Modern dance? - No chance!
Sun 7 Jan 2007South Aussie journalist and blogger, Redcap started the new year by sticking her neck out and taking a broad swipe at a long list of sacred cows. James Joyce, Stanley Kubrick and Bono all copped a serve. And then there’s opera, musicals, ballet and “modern dance”.
I read through her list, saying to myself, “Yep, nope, yep, yep, nope”, agreeing or disagreeing slightly with each of her choices. But “Modern Dance” really set me off. MODERN DANCE! Strike me pink, I’ve never been so upset by a performance in all my life! Here’s the story…
A favourite piece of music …
One of my favourite pieces of music is Igor Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du printemps or The Rite of Spring. Working in IT as I do, I’m inspired by innovation and Stravinsky was so innovative that his first-night audience in Paris in 1913 actually rioted.
… I’m inspired by innovation …
All these toffy-nosed twits had taken their wives, girlfriends and mistresses to see a ballet by a Russian composer. Think Tchaikovsky. Think Swan Lake. Think delicate little ballerinas in tutus. Instead, they were confronted with previously unheard-of discordant notes and driving chords accompanied by a line of Zulu warriors stamping their feet. The effect must have been similar to a Maori haka. All those wives, girlfriends and mistresses were terrified. No hanky-panky tonight. Hence the riot. There were fist fights in the aisles between supporters and detractors.
But it’s a remarkable piece of music. Disney used it in the original Fantasia in 1940 and more recently, it has inspired movie themes such as Jaws and Star Wars.
Anyhow, fast-forward to 1999 when a Canadian dance troupe offers a performance of The Rite of Spring in Brisbane. I’m working in Sydney but I knock off an hour early, fly home to Brisbane, pick up #2 Son (aged 15 at the time) and #3 Son who, although only 10, has shown an aptitude towards composing music. We head off to the Cultural Centre for a performance of my favourite ballet.
… murdered!
Well, what a disappointment! It turned out to be a performance by a solo female dancer. And pre-recorded music - no live orchestra. Where was my line of Zulu warriors? Where was the stamping of feet? I’d been ripped-off! And to make matters worse, the “modern dance” interpretation was almost obscene, not unlike a pole dancer’s performance. And I had taken a 10-year old. I felt sick.
I’d been ripped-off! … I certainly wanted to riot!
At least the 1913 opening-night sensation had been recreated. I certainly wanted to riot! But worst of all, I cannot now mention Stravinsky to my sons without being reminded of that awful night.
That was the last time I attended a modern dance performance. I’m with Redcap on this one. It will even be a long time before I see the inside of a Cirque du Soleil tent.
January 7th, 2007 at 20:24
Heh. Makes me think of an article I read about Yoko Ono exploring her relationship to a chair as a piece of performance art. She sat on it, she put it on her head, turned it upside down and walked around it, she talked about what the chair meant to her. Sheesh.
January 10th, 2007 at 21:16
Sure is a lot of pretentious bull about.
Reminds me of the last time I saw Australian Dance Theatre. SWMBO and I were not even married at the time (so it must be > 20 years ago), and it was some bullshit incomprehensible stuff with lots of noise that went for about 90 minutes, including interval. Totally meaningless crap all the way through. Still have no idea what it was supposed to be about. And of course in those days $ were tight but love was all, and it cost a mint.
Never been to modern dance since. Mind you, can’t understand ballet either.
LOVED Redcaps post, thanks, I’ve been reading it since. I wish I could write like that. Brings a chuckle every time.
January 10th, 2007 at 21:17
Erk. That should say “posts”.
January 10th, 2007 at 23:27
Redcap: I shudder when I think of the fawning air-heads at the “after-party” telling Yoko that it was “Just divine, Darling.” Now if only Mark Chapman had become fixated on Yoko instead of John Lennon…
Ashleigh: All this begs the question “Is there any good modern dance at all?” I’m guessing that the pinnacle of modern dance is Michael Jackson doing the zombie shuffle on the Thriller music video. Did I say “pinnacle”? I meant “best of a bad bunch”.
And re Redcap’s blog posts: some of us can sing, some of us can dance, some of us can put words together. Now there’s an artform we can get our heads around. (Ashleigh, you and me, mate, we’d better just stick to putting ideas together.)
February 2nd, 2007 at 11:14
All of this commentary makes me think that none of you have seen works by Marth Graham, Dorris Humphrey, Charles Weidman, Eric Hawkins, Jose Limon, Anna Sokolow, Alwin Nikolais, Merce Cunningham, Mark Morris, or the enormous list of brilliant choreographers that followed them. Michael Jackson is NOT a modern dancer. Do your homework before you spew nonsense.
February 7th, 2007 at 18:14
i agree! how dare u just make a website and not even know full details!
i am appauled.
i am 16 and have been working on modern dance since i was 6 years old and now i am a pro and loving it even more than the first day i started.
get your priorities right!
February 7th, 2007 at 18:48
Hello Samantha and Kodie,
Thanks for stopping by my blog and taking the time to leave a comment.
I hope you understand that this blog post was born of the pain I suffered (and still suffer) from my only experience of modern dance. The last time I uttered the word “Stravinsky” in front of #2 Son, he shuddered, put his hand up and said “Don’t get me started…”
That evening’s performance was so bad; it has done a great disservice to your profession.
Nevertheless, I wish you well with your chosen career.
Kind Regards,
Mike
————–
I have also corresponded privately with both Samantha and Kodie who were both kind enough to leave an e-mail address. Samantha is a member of a dance ensemble in New York and Kodie is a professional dancer from West Australia.