BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Soooo I stayed in NY for Christmas...yes with out my family...in order to be in the city for rehearsals, shows, working, and other ish which is on my 2 page To Do list. Break got a slow start with me being under the weather and rehearsing all day with my Senior choreographer Karole Armitage buttt I got better, love the choreography, and most importantly my friend Denealia came in town! We've been having a blast in the city, especially since her flight has gotten cancelled at least 3 times because of the huge BLIZZARD. In the meantime we've gone to see an Ailey show (fo free...don't ask how),  got mani/pedis, attepted to see the nutcraker, cooked a bangin' Christmas dinner, stretched, played in the snow at central park, steamed, drank lots of tea, all topped off with healage, great wine, and even better conversation. The things I mentioned are pretty much all you need for a great break and I'll remember my Xmas 2010 for years to come. 

Here are some pix from the break so far:

My friend Denealia and I. Cheers!

So much yellow! Oh and snow

Central Park

Is All Publicity Good Publicity?: A look at recent dance criticism.

Before you read my post you must read these two Dance critiques by NY Times writers Alastair Macaulay and Rosalyn Lucas. Justtt to make sure we're all on the same page;) 

Webster defines criticism as:

The act or art of analyzing and evaluating or judging the quality of a literary or artistic work, musical performance, art exhibit, dramatic production, etc.

In the arts world, specifically of NYC, criticism can sometimes be a tough pill to swallow. Like I mentioned before, all serious dancers are carrying around this fragile little thing called an art baby (whether we know it or not) and when someone "judges" that...it can hurt. 

And yet, it's a necessary evil.

While dance critique has been around for a long time I think its safe to say that my generation has become a witness to its current change. Alastair Macaulay has a history of raising hackles in  the NY dance world and his most recent Complexions review (linked above) has helped to push dance criticism in a very different direction. Macaulay and Lucas have written "ballsy" reviews, telling it like it is without holding back. Its gutsy, sometimes hurtful, but you have to admit...it gets our attention.

While Macaulay is making some valid points his approach is a little to harsh for my liking. Using sharp, blunt sentences, and calling Mr. Rhoden's choreography "efficiently horrid" (within the first paragraph I might add!) was an unnecessary "judgment" of the quality as opposed to "analyzing and evaluating" the work like criticism is supposedly defined as doing. For me, Rosalyn Lucas' article was harsh yes, but not in a biting way. She seemed to truly be offering an outsiders perspective on the 51st season of AADTwhose rep, as a fact, has not caught up to the 21st century.

Dance criticism should consist of a fair and honest analyzation of choreography, evaluating of the dancers, and the overall quality of the individual show and sometimes company as a whole. But at the same time realizing that a lot of hard work, blood, sweat, and tears most likely went into the show being reviewed and despite the choreographer's mishaps or shortcomings, if the company's good, the dancers have worked their asses off to try and relay the vision the best they can and a dance critic should ALWAYS respect that.

Just Something to Think About

What talent or special skill do you wish you possessed?

When I was first met with this question it was in the context of a weekly RA report. It is the Resident Director's (aka my boss) respectable attempt to make this mundane task somewhat interesting by asking a "Question of the Week." Normally I answer these fairly quickly. Whatever pops in my head first  is usually what I put down and call it a day, but for some reason this one had me pondering. I wound up coming up with some bullshit answer just to get it turned in time but later in the day, on my own time, I really thought about it and came to a conclusion. As "dance-obsessed" as it may sound I decided, wouldn't it be great if I had the ability to pick up choreography instantaneously and with ease? As soon as I was taught it I would know it, giving me more time to concentrate on the artistic nuances as opposed to the steps. 

Being a dancer, I have to admit I've struggled with that over the years. Now that I'm aware of it I can pinpoint that it's actually a result of the way I was trained from 9 years old to high school. The steps and counts were literally handed to me on a platter so I never had to really rely on myself to pick up the steps quickly because I knew it would be reviewed again and again. 

And then came New York. School. The "real world." Where phrases, counts, and gestures, are being thrown at you a mile a minute and it's your responsibility to be quick and not only remember the steps but all the little details tat come with it.

While I must say I've improved tremendously over the past years I still need and want to be better at it. One thing that I must remember though is while I can "wish" that I possessed this talent it is in fact a tangible skill that I can acquire.  

Here is a valuable lesson I learned two summers ago at LINES Ballet that I plan on actively working on again in the studio, please feel free to try it out for yourself!

Don't learn individual steps!

The more complicated the movement is the harder it is to pick up this way. Instead try experimenting with varying ways of remembering. 

You could focus on the flow of the shapes.

Pattern of the feet/arms.

Individual counts.

Natural reaction of your body to the movement.

Either way you choose make sure it's a conscious decision. Simply identifying a method and being aware of how your brain is storing this information is the first step.

Also, connecting the movement and understanding the "flow" of the steps is a huge tip. As soon as you start compartmentalizing each step it makes it harder to remember and your dancing feels and looks disconnected.

Hope these tips help. Everyone's learning style is different, I still haven't completely figured out mine, but at least it's something to think about, and having a specific task while picking up choreography will allow you to build upon that "special skill" that we are all capable of having.