Being able to watch John Jasperse’s rehearsal was one of the most intimate and eye-opening events I’ve ever had the honor of participating in. I’ve always had an appreciation for arts, even the ones that I have trouble fully understanding, and John Jaspere’s choreography definitely falls into the latter. His unique take on movement and music alienated me at first but after seeing him work with his dancers and absorbing the energy, I started to understand what made his choreography great dance.
The intimacy of the rehearsal was the most valuable part of the whole event for me. I am not a dancer, and I do not know many dancers very personally, so I’ve never been able to understand how much work goes into perfecting a dance for a performance. The dancers were obviously very talented, but they still made mistakes, many of which I didn’t even notice. However, after revisions were made, I could see the effect of subtle corrections on the piece as a whole. Before, the dance was graceful and intricate, but every revision brought it closer to cohesion. Additionally, I really enjoyed watching the relationship Jasperse had with his dancers, Stewart and Simon. Jasperse was really open to criticism and commentary from his dancers, making the whole performance a collaborative effort. This put a type of feeling into the dance that only hard work and a love for dance can bring. It really helped ground the performance to a point where I could really understand.
I also enjoyed the unfamiliarity of the whole rehearsal, and the dance itself. Having to critically think about every movement and how they work with each other was enjoyable in itself. Once I began to form a faint feeling of understanding, I became very excited and that helped me enjoy the dance more. Jasperse wanted to try to convey perspectives in his choreography and I feel like I really felt that when I had to look at the dance with different perspectives. I don’t know if that was intentional, but it helped me connect with the dance on a personal plane.
I’m very glad I was able to watch John Jasperse’s rehearsal. It brought modern dance into a new light for me; before I could not envision understanding it but now, I have a understanding that could only be achieved by watching a performance live. Otherwise, I would have been very distant from the dance both physically and mentally. Ideally, art should be experienced with as little space between someone and the piece as possible.
-Stanley (Blog A)
