liberties. In my opinion, Abrahams has an optimistic, or at least positive, outlook on greater freedoms, and all the rights that so many people fight for. I am excited to see what else is in store this Thursday night, and what other themes or lessons I can then walk away with.
I agree with you that the movements in Kyle Abraham’s choreography symbolizes freedom. All the twirls and and leaps gave me the sense that the dancers are unrestricted by gravity and free like a bird. The pieces all had some struggle when the dancers are stuck in one area then they break free by leaping and twirling away. I feel that Kyle Abraham’s choreography is somewhat abstract so the spectators can have their own perspective and angle from watching the performance. Although we know where he got the inspirations for the dances, the topic, such as Emancipation Proclamation, is broad so we can still interpret it the way we want to.
Now that I think about it, there are other dances that don’t really have as much meaning or expression or any message as modern dance does. Yes, dance is a form of expression but most forms don’t try to convey a message but are usually done or watched for enjoyment. Modern dance tries to portray a certain message or theme to its audience with the “loose” way their bodies move. It leaves for interpretation and analyzing. If we were to watch a ballet performance, most wouldn’t interpret or try to find the message behind those movements for example.
I was in the same shoes as you when it came to the appreciation of any form of dancing. There is something different and more influential with Kyle Abrahams’ dancing in comparison to other forms of dancing. Maybe it’s the passion he puts into his choreography or maybe it’s story that he threads through each move. He looks like he genuinely enjoys what he is doing, what makes it better is he is using his art form to spread a message to the public that words cannot express. Since modern dancing is so abstract, it allows the audience to come up with their own interpretation on the situation and maybe start their own movements in their life.
Modern dance does seem to be more political than classical dance. Typically classical dance forms are about technique and maybe a power struggle. Modern dance is a bit more interpretive and fluid, I suppose to appeal to a wider audience. Because it has a message, it needs to spread it and that doesn’t work if the audience is limited to dance aficionados. In a way, modern dance is more inclusive of the rest of the world.