Expectations in the Arts
A month into my MAPP studies and I find myself really looking forward to skype discussion groups (even cancelling my teaching classes just to attend them ðĪŠ). The discussions are often deep and really make me reflect and think a lot.
This time, we discussed on various topics including Ethics in Restaging of an original work versus Individualism, Expectations in view of an artist or show.
Ethically speaking, would it be RIGHT to change or improvise on an original stage work when learning the choreography? In my opinion, there are many points that comes from this point. There is no written set of rules to follow or even concrete laws that protects or disputes when it comes to the arts.
EXPECTATION vs CAPABILITY - Speaking from the point of view of a Coach, Competitions are common these days and is considered a new trends where dancers as young as 5 or 6 years old perform variations from Famous ballet pieces to try and impress the judges and the audience to win collectable awards. To fit in, the dance school I work in follows very closely to this trend and we have an elite team where we train aspiringly young ballerinas to compete in hope of being noticed in the dance scene. As such, the dancers are required to perform certain variation from original ballet such as Blue Bird, Candid Fairy, Silver Fairy, Miettes Fairy; all from the Sleeping Beauty Ballet. The original choreographer of theses variations are by Marius Petipa, who is a famous French choreographer. Subsequently, his ballet has been restaged many times by different dance companies. Following this, my students (as young as 7years to 12years old) are expected to dance these variations, However, we know a 7year old's capability to execute the variation will definitely not be as good as an adult company dancer. Hence, this calls for an improvisation to cater to the standard of the 7year old.
However, dancers these days are also getting better at a younger age as compared to back where I do not have a chance to dance a variation till I was much older. I would say that using the original choreography as a framework is definitely important, but it is also important to be able to cater it to the capability of the dancer who is dancing it.
CHOREOGRAPHY - Speaking from the point of view of a choreographer, if we plan to restage the original, I believe that it is important to keep the original choreographer's idea and framework in mind while innovating or inserting our own creativity in it. It is also important to reference the original choreographer whenever possible. The mindset is also an important point to this, the aim to restage something is not to compete or aim to be better than the original choreographer but to improve or innovate on its original work modernizing it.
Times are changing, the arts are evolving. I believe that we should be open to the arts. For instance, in the recent Mulan movie by Disney. There are many backlash regarding the show on the social media, disproving the movie because it does not resemble the original cartoon. From my point of view, I really enjoyed the movie. I went in there with no expectation as I know that it would only be silly for Disney to recreate an exact movie from the cartoon and not improve on it.
Although it may be hard for someone to not judge but it is important to build a conscious mind that one should not do so. Even if it happen, it will be more like a discussion than a criticism.
Till my next post,
Jovita B.
Hi Jovita:))
ReplyDeletewe did not have an opportunity to meet each other through skype, but I decided to know you better through your interesting blog and to tell you that i was triggered by your last blog when you talking about expectations and capability in art, and thoughts about choreography. Just wanted to agree with you how we should keep the original choreographer's framework and idea but also slightly adding one's personality and creativity in the peace. Competing somehow killing originality and creativity (i would say personality also). Reflecting, innovating, improving original work is always harder than leave it the same way. It looks easy but it is not. Like you said, time is changing and also the dance, movement, approach..We should definitely be more open and observe more. This is the only way to grow, move from one point to another and so develop our knowledge, being humble in learning, accept everything as it comes to us, with no, or even less judge and aloud ourselves to enter into something new. Experiment. Being in your own comfort zone is always easier bit if we want improve, we must move on, make a new step and change approach,change routine, enter into something new to improve ourselves as a dancers, performers, teachers and reflect our practice. Change is the only constant or new normal, in education and society, and in our dance or teaching, performing practice there needs to be room for some experimentation to develop own identity and sense for the art.