kqlaughlin21

[kqlaughlin21]

https://youtu.be/r7wkuqvBfnk

(VLOG 7) - 1 Month Later 

Its been a month since the online shift and here are my thoughts and experiences so far! Not all that great with words, and most of it is just jumbled speech thats not very cohesive, but it was relaxing to talk this one out. 

[kqlaughlin21]

https://youtu.be/qZI0GeBNoYw 

(VLOG 6) - Week 5 of online classes! 

I have official lost it and here’s the proof 

-Hiking 

-Bosu Ball 

-Massacre 2020

-An odd package containing ???

[kqlaughlin21]

https://youtu.be/6x6WZbBRpf8

(VLOG 5)- Week 4 of Online Classes! 

The blog post might be done for now, but what is still poppin are the weekly vlogs! This is week 4 and it went something like this...

- The Office 

-Procrastination

-Teaching Online 

-Hitting my sister on her bike with my car 

[kqlaughlin21]

Krump and House

IT’S THE LAST BLOG AND I DON’T KNOW HOW TO ACT

    But what I do know is that Krumping looks like one of the hardest, nastiest forms of dance I have ever seen, and I mean that in the best way possible. Our readings this week were extremely informational, and talked about the origins of Krumping, and House Dancing in the underground scene. Along with those readings, we also watched a movie called Rize, which continued the conversations around Krumping, and the type of culture it was brought up in.  

    For the first reading, The Multi Ringed Cosmos of Krumping, it specifically looked at the characteristics of Krumping – showing how there are many dualities that live inside the style itself. Such as the competitive side of the form and the spiritual involvement, the reading referred to it as being practiced in two ring like context. This was helpful to understand the form of Krumping, because it allowed for a deeper analysis of what is actually going on in a Krump session, both internally and externally. The reading also mentioned Thomas Johnson, a famous dancer that founded clown dancing, later called clowning. This form consisted of bobbling bodies, contracting chests, and liquid limbs. This was a ground breaking form, because of its accessibility to the black community, and the way it really impacted individual’s lives. People would paint their faces like clowns which acted as a mask for them, and allowed for them to express themselves without restraint. Clowning was also extremely influential because it set the ground work for Krumping, which was essentially a harder approach to dealing with emotions of anger and sadness. With the emergence of Krumping, we start seeing the face paint shift to a more warrior like look. The play of the movement became more serious, and the energy was raised to a level of what almost looked like violence. However, violence seemed to be the last thing on these dancers mind, the reading talked about Krumping being a healthy outlet for the dancers, because they are able to let out the steam and frustration from everday life. The reading also mentioned the South Central youth, and how they created a proactive outlet through hip hop dance because their school would not fund an art program, and everyone was assumed to be sports players. It was their initiative that really gave Krumping momentum, and allowed for people to find the therapeutic outlet they needed. Along with the reading we also watched, Rize, which was a documentary film about Clowning and Krumping – giving us a deep look into how these forms live within neighborhoods and how it has fluctuated through time. This was an amazing film to watch because it gave a visual understanding of just how intense Krumping can get, and an understanding of what Krumping means to the dancers that partake in it. A lot of them were saying that Krumping changed their lives, and helped through it.

Other Notes…

“The painted face as a weapon…”

 When discussing the readings and movie with my group, we talked a lot about the dualities that live within this style, and specifically the chaos and order that emerge out of Krumping. This was interesting to me because of how much it made sense, how the chaos was necessary to bring order to what was happening. And just how natural it was for that to happen.

The movie was an interesting look into how Clowning and Krumping were translated to a stage for competition, to take it off of the streets. I felt that the purity in the movement got lost when I saw that part of the movie.

Krumping = Ghetto Ballet

    The second reading, C’mon to my House: Underground House Dancing, talked about the underground scenes in New York and Chicago in the 1970’s, and how House dancing was extremely influential in these particular scenes. The reading described underground house as a way of life. It emphasized that nothing is more important than the ~vibe~ this was interesting to me because it was saying that House cannot really thrive without the right vibe. The reading described the vibe as a rhythm created by the mix of dancers. That had me thinking about all times I engaged in a vibe type of scene when out dancing, and reflecting back on those times of getting drunk and carelessly dancing with the ones around me, while the strobe lights are going absolutely crazy, helped me understand this concept a lot. It talked a lot about the clubs that housed these intense scenes, one of them being, Paradise Garage, and the other David Mancuso’s Loft. I liked how there were certain places that sanctioned this form that was extremely versatile and welcoming.

Other Notes…

Goal of the house head are to be a part of the group, yet still maintain a sense of individuality

An active, exhilarating feeling of “nowness” that everything is coming together

[kqlaughlin21]

https://youtu.be/8qeoHqNKnSo

(VLOG4)- Quarantine life but add some sun!

-ONIONS

-Tik Tok

-Scooting

-Self Care

[kqlaughlin21]

Criss Cross Culture-sauce

It’s the third week of quarantine and I’m very upset to report that I have developed an addiction to Tik Tok….lmao follow me (@itsnotblankfam)

ANYWAYS..

    It’s been another week of extremely insightful readings that have continued the conversations around hip hop and its impact on the world. Specifically these readings focused on the diversity found within hip hop, in regards to its language and the way its translated across different countries. There were also a lot of discussions revolved around masculinity within hip hop and what role that plays into the development of the form.

    For Tuesday, we were assigned two separate readings but only instructed to read one of them, while a partner read the other. I read Getting Off: Portrayals of Masculinity in Hip Hop Dance in Film, this reading was insightful because it re-iterated history and information about the style breaking – which was a nice set up for its segue into the topic of masculinity, and how that played a crucial role for the young dancers participating and the overall culture that was established early on in its development. There are several reasons why these adolescent characters of the South Bronx were break dancing – for one, they were doing it to claim the streets by showing off their best moves. Another reason, is they were in a competition that put the male-ego directly on trial. This is where the concept of masculinity plays into, because the battles were a way to gain dominance and respect. It was also a way for dancers to deal with their curiosities and obsession over sex. In the reading it describes what sex meant to these dancers – a part of the teenager’s life that they have control over, despite social poverty and prejudice. The reading also talked about breaking’s translation into main stream media and how this ended up shaving away some important characteristics of breaking – possibly the only parts that made breaking what it is. Improvisation was something that ended up being lost, and this in turn stripped away the authenticity of the experience. There were also aspects, such as high energy and 360 experience, that were lost in media, because it was being viewed from a camera lens.

Other Notes…

With masculinity being a huge driving force for the reason dancers battled, the encouragement for women participation was little to none

Teens described outbursts of dancing as “getting off”

Hip Hop culture accepts and fosters themes of male sexuality, fertility, dominance

Authenticity being lost in mainstream media, how to get that back?

    The second reading, The Dance Archaeology of Rennie Harris: Hip Hop or Postmodern? Focused on the forward thinking history of Rennie Harris, and how he shaped new perspectives and challenged the status quo of what is considered appropriate for the concert stage. Harris is the first choreographer to bring the hip hop culture in to the concert stage context. The reading breaks down Harris’s journey through the dance world and the impact he left on it. He founded his company Rennie Harris Puremovement in 1992, and focuses his choreography on these three aesthetics – deep concern with the human condition, his own spiritual development, and the state of the world. Along with these, he also conceptualizes hip hop as a cultural extension of the Africanist dance continuum. The reading describes Harris’s choreographic work as becoming a give and take between choreographic structure and the at-moment creation of the dancers. There is also this question that arises of, what is postmodernism, and can Harris’s work be considered this? I believe through several of his works such as, Rome and Jewels & Facing Mekka, that Harris’s work is innovative and has the right to be called postmodern, as well as hip hop.

Other Notes…

The reading described improvisation as this: Choreographic creation in the moment that is predicted on the summoning of individual and collective energies in the act of dancing

In Harris’s Facing Mekka work, he acknowledged the use of Butoh to tap into the muscles for popping, I thought this cross culturalization was fascinating to read about

[kqlaughlin21]

https://youtu.be/Cn6zBmOARWE

(VLOG2) Quarantine Life - Still a College Student and Still Very Bored

-online music jam session

-cross stitching

-hiking with a dog

-dancing in the rain

[kqlaughlin21]

K-Wiggle is the Name and Hip Hop is the Game. LETS GO!

    Alright this week we have gone full dive into the history of hip hop, and what a thick history that is! I would not identify myself as a classical dancer, but I also would not be so confident in calling myself a hip hop dancer. I guess you could say I’m in that groovy in-between where I enjoy wiggling to whatever comes my way, hence the name. As we move into hip hop, I’m happy to say that the physicality of the practice is not all that foreign to my body, because I am also in an Adv. Hip Hop class, and I’ve been able to find correlations from the history and the movement practice to further my understanding of this rich form. The readings this week were extremely helpful in bringing clarity to how and where the form originated, who was mainly responsible for the development of it, and what it means to take part in this world of hip hop.

    I’ll start with the first reading, Physical Graffiti: The History of Hip Hop Dance, which gave us a closer look at what was happening culturally with various hip hop forms within different geographic locations and during the early 1980’s. Now, there were multiple style developing at the time – there was breaking, popping, and locking, all of which were happening simultaneously but within different areas. We have breaking that was happening in the east coast, and then popping and locking developing in the west coast. The reading also introduced a number of influencers of the practice, such as DJ Kool Herc, who was the first DJ to use two turntables – making it possible for dancers to enjoy more than a few seconds of music. Don Campbell, who was also known as Don Campbellock, who is known for originating the dance form “locking” and forming a group called “The Lockers.” Sam “Boogaloo Sam” Solomon, formed a new dance style called the Boogaloo. These pioneers, and many more, were essential to the development of Hip Hop, because they contributed new choices that were never seen before. The reading also emphasized how multimodal hip hop is – in terms of various mediums, such as, graffiti, DJ, MC, and b-boying/girling, contributing to the functioning and progression of the practice. The class had interesting conversations about this in particular and how one could not live without the other. There was also an encouragement of a perspective change, seeing hip hop as a culture rather than a form. Which I believe was extremely helpful in understanding how hip hop was progressing through time as a living, breathing thing that people interacted with.  There was also a section in the reading called, The Art of Battling, which was a Q&A style format with Luis “Alien Ness” Martinez. He went on to talk about how deeply rooted battling is into his DNA and what it meant to him. He also mentioned that when he is judging a battle, he would look at a dancer and see if they had the 5 elements of fire, earth, air, water, and ether. Attaching different qualities within the dance to these elements. It was extremely helpful to read this section because it gave an idea of just how serious these forms are to the dancers.

Other Notes:

“The freedom is key to creativity since the dancer is constantly challenged with variations within music.”

The translation of this once underground form onto the concert stage, and what that meant for the foundations of where it all started 

People: Boogaloo Sam, Poppin Pete, Skeeter Rabbit, Sugar Pop, Don Campbellock, Trac 2, Joe-Joe, King Uprock, DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa

A stage performance creates boundaries and can restrict the free flowing process of improvisation – nailing the cues and choreography become the objective

 Q: Would this statement change if the product being presented on stage derived from improvisation?

   Moving on to the second reading, That’s the Joint!: The Hip Hop Studies – Breaking, this reading analyzed breaking and took us on its journey – from its beginnings in the streets of New York, to it being shoved into the lime light of the media, and it’s global impact on the world. At the start, breaking was a serious competition in the streets that would happen spontaneously and typically represented social significance for the dancers. It was a way for people to claim the streets with a physical presence. There was also mention of how not many girls took part in breaking, because it was described that breaking was a masculine form and there was risk of actual fights occurring due to the intensity of the space and energies. This reading also did a nice job of identifying the correlations between ballet and breaking, which was interesting to read because at its core, breaking is a codified form, with structure and technique. However, it is still seen as less than ballet. Next the reading broke down the transformations breaking went through when it was pushed into mainstream media. It went on to say that the meaning and the essence of breaking got lost. There was this interesting paradox that was happening at the time, where middle class housewives could learn break dancing in a classes, but the break dancers who had come up in the ghetto were getting banned from city streets and shopping malls for causing disturbances. It goes back to this whole concept of white people liking a certain culture, but only when it is on their terms. Mainstream also divided breaking participation into two levels, professionals and amateurs. This shifted the intention of why dancers did breaking in the first place because instead of a battle for the streets, it was now a battle for a professional job or going on tour. Translating breaking to the media had a negative impact because the audience was not able to absorb the form in its full capacity and dancers were not able to full embody what it meant to have a competition and really fight for something with their whole selves.

Other Notes:

 Breaking went global by the early 1980’s and I’m curious if this watering down of the form that was happening in the US, was also happening in other countries?

 “Using your body to publicly inscribe your identity on the surfaces of the city, to flaunt a unique personal…”

Jenn’s question: Is power in relation to movement exclusive to strength?

[kqlaughlin21]

https://youtu.be/C5yy0k46nzw

(VLOG1) My quarantine college life so far:

-jiffy pop

-online ballet class

-house hold chores (i hate being domesticated)

-green tea chocolate

Here is what I’ve been up to since the online shift! Miss you all, wishing you the best.

#thissucks #coronatime #vlog #toomuchtimeonmyhandsnow #iknowthisisannoying #ineedanewhobby

[kqlaughlin21]

I’ll Miss You All

    It goes without saying that this is one of the hardest/strangest/confusing times of our lives. Creatives need those human interactions and energies throughout life to stay inspired and to strip that away from us in unfathomable. But here we are, young adults in the middle of a pandemic, being advised to practice social distancing. As we drag ourselves through this harsh reality, I would just like to say thank you to everyone in the class – for being unapologetically who you are, contributing new perspectives and ideas, and creating this beautiful space of creativity and fun laughs. I hate to be the emo one in this crowd but I’m feeling more emotional than I expected on this Friday night, also not sure when the next time I will see any of you so I felt the need to shout into the void of the internet. Thanks again everyone, I’ll miss seeing you.

ANYWAYS, moving on so I can get my blog post points...

    This week’s readings revolved around Dance Notation and Gaga – specifically analyzing the process behind notating choreography and the contribution a contemporary form has on our dance culture. I found these two readings to be insightful in the sense that it provided a new angle of how dance evolves over time. Particularly with our reading What is Dance Notation? – because it breaks down how pieces of work are articulated through symbols written on a piece of paper. This was astonishing to realize because the world now is so based in technology and the way that dancers now remember and absorb old works is through the use of videos. However, clearly that was not the case in the 1700’s when the Beauchamps/ Feuillet notation system was created. The reason these notations were created, was so that dance could be analyzed, studied, and re-created. It’s interesting to take into consideration that bodies are 3 dimensional figures and they were transcribing movements on paper – this obviously comes with an expected degree of interpretation. While there are many notation systems that have been created that curate to a specific time period, Labanotation seems to be the notation system that is most commonly used due to its accuracy. This system was created in 1928 by Rudolph Laban and then re-vamped by The New York Dance Notation Bureau in the 1950’s and 60’s.

Other Notes…

“Words fail because people interpret them differently”

Notation enabled dance to gain respectability in the arts and education in the 20th century

When re-constructing the notation system the question was asked – the system could focus on the outer skin but how could it get to the internal heart of the movement?

     The next reading, Gaga as a Metatechnique, explains what Gaga technique is and how it came to the forefront of contemporary dance in the early 2000’s. This form was developed by Isreali choreographer, Ohad Naharin, who originally taught “Ohad’s Class” to the Batsheva Dance Company but after getting encouraged by the staff of the company, branched out to the general public of movers. The reading went on to explain that there are two tracks of this dance form, one being Gaga/people and the other, Gaga/dancers. The first tack is designed for people with little to no movement or dance experience and the second track is meant for dancers who have a wide range of movement and dynamics available to them. This was interesting information, as it informs us that Gaga is an accessible technique to all, rather than being exclusive to a few able bodies. The reading also described Gaga as a metatechnique, which is a technique that allows dancers to maintain individual agency even while working for a choreographer because the dancer is allowed to stay true to their internal training and technique to execute the choreography.

Other Notes…

Dance classes that focus on approach rather than mastery of form-based posture

What is technique?

Gaga teachers internal negotiation rather than assume what the dancer is innately capable of

[kqlaughlin21]

“Is Ballet dying? I couldn’t disagree more” -Misty Copeland

    Our journey through ballet’s substantial history continued through this week, as we went full dive into the analysis of ballet being this flexible art form. Putting ballet into this idea of it being a language and that those who speak it or learn to speak it, are able to gain agency within it and begin to make new choices. I would say that within our last week’s readings, we discussed many choreographers throughout time who achieved exactly that – contributing to the expansion of the movement vocabulary that lives within ballet. This week’s readings looked at ballet through a 20th and 21st century lens. The first reading The Rise of American Ballet, had a concentration around how ballet was established in the United States. There was mention of many pioneers such as Albertina Rasch, Adolph Bolm, Lincoln Kristein, and George Balanchine –  a few of the many that set the ground works for ballet’s thriving pulse within the States. It also went on to explain that ballet was not able to set roots within the United States in the 19th century because many people believed it to be foreign owned. At the time, the United States also lacked serious American companies that were capable of fostering proper training. Although ballet was not able to thrive completely on its own, it still existed within the context of the Musical Theater realm. Major contributing factors to ballet being established in the States, was Lincoln Kristein’s initiative to bring George Balanchine to New York to start his own company. Balanchine dealt with a lot of criticism surrounding his work, such as people claiming that it’s not “American” enough due to his foundations lying in Russia. Despite all of that, Balanchine cultivated his own interpretation of what ballet is and how it was presented. Finding satisfaction and beauty within simplicity.

Other Notes…

What is American?

Balanchine’s experimental choreography – adding to this concept of ballet being flexible

A ballet that lives within America, that has this American accent on it – making it this interesting new take on the style

Creator vs. Content

This week’s class, in particular, engaged in an active debate surrounding this question of – what does it mean to actually be trained? Individual interpretations were extremely diverse and added a lot to our knowledge as a whole

    The next readings, consisted of two articles – Misty Copeland Called Out a Russian Theater for Blackface & Hiplet – An Implausible Hybrid Plants Itself on Pointe. I found these two articles interesting because they addressed two important topics that surround not only the ballet world, but the art of dance as a whole. The article about Misty Copeland brought to light the racism that is present in the ballet world. Being the first African American principle dancer in a major dance company and having a social media presence, Copeland used her platform to address this issue that she feels extremely strong about. Based on our discussions about this article – I think it is important to consider the very specific lens that we Americans have when it comes to racism, and how maybe we project that onto to other cultures. It was mentioned in class that it’s crucial to take into considerations all perspectives and digging up the intention behind an action, rather than seeing the action from a surface level standpoint. The second article talked about, Hiplet – a hybrid of pointe and hip hop created by Homer Hans Bryant. It brings attention to how these two opposite styles can live in one dance form and be presented with contradictions to popular belief. This was an informative reading because it re-iterated this concept of ballet not being this dying art form but rather a style that is ever-changing

Other Notes…

This debate around Copeland projecting an American issue onto Russia – where is the line between an obligation to address a major issue and realizing that other cultures are not America and they do not have the same history as us, therefor their approach is coming from a less tainted view

 Copeland’s article sparked a major interest in what racism looks like through other cultural lenses? Does it live in other cultures the same way as it does for America? I’ve only ever been exposed to racism in the United States – to research this would be really neat and intriguing

Hiplet is an obvious attempt to bring something new to the table. However, after discovering that it does not equally emphasize training in both practices, can it really be a fuse of the two?

I also find it cool to read about how these inventions within ballet are happening now while we grow and learn 

[kqlaughlin21]

Versatility in Ballet Choreography

From a surface level standpoint, ballet appears to be consistent in its presentation to an audience. There are clear staples within a ballet that are familiar to many of us, such as the extravagant leaps and the intricate footwork. After the readings this week and having discussions with the class, it is clear that ballet is extremely versatile when it comes to choreographic approach and presentation – it is filled with great substance that helps transport the audience to another world or bring light to issues that concern the present times. In our first reading, Balletic Astonishments, there was a clear depiction of what kind of influence Serge Diaghilev had on the developing world of ballet. His influence derived from him not being a dancer or choreographer, but rather a clever facilitator that was able to unite many different choreographers and performers that lived on multiple places of the spectrum. An eclectic gathering that aided in the progression of ballet through time. Diaghilev was the founder of Ballet Russe, a ballet company that had its debut in 1909. With the initial intentions of this dance troupe not being its own separate entity but rather a showcase for dancers that were on leave from established theaters, Ballet Russe soon became autonomous. It’s popularity sky rocketed and made an impact on the performing arts. Due to Diaghilev being a man of taste and ambition he was able to encourage imaginative choreography to five of the most important ballet choreographers of the century… 

Michel Fokine

Vaslav Nijinsky

Leonide Massine

Bronislave Nijinska

George Balanchine

Typically following a pattern of favoritism and admiration, Diaghilev cycled through these choreographers – allowing them to set work on the Ballet Russe and showcasing their individual approaches to ballet choreography. Because of this eclectic approach, Diaghilev made classical ballet a modern art.

Other aspects worth noting… 

Diaghilev was not rich and relied on many benefactors to keep the Ballet Russe out of debt

I thought it was interesting to notice that after Diaghilev had died, Ballet Russe was not able to sustain itself due to no one capable enough to uphold his legacy. I question why Diaghilev was not willing to essentially 'share the stage’ with any one when it came to how to run his company?

It was important that ballet stayed within the cultural confines of Russia – when a non-Russian joined the Ballet Russe, their names would be changed

     Our second reading analyzed the structure and impact of three different ballets – Firebird choreographed by Michel Fokine, The Rite of Spring choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky, and Les Noces (The Wedding) choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska. All three ballets were composed by Igor Stravinsky. The main points that were gathered through questions and discussions, revolved heavily around these ballets portrayal of women through a sociopolitical lens. As well taking into account how the musical score aided in the progression of the narrative or theme. All three ballets were successful in starting new conversations that surrounded the political climate of that given time. In class we were assigned to analyze one of the three ballets and I got assigned Les Noces, translating to – The Wedding. Known as the most abstract of the three Stravinsky ballets, it was also the most accurate in portraying a women’s real life. It’s debut was in 1923 and the reading explained how the timing of its release was extremely impactful, because Russian women were going through major political shifts that allowed them new found rights but were unsure how to exactly navigate through them because of the war. Les Noces centers it’s plot around a peasant wedding and specifically giving insight to the perspectives of the bride, the groom, and the parents. The choreographer, Nijinska, was not one to use pantomiming or props, she wanted the use of movement to speak for itself. So we see a lot of symbolism happening through dynamic movements and actions throughout this ballet. Stravinsky also went through a lot of research to compose the score for this ballet, paying close attention to Russian folksongs. This ballet was able to present a clear disdain from social rituals, even though the actions did not mimic the true thoughts of the woman getting married. A community practice of marriage was being displayed and clear social issues surrounding women and their roles was also prevalent.

Further notes…

Choreographically Les Noces did not allow for individual voices to emerge due to its portrayal of a community as one

The costumes played a huge role in depicting how marriage in these communities are circumstantial – they were all essentially dressed the same with slight variations to the bride and groom, then ultimately absorbed back into the community to show insignificance in feelings for each other; rather seen more as an economic transaction

Symbolism behind the braids

It took 10 years for this ballet to come to fruition due to financial issues and the outbreak of the First World War

[kqlaughlin21]

What is Ballet? It’s a Two Faced Bitch, Thats What.

Yes you read that title correctly...

     Now I don’t mean to open this entry up with such a vile attack on ballet as a whole. However, the progression of our reading, The Travesty Dancer in Nineteenth Century Ballet, had my mind overcome with disgust – leaving a sour taste in mouth, that was triggering to me as an artist and a woman. It wasn’t necessarily the aesthetic that was alarming to absorb due to this constant cycle of grace and expressiveness being the ultimate goal in any high class presentation. It was the AUDACITY of these entrepreneurs to turn the art of dance into this absurd way of making money, by exploiting the dancers being presented on stage. It’s especially infuriating as an artist – to see your craft be gutted of the essence of what makes it this beautiful piece of art. Coming from a 21st century lens, there is already this understanding that artists nowadays are inherently linked to this career long exchange of  validating their art and having to elaborate on the ‘why’ of it all. To now read about how back in the 19th century, ballet dancing was being sexualized because the system surrounding it was run by men, and men wanted to only fund and profit off of what they liked to see – it’s devastating honestly. It almost suggests that this was the ground work for the issues that dance artists run into today, with audiences instantly sexualizing their movements. This lead me to the question, how would the art of dance have to change in order for it to not be sexualized? Would the medium in which dance is translated through the human body have to not be used anymore? This disassociation with the human flesh.     To bring clarity to the title, it’s not ballet itself I find to be two faced – it’s the system in which ballet lived during the 19th century to be the tainted truth. On the outside it is perceived as this beautiful and mystical display of dancing but ultimately for the entertainment and diminishment of men.

Other notes worth re-visiting and remembering…

 “Charming the sensibility, not elevating the mind..”

 Synecdoche: a figure of speech by which a part is put up for the whole – a dancer without the dance

 Random Thought: I often wonder why ballet hasn’t ever truly resonated with me…and I am not speaking strictly to the physical limitations of my individual body, I am also taking into account that ballet never felt right to me. It’s got this heavy history of being explicitly for the entertainment and presentation to an audience, through theatrics and movement – by no means am I invalidating those characteristics at all, I am just taking into account re-occurring themes. Perhaps through my specific experience with ballet, I am not able to access my voice within the confides of what ballet calls for. As an artists, I find extreme value in my own personal practice and manifesting material that truly represents who I am. So I guess with that, leaves this lingering question of will there ever be this discovery of myself that lives within ballet?

         This reading was hard to digest, it was like being forced to take that shitty couch syrup medicine right before bed because otherwise if you don’t, germs will spread everywhere getting everyone else sick. #notcool 

On the other hand..

         I am appreciative to process this information of foundational history, regardless of how sour the truth of it all taste – I find comfort in knowing that carrying this information with me throughout my journey in the arts, will act as a medicine to help prevent the spread of false perceptions and expectations that surround this craft. So with that being said *holds up cup of shitty cough syrup* cheers! 

[kqlaughlin21]

What is Romance?

Romance was a heavy topic around our readings this week, as it pertained specifically to the romantic period. Ballet specifically underwent a lot of changes. From the technique all the way to the type of audience that was observing the dance style. Louise XIV was a huge advocate for ballet since he was immersed in the style for the entirety of his life. In history he was proven to be the one that essentially created a standard for ballet because he established facilities such as the Roya Academy of Dance. It was important for ballet to have royal patronage because ballet was expensive – from training the dancers for eight years to funding the sets that were used to further the plot of the ballets. We also talked extensively about choreographers and I thought it was interesting to see how the choreographers studied under iconic legends such as Diaghilev and then went on to create their own versions of ballet. Another topic that we discussed was this idea surrounding gender roles in ballet and how women were an elevated aspect to ballet but for the purpose of looking the part of ethereal creatures. A contradiction that lives on in this form still today. Overall it was an informational reading that I enjoyed and helped me understand the roots and foundations of ballet.  

[kqlaughlin21]

A Progression into Sophistication

For this week’s reading, the concept of dance as a whole shifted from new perspectives to innovative philosophies. There is a statement to be heard in how powerful the art of movement is and how this form lives in other mediums. The way it’s been translated through-out time has shown how dance is malleable and able to influence an entire culture. 

         To contribute to this idea of influential choice making at early times, our first reading, “Glimpses of the Past,” provides an introduction of the art of movement in general and where it’s foundations lie, specifically through multiple cultural lenses such as the Greeks, the Japanese, and India. The focal point of mentioning a variety of cultures, is to showcase how dance is able to exist in an array of diverse frame of references. The reading also provided us with ways to categorize dance…

Dance to please self 

Dance to please the gods 

Dance to please other people

This led me to question multiple aspects of this perspective but mainly, I was curious on why it chose to squeeze this expansive form into a triangle of 3 specific categories? Perhaps dancing to discover or maybe dancing for the hell of it – is there a place for those to exist on the spectrum? 

Also some other notes from this reading that were underlined and could be entertained for later contemplation…

This idea of perpetual motion

Union of dance, poetry, and music – associating dance with other mediums, could provide a new experience? Contribute to a broader movement vocabulary? 

 The Italians displaying a level of value in the arts and using it as a way for showcasing sophistication

           A further analysis of this non-stop progression of dance is provided in our second reading, “Dance at the Royal Courts,” where there is an explicit break down of how ballet came to the forefront of European culture and ultimately became an influencer of high society and theatrical ways of life. The ultimate advocate for ballet in the 15th century, was mother of the King, Catherine de Medici. She was a woman that enjoyed luxury and after the first dance master Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx introduced what ballet was in its infancy, she demanded that it be spread all over the nation like wild fire. This propelled ballet to experience a number of advancements as different perspectives and approaches grasped on to it. In the 17th century it moved from the courts to a proscenium stage, allowing it to be more accessible to a wider community. There were other nobles down the line, such as Louis XIV, who felt extreme passion for ballet that he created the Opera House. What was intriguing to me was how valued the arts were at this time – a time of Kings and Queens, where the ones in charge found worth in something that is dismissed in today’s society. I’m curious on how the progression of dance would change if the arts were emphasized in the schooling systems? Would there be a progression or regression? Maybe too much exposure would lead it to be available for distortion from its original value? 

Other notes…

It was amazing to read about a woman in charge pushing for the exposure of the arts!

While the aesthetic was being developed there was a noticing of it being less accessible to the average courtier, due to its rigor. What if it had stayed a social and open form? Would it be less codified? 

 What if ballet had not been shifted to proscenium and stayed in the bird’s eye view of the courts? This makes me want to see a ballet performed from that perspective. 

Interesting readings that have generated new curiosities and discoveries #lovethat 

[kqlaughlin21]

Perspective, Representation, & Extreme...

This course is accelerating at fast pace and with each meeting and discussion we have I find there to be a substantial amount of new information being obtained. Although it is moving quickly, I do feel that the information being given is saturating in an efficient way that is helping propel a new mindset and idea. After contemplating the reading material for a while and having quality conversations with my peers, I have been able to compile a list of words that I feel embody each reading. 

Perspective. 

This first reading went into great detail about classification of world concert/ritual and folk dance – specifically through the lens of Japanese, Nigeria, and European culture. This was an interesting read that provided a better sense of how these cultures perceive dance and use it as a tool to communicate both here, in this world and beyond it. It provides a shift in perspective for someone who has grown up in western culture because the western culture tends to glorify dance for profit and fame. Whereas these cultures take it very seriously and see it as a way of living and staying present. 

Representation.

This second reading was interesting in the way that it broke down the Japanese styles Noh and Kabuki. There was an immense amount of representation in these forms from the set of the stage all the way down to the makeup and costume designs. One thing I found extremely intriguing to contemplate about these forms, is how much active audience participation is needed for the full understanding of what a viewer is witnessing. We watched two videos in class, both about 5-10min in length, and when these videos were over, there was a noticing of a cohesive sigh of relief that they had finished. I thought that was compelling to witness because it kind of gave a sense of how this western culture, as a whole has a fragile mental state of concentration. There was also this discussion that had surrounded the symbolism of each thing in Noh and Kabuki. Simply stated that one thing cannot exist without the other. I found that to be extremely compelling because it gives important to everything and not just one part. 

Extreme.

The last reading was about Butoh and after reading, I wish I could have gone back freshman year and taken a Butoh class again. I feel after reading about Butoh, I gained a better understanding of where it had originated and what the foundational purpose of it actual is. There is something extremely beautiful in the grotesque way it is presented and this sort of skill of morphing one’s body and mind to become something almost in-human. 

[kqlaughlin21]

An image board associated with the first reading titled, “Dance in World Cultures”

Bugaku 7th Century

Noh 14th & 15th Century

Kabuki 17th Century

The people of Yoruba

Quotes:

“...Noh cannot exist without dance.”

“Yoruba cosmology recognizes two closely related realms of existence...the dancing body is the place where the two realms meet”

“...willing to accept this mainstreaming”