Friday, December 01, 2006

Bad Dance

I am beginning to be completely disillusioned with the entire art form known to the world as "dance." Ego stroking, personality clashing politics, and fighting over scraps are one thing. But constantly having to make "appearances" at the most eye-gougingly awful excuses for dance concerts is just taking too much of a toll on me. Successful professional dancers are given these opportunities to make work, given good dancers, costume designer, and free rehearsal space... I suspect some of them are even paid... and for what? Eternally long minutes of visual horse-shit. They are undeveloped, uninteresting, and in no way thought out. Despite the endless parade of unmitigated crap, I can't make a piece that satisfies these "important" people. I am tired of stroking their egos, and brown-nosing. Frankly, I am just tired. People don't understand dance, they have no background in it, they don't even like it. We have cheapened our art by bribing audiences to come with free dinner entrées and prizes. And the ones crass enough to take the bait wouldn't know good art if it bit them in the ass.

So what is the point? Why make dances at all? It takes time, effort, and money. It makes no money, and after all the hours of hard work, nobody sees it... for the few fleeting moments that it actually exists. So why am I torturing myself? Maybe there isn't a point to it at all. Maybe dance really is just dying out. The bad dance I see is no longer inspiring me to do better, it just discourages. I'm just so tired.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It was rather discouraging that the faculty pieces, made by some of the people who teach the students, were "undeveloped, uninteresting, and in no way thought out" and even more disouraging that certain faculty members can't recognize one that is well-developed, well thought out, and interesting. Being in Vickie Blaine's class this quarter has enlightened me to the idea of development ... and how little people use it. The facuty should be required to take her course .....

shgumby said...

I agree, the faculty should have a refresher with her, not only about how to choreograph but also how to be organized, responsible, and sound ethical teachers!

Anonymous said...

Absolutely! They all could learn A LOT from her.