gardeners

Just read what Karen wrote (below) and love it. Was at The Dinner Party tonight, a platform for artists in any discipline (or mixture of disciplines) to show work and engage in dialogue. These events are organized by Ilana Silverstein and she, like Karen, are people I admire not only for what they create but also because they cultivate an environment that is nurturing and generative. I love how Karen shared so much of the events and ideas from Dance/USA and Ilana tonight performed and then moderated a thoughtful and engaging conversation about the work presented. These friends are gardeners: they are keenly aware of ways to grow creativity and collaboration. Ilana read this quote tonight: "dependence on a specialized language can also prevent innovation by limiting ideas."

When Karen and I talked about the ideas for this blog, we envisioned it as a venue to share ideas and responses to varied events. So many incredible things happen in this area that go overlooked and un-discussed. This is a place to reflect on creations and artists that defy categorization, that have not yet been picked up by mainstream publications, so that they can grow in fertile soil, be nurtured and thrive.

Dance/USA Annual Conference 2010

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Dance/USA 2010 Annual Conference held at the Ritz Carlton Pentagon City. This event, that brought together many factions of the dance world including artists and arts administrators, was packed full of information, discussion, networking, and celebration. As the artistic director of a small dance company, my responsibilities currently extend to that of executive director, publicist, accountant, and beyond. When choosing whether to attend a breakout session for artists, managers, or agents, etc, I observed myself gravitating towards panel discussions centering around concepts of collaboration.

I had the opportunity to meet many wonderful pioneers of collaborative enterprises. Jen Abrams spoke of OurGoods “an online community of artists that facilitates the barter of skills, space, labor, and art objects.” This site is intended to help artists to swap talents. For instance, if I am in need of someone to design a poster for an upcoming performance, I might be able to trade a skill of my own that is of value to another artist in need. In her own words, Ms. Abrams spoke of OurGoods.org as “the Craigslist for artists.” This site is just about to be launched to the greater public. Be sure to check it out!

Another inspiring speaker was Jon Michael, the Executive Director for Trey McIntyre Project. He spoke on a panel that was devoted to dance artists and companies working outside of our nation’s “cultural hotspots.” Now situated in Boise, ID, the company has successfully integrated into the community through building a dance space, collaborating with visual artists, and bringing dance into a city where there had been no such presence. They interact on a daily basis with other area artists, community members, and beyond. From what Jon Michael described, the association brings a sense of community appreciation for artists and Boise citizens alike. Other motivating members of the panel included Ruby Lockhart, John Malashock and James Sewell.

The overriding message I came away with is that there is more abundance for all when we choose to work (and play) together. Artists are inspired through contact with other artists in their own and other disciplines. Communities are fueled with energy and community pride, as artists interact with citizens and create an environment for curiosity and discussion. Why then, do many dance artists and dance organizations operate in survival mode? Is this just human nature? Instead of reaching out to formulate partnerships and share resources, much of the opposite seems to occur. There appears to be a sense within the dance community, that there is not enough room for more artistic voices. The resources are scarce, theater seasons are competitive to attain, and artists become isolated not only from other artists and organizations, but also from the communities and audiences they intend to reach. I believe that it is time for us artists to wake up before our art form becomes extinct. Life and art go hand in hand...we must move forward in collaboration.

----Reedy

Onstage last night

Yesterday I was with Amanda, a thinker and dancer who has an article in today‘s Washington Post about a DC neighborhood, and writes about other topics too - like coffee and ice cream (life’s essentials). We went to see Through Their Eyes, an exhibit of photography from Haiti. Many of the images were taken by teenagers in Haiti who, after the earthquake, were given cameras and photography workshops by a non-profit group, Zanmi Lakay. Their images are stunning and I bought one of the prints when I realized all the proceeds go to relief for Haiti. Then we went to Georgetown University to see The Pull of Negative Gravity by the Welders Theatre Company which was harrowing (about a soldier coming home from Iraq) and well-done. We talked about the burgeoning scene for young theater companies and how they are finding a conducive environment in DC, then asked why isn’t the same happening for dance in DC? There seem to be so few companies presenting performances that are about exploration, research and discoveries. A lot of what I see seems to be about decorating (look how nicely this goes with the music!) or illustrating (movement used to imitate feelings and events, which tends to border on pantomime). Makes me think of a trip Amanda and I took to Philadelphia in March to see the exhibit Dance with Camera at the Institute of Contemporary Art (the film above by Joachim Koester was included). The works were idiosyncratic, sincere, thought-provoking. Given the variety of ways our bodies move, how does it happen that so much dance on stages in DC looks similar? I think there are creative choreographers in this city, but somehow their works are not given platforms to be viewed, discussed, promoted or disseminated. I wonder why not.

collaboration is key

People who have been students in my classes know that I tend to talk quickly (understatement), but may not know that I also type quickly. For this reason I am hired at times to transcribe events, and yesterday’s conference was an all-day session in Baltimore. It was a closed-door meeting so I cannot disclose details but it was incredibly inspiring to hear a room full of brilliant minds discussing how to best educate the next generations and how to make the arts a key part of this process. It made me think a lot about collaboration, and just how fruitful and generative it is to share ideas with others. On Tuesday evening I saw a collaboration at the Source Theater in DC and wrote about it here for dc theatre scene. This made me think again of the collaboration between Susan Shields and Heather McDonald. I found their work-in-process poignant and admired the way the creators integrated movement and dialogue. Then I started thinking of how, historically, collaboration has been key to the success of certain artists - not only the Judson artists who brought together dancers, painters and thinkers from varied walks of life and the performances of the Ballets Russes that resulted from Diaghilev's experiments with collaborative processes, but also Black Mountain College. In Chance and Circumstance, Carolyn Brown writes beautifully about this time. It's a great book about dance, art and life.

guess who's at Tanglewood this summer?

Shanleigh Philip!

Less than a month on the job with Mark Morris Dance Group, Shanleigh has been invited to tour as the company management intern and will be assisting the Executive Director Nancy Umanoff. Congratulations Shanleigh!

more...

Quotes added to "IQ: Inspiring Quotations"

from Jessica Moore... Wow!

Well there isn't too too much news. I did the Buglisi Intensive with Lauren so you have that update from her and since then I've come back to the city (I live in Washington Heights). It was funny because my 3rd day here I ran into a few of the Buglisi company members outside a cafe by Lincoln Center. They were doing an improv. project for the 15th annual Vision Festival at the Abrons Art Center and invited me to join them (I was actually having dinner with Gerald when I ran into them so he is involved as well!) Gotta love dancer connections! So Friday and Monday there is a group improv. and Saurday and Sunday I'm doing some more individualized improv. at the festival. It's been a blast so far and I'll update you after the performance and let you know how it goes. This is just such a fantastic opportunity to meet people and collaborate. I feel blessed that I had the opportunity to work with Adriane Fang. Her explorative and creative nature has been such a blessing and really gave me the confidence and experience to fully participate in this project. Before Mason, and Adriane specifically, I had only experience proscenium dance and her various projects and interactive experiences were a wonderful addition to my life as a dancer and an artist. The experiences she offered those of us lucky enough to have her were invaluable and I hope that the other classes get to experience this kind of work. Aside from this particular project I’m auditioning, taking class, and attempting to find a semi-stable job. It’s funny my first paying job in the city was dancing...what better start could I ask for? I love this blog idea by the way… I think that the faculty should know what has influenced us the most and they should have the satisfaction of knowing that what they do matters. They stay with us and push us…even after we leave.

appreciating more dance

A message and photo just received from a student of a course I taught this spring at a university in DC. It was similar to Dance Appreciation but called “Understanding the Dance”

Dear prof Mattingly,
I recently arrived home to Miami after spending 8 days in Paris… I wanted to email you after this trip to tell you how much your class altered and positively enhanced my perspectives. There were multiple instances in Paris where dance occurred and my family was shocked at my fascination and knowledge about the dance. Most importantly I want to thank you for giving me the privilege to make my mother’s jaw drop in shock of my knowledge especially after our tour guide asked if we knew why Louis XIV had a sun around his head in multiple statues and paintings and I was able to explain all that you taught me in class. We also toured Versailles, which was beyond incredible and it was amazing to be able to apply the material learned in a classroom to the actual place where the history occurred. I immediately asked if we could see where Louis XIV would perform his court ballets and it was beautiful. Because of your class I was also able to explain to my older sister how Louis XIV's dances were a way for him to enhance his power as a king while simultaneously pleasing the noble class.

appreciating dance

One of the most lively courses at GMU is Dance Appreciation. Students come from all over the globe, bring a wealth of knowledge about dance forms and cultural differences, and can attend shows at the Center for the Arts for free. In one semester, a curiosity about dance can be nurtured and developed, and then the emails come in when the class is over about shows and events that sustain their appreciation of this art-form. Yesterday I received a message from an Appreciation student I taught in the fall of 2009, Sara Masouleh, about The Kennedy Center performance of the Presidential Scholars. Sara knew that Ida Saki would be performing; Ida is the dancer who turned down the invitation to compete on So You Think You Can Dance in order to go to college and join a professional company. Here is what Sara wrote: “All of the students obviously have dedicated a good part of their lives to perfecting their respective art. The musicians and dancers particularly stood out to me. The musicians all seemed so moved by their music and this depth I think really helped make for a more effective performance. The music also allowed the dancing to have much more impact.

why writing matters

Imagine a theater for emerging artists and new choreography that seats 50,000 people. Difficult? When I was writing for The New York Times, the readership for the paper (in the first years of the 21st century) was approximately 1,000,000 people, and even if 5% of those readers looked at an article about dance, that was 50,000 pairs of eyes on dance.

This past week I had three similar conversations with three different people: where are the articles about emerging choreographers and new performances in DC's major publications?

When I interviewed a poet based in the city and asked him about his recent retirement from the Smithsonian after being a curator for 21 years, he told me about a woman at a party who asked him “Didn’t you used to be Reuben Jackson?” He laughed when he said this, adding “This is the Washington-thing, the need for titles.”

How does it impact lesser-known artists if people in DC determine value by titles and labels? When a creator in any discipline explores new forms of communication, they no longer fit into existing categories, yet audiences and critics here make their assessments about quality based on familiarity. For example, the caliber of a dance company is often determined by how frequently they tour or the size of the theaters they fill or the number of zeroes in their budget.

What would happen if the dance critic of DC’s major newspaper decided she’d review the companies that visit the big theaters, but ignore the smaller companies, interdisciplinary productions in lesser known venues, or performances by university students?