This is a program letter penned by OtB's Managing Director Sarah Wilke and myself for a Northwest Artist Series presentation of JUICY POINT B by the Maureen Whiting Dance Company:
Dear Friends:
A choreographer in France recently shared his current philosophy on dance; something along the lines of "dance is more a state of being than it is an end in itself." This was a bit of a revelation and very helpful in explaining the current trend in Europe that has dance makers creating performance works that are more performance art or conceptually driven than they are fueled by dance alone. Our recent presentation of John Jasperse was a good example of this. John is so self-assured about his relationship to movement that the choreography settles down into its own specific space and time, never once feeling the need to meet some general expectation of a signature movement or phrase. Perhaps this explains why John initially garnered more praise from across the Atlantic than he did here in the States. Tonight’s performance by Maureen Whiting Company also rests on this conceptual ground and we encourage you to experience the work with this context in mind.
Sometimes it seems that the expectations about what dance should be are keeping critics and audiences from getting to what dance can be. Several recent reviews by local critics of modern dance performances have seemed relatively provincial about how dance artists are working now. For several decades, many dance artists have become less interested in recognizable dance vocabulary, narrative and emotional content in hopes of freeing themselves up to explore other territories. It seems inappropriate then, as many choreographers today are continuing this mode of creative research, that critics would be preoccupied by conventions that were challenged and disregarded long ago. Artists working with pedestrian movement, for example, might not be to everyone’s liking but it becomes problematic when a style, choice or technique is dismissed altogether, especially when other parts of the country and Europe are highly populated with artists undertaking such investigation. What is even more problematic has been the recent tendency to compare and contrast one company to another. This always gets people into trouble, especially when it concerns artists who are unique (if not always successful) in their approaches. And this is particularly limiting from a critical perspective if the only work one sees is in our own town. While Seattle has a vibrant dance scene, the organizations that present dance have different aesthetic missions. Attempting to compare work among these organizations is mostly senseless given the varying intent of the artists represented at each venue. Not taking into account what is happening in the dance world at-large is just missing an opportunity for real critique.
We encourage you to join in the conversation and discuss with us and the community the work you see. Please feel free to stop us in the lobby after a show, or write your own response to our Blog the Boards audience reviews, and continue the dialogue with your friends after you leave the theater. Each of your voices can add so much to the discussion.
Congratulations to Maureen Whiting and her collaborators for taking chances and trying new things.
Enjoy the show,
Sarah and Lane
