I make my whimpering return to the blogosphere after an excrutiating PhD examination period (excruciating because of my self-imposed anxiety). It was a true rite of passage and now I can safely say I acquainted myself with over 100 books. All in all, a positive experience!
NOW, With the new year having rung itself in, I want to shift strategies for the next few entries and offer 'tips' for dancers and/or writers. I am realizing now that I know so many wonderfully skilled people that could easily inform me on the basics of, say, self-promotion, publicity strategies, fundraising, etc. And I would like to pass on that knowledge to my meagre but loyal readership!
*drum roll please*
Tip #1: Need to self-promote? Can't hire a publicist but need your name to be known? When writing e-mails, to anyone, include either a link to your website, a description of an upcoming show, or even a brief bio about yourself at the bottom of the e-mail. Also, scour around for arts-based websites like Plank to see if they would like to either send a critic or include a brief mention of your work. It never hurts to ask. Also, GO TO CLASS. Your face and your movement are your business cards.
Stay tuned.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Sunday, December 6, 2009
The Great Nutcracker Crackdown
Dear Friends,
Tomorrow, the snowfall begins in Toronto. Charlie Brown Christmas has been played twice in my house, and already I have been hit with Christmas-shopping-related panic attacks. It's the holiday season!
One thing I always think of around this time of year is how The Nutcracker has become a common mode of celebration. The young and old attend the performance as part of their yearly festive rituals. Now, I only saw the ballet once when I was about 11, and had some tall lady with a mushroom cut sitting in front of me, so I was unable to feel the magic of this well-loved ballet. And recently, when I have caught glimpses of some of the sections, I am struck by how Orientalist the ballet and characters are (tell-tale signs that I am a jaded graduate student). So, I have not had an intimate and special relationship with the Nutcracker as so many others have had.
I do, however, LOVE the music. Apparently I'm related to Tchaikovsky on my mother's side (in some ridiculous way), so perhaps this is simply familial bias.
I am however curious what this ballet means to others. Do you like this ballet? Is it a holiday season staple for you? Do you have a strong early memory of it? Tell me about the Nutcracker!
This marks my final entry before the new year. Happy Holidays to all; stay warm and safe, and party hardy.
-S
Tomorrow, the snowfall begins in Toronto. Charlie Brown Christmas has been played twice in my house, and already I have been hit with Christmas-shopping-related panic attacks. It's the holiday season!
One thing I always think of around this time of year is how The Nutcracker has become a common mode of celebration. The young and old attend the performance as part of their yearly festive rituals. Now, I only saw the ballet once when I was about 11, and had some tall lady with a mushroom cut sitting in front of me, so I was unable to feel the magic of this well-loved ballet. And recently, when I have caught glimpses of some of the sections, I am struck by how Orientalist the ballet and characters are (tell-tale signs that I am a jaded graduate student). So, I have not had an intimate and special relationship with the Nutcracker as so many others have had.
I do, however, LOVE the music. Apparently I'm related to Tchaikovsky on my mother's side (in some ridiculous way), so perhaps this is simply familial bias.
I am however curious what this ballet means to others. Do you like this ballet? Is it a holiday season staple for you? Do you have a strong early memory of it? Tell me about the Nutcracker!
This marks my final entry before the new year. Happy Holidays to all; stay warm and safe, and party hardy.
-S
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Quotations in popular male dance.
Last year, Darcey Callison created a piece called "(Re)tracing Fred," which I was very excited to see given my Fred Astaire obsession, one sparked at the age of
3 or 4. At my grandparents' place in the summers, my grandmother would throw on That's Dancing for me while she cleaned house. It was essentially a documentary of dance in popular film. Sammy Davis, Jr. narrated a section on the formidable Fred. In those moments, I was convinced that dancing was what I should do with my life, in some form or other.
In preparing for a lecture for a dance history class on Monday, I've been considering what Callison addressed in his piece: the process of quoting masculine images in male dancing. That is, Fred Astaire quoted male dancers in his signature style, one he would have come into contact with during his early Vaudeville days. From Vernon Castle, Fred incorporated a dashing ballroom etiquette. From African American tap dancers like Bill Robinson, he maintained an interest in intricate and complex tap sounds; from others, he incorporated a heel-heavy tape style. And so on.
How was this scrawny and awkard 'hoofer' a purporter of western masculinity? Well, he donned the tuxedo, a uniform of masculinity. He used his dancing to articulate his feelings to a love interest (a woman), aligning himself with heterosexual identity (which pleased the assumed general male heterosexual gaze). He often incorporated 'masculine' activity (as it was considered back then in his routines, from dancing in a weights room (Royal Wedding), while golfing (in Carefree; my golf-pro boyfriend says his technique needs work, though), or in brawl-form (Band Wagon). Ginger Rogers helped out, too. As Arlene Croce has suggested, the reason she was his greatest dancing partner was because she was able to act as if dancing with Fred was the most romantic and compelling thing in the world.
There is also the whole notion of 'male genius.' I took a creativity class last year and was amazed at how difficult it was to locate female geniuses in the literature. I found it difficult to name any myself, which points towards how I have been educated to think of male geniuses first. This aligns itself with the construction of masculinity as having the characteristics of the mighty, the innovative, the genius, the 'man can move mountains' ideology. Fred's work persona, one which was all about punishing rehearsal time and innovation (he changed the way dance was performed and filmed), helped sediment this idea of the male genius.
When we consider these characteristics of masculinity that Fred wore like a fine-tailored suit, we can see that his inspiration and quotation in future dancers helped to further these notions. For instance, Michael Jackson in his mid-career took on the genius-innovator mode by completely reimaginig the technique and quality of music videos (I mean, come on...compare Thriller to "I ran" by Flock of Seagulls and you'll see). He donned military garb, suits and fedoras (a direct Fred quotation), and even when his affectations might have upstaged him, his commanding and forecful moving body reinforced maasculine vigor. Before he began to dedicate himself to loving the world and humanity, his videos often incorporated heterosexual narratives (Billie Jean, The Way you Make me Feel).
And now, Justin Timberlake and Usher quote Michael Jackson. These lads are able to dance without being called sissies, mostly because they embody and reinforce what it means to be acceptably masculine in the homophobic west: genius, cool, innovative, heterosexual. The repetition of images in music videos and movies sediment these old visions of masculinity, without much room for considering alternatives. I feel for those who actively challenge these notions in every day life, because the proliferation of these images of masculinity make it a futile endeavour to change general public opinion on what it means to be masculine, to be male, to be a dancer.
The beat goes on.
3 or 4. At my grandparents' place in the summers, my grandmother would throw on That's Dancing for me while she cleaned house. It was essentially a documentary of dance in popular film. Sammy Davis, Jr. narrated a section on the formidable Fred. In those moments, I was convinced that dancing was what I should do with my life, in some form or other.
In preparing for a lecture for a dance history class on Monday, I've been considering what Callison addressed in his piece: the process of quoting masculine images in male dancing. That is, Fred Astaire quoted male dancers in his signature style, one he would have come into contact with during his early Vaudeville days. From Vernon Castle, Fred incorporated a dashing ballroom etiquette. From African American tap dancers like Bill Robinson, he maintained an interest in intricate and complex tap sounds; from others, he incorporated a heel-heavy tape style. And so on.
How was this scrawny and awkard 'hoofer' a purporter of western masculinity? Well, he donned the tuxedo, a uniform of masculinity. He used his dancing to articulate his feelings to a love interest (a woman), aligning himself with heterosexual identity (which pleased the assumed general male heterosexual gaze). He often incorporated 'masculine' activity (as it was considered back then in his routines, from dancing in a weights room (Royal Wedding), while golfing (in Carefree; my golf-pro boyfriend says his technique needs work, though), or in brawl-form (Band Wagon). Ginger Rogers helped out, too. As Arlene Croce has suggested, the reason she was his greatest dancing partner was because she was able to act as if dancing with Fred was the most romantic and compelling thing in the world.
There is also the whole notion of 'male genius.' I took a creativity class last year and was amazed at how difficult it was to locate female geniuses in the literature. I found it difficult to name any myself, which points towards how I have been educated to think of male geniuses first. This aligns itself with the construction of masculinity as having the characteristics of the mighty, the innovative, the genius, the 'man can move mountains' ideology. Fred's work persona, one which was all about punishing rehearsal time and innovation (he changed the way dance was performed and filmed), helped sediment this idea of the male genius.
When we consider these characteristics of masculinity that Fred wore like a fine-tailored suit, we can see that his inspiration and quotation in future dancers helped to further these notions. For instance, Michael Jackson in his mid-career took on the genius-innovator mode by completely reimaginig the technique and quality of music videos (I mean, come on...compare Thriller to "I ran" by Flock of Seagulls and you'll see). He donned military garb, suits and fedoras (a direct Fred quotation), and even when his affectations might have upstaged him, his commanding and forecful moving body reinforced maasculine vigor. Before he began to dedicate himself to loving the world and humanity, his videos often incorporated heterosexual narratives (Billie Jean, The Way you Make me Feel).
And now, Justin Timberlake and Usher quote Michael Jackson. These lads are able to dance without being called sissies, mostly because they embody and reinforce what it means to be acceptably masculine in the homophobic west: genius, cool, innovative, heterosexual. The repetition of images in music videos and movies sediment these old visions of masculinity, without much room for considering alternatives. I feel for those who actively challenge these notions in every day life, because the proliferation of these images of masculinity make it a futile endeavour to change general public opinion on what it means to be masculine, to be male, to be a dancer.
The beat goes on.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
New Dance Current Review!
Sorry for the lack of posts...I am currently in the middle of my busiest month in terms of grading, writing, and taking exams...so much to do!
In the meantime, read a dialogue review written by myself and Brittany Duggan in response to Meagan O'Shea's latest solo work:
Follow this link!:
http://thedancecurrent.com/reviews.cfm?review_id=265&view=
-S
In the meantime, read a dialogue review written by myself and Brittany Duggan in response to Meagan O'Shea's latest solo work:
Follow this link!:
http://thedancecurrent.com/reviews.cfm?review_id=265&view=
-S
Friday, October 16, 2009
Co.ERASGA's ADAMEVE/Man-Woman
Vancouver's dance scene, as always, is a hub of engaging and thought-provoking pieces. Take a glimpse at Co.ERASGA's description of it's upcoming work, choreographed by the acclaimed Alvin Tolentino. I have included a link to his blog at the tail-end:
What started as a 20-minute work commissioned for the 20th anniversary of the Dancing on the Edge Festival in 2008, ADAM-EVE/Man-Woman comes to its full-length creation. In this new work for Co.ERASGA, artistic director and choreographer Alvin Erasga Tolentino challenges the social and archetypal place of man and woman, identity and gender. A dance creation revealing the body as passive and aggressive, yin and yang, masculine and feminine. ADAMEVE/Man-Woman features two of Vancouver’s most charismatic dancers Alison Denham and Billy Marchenski. Together they capture and interpret Tolentino's unique and eccentric choreographic style. ADAMEVE/Man-Woman poses a strange, tender, fascinating and startling dance journey in Tolentino's physical language that exudes boldness in its simplicity, complexity and sublime minimalism.
"Tolentino stretches our understanding of what dance can be"
-The Vancouver Sun
"An artist to be followed"
-Brussles/La Capitale
Choreography: Alvin Erasga Tolentino
Dancers: Alison Denham and Billy Marchenski
Lighting: James Proudfoot
Sound Design by Jeff Corness
(World Premiere)
December 9-12, 2009 @ 8pm
The Firehall Arts Centre
Box Office Info:
The Firehall Box Office
604 689-0926
280 East Cordova St
Vancouver, BC
Contact Info:
The Firehall Arts Centre: www.firehallartscentre.ca
Company Erasga: www.companyerasgadance.ca
The Blog: http://www.companyerasgadance.ca/en/blog.html
What started as a 20-minute work commissioned for the 20th anniversary of the Dancing on the Edge Festival in 2008, ADAM-EVE/Man-Woman comes to its full-length creation. In this new work for Co.ERASGA, artistic director and choreographer Alvin Erasga Tolentino challenges the social and archetypal place of man and woman, identity and gender. A dance creation revealing the body as passive and aggressive, yin and yang, masculine and feminine. ADAMEVE/Man-Woman features two of Vancouver’s most charismatic dancers Alison Denham and Billy Marchenski. Together they capture and interpret Tolentino's unique and eccentric choreographic style. ADAMEVE/Man-Woman poses a strange, tender, fascinating and startling dance journey in Tolentino's physical language that exudes boldness in its simplicity, complexity and sublime minimalism.
"Tolentino stretches our understanding of what dance can be"
-The Vancouver Sun
"An artist to be followed"
-Brussles/La Capitale
Choreography: Alvin Erasga Tolentino
Dancers: Alison Denham and Billy Marchenski
Lighting: James Proudfoot
Sound Design by Jeff Corness
(World Premiere)
December 9-12, 2009 @ 8pm
The Firehall Arts Centre
Box Office Info:
The Firehall Box Office
604 689-0926
280 East Cordova St
Vancouver, BC
Contact Info:
The Firehall Arts Centre: www.firehallartscentre.ca
Company Erasga: www.companyerasgadance.ca
The Blog: http://www.companyerasgadance.ca/en/blog.html
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