New York Times dance critic and teacher of the Writing on Dance Course I took last month Claudia La Rocco has joined the blogosphere!
Check it out here.
Interesting conversations are already developing...I'm looking forward to adding this to my daily list of blogs to read :)
Showing posts with label new york times. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new york times. Show all posts
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Sunday, May 4, 2008
now for good dance writing
Two good articles for your reading pleasure:
-Jowitt on Yasuko Yokoshi's work in the Village Voice (she was at the same performance I reviewed here). She's brilliant with description...I felt like I was entirely reliving the piece as I read her writing.
-Times on lighting dance, which often goes overlooked especially in classical dance
"...'the current international trend of lighting dancers from angles that will make them partly or largely shadowed to the audience.' If it is a trend, it suggests a move away from an emphasis on the dancer as individual toward the dancer as an element in a visual composition...have a particular resonance in a contemporary world filled with visual and aural fragmentation. (The individual dancer is also more likely to be de-emphasized when the full-length story ballet is no longer the paradigm for new work, even if it is still tenaciously loved by audiences and those who balance ballet company budgets.)" -Sulcas
Very interesting.
-Jowitt on Yasuko Yokoshi's work in the Village Voice (she was at the same performance I reviewed here). She's brilliant with description...I felt like I was entirely reliving the piece as I read her writing.
-Times on lighting dance, which often goes overlooked especially in classical dance
"...'the current international trend of lighting dancers from angles that will make them partly or largely shadowed to the audience.' If it is a trend, it suggests a move away from an emphasis on the dancer as individual toward the dancer as an element in a visual composition...have a particular resonance in a contemporary world filled with visual and aural fragmentation. (The individual dancer is also more likely to be de-emphasized when the full-length story ballet is no longer the paradigm for new work, even if it is still tenaciously loved by audiences and those who balance ballet company budgets.)" -Sulcas
Very interesting.
Friday, May 2, 2008
let's be critical
From a dancer's stand point, I can't believe today's review of NYCB from Macaulay!
Read it here.
He bashes all of the wonderful dancers but pretends to sugar coat it by giving a half compliment first, before tearing them apart. Is that necessary?
"Wendy Whelan’s upper body was a nightmare of inelegance..."
"Daniel Ulbricht, whose amazing elevation and spruce timing often excite, just as his unrefined line often dismays..."
"Tiler Peck...is so bold and strong that I wish she didn’t also seem hard-boiled..."
He goes on with naming and criticizing like 5 other dancers in the space of one review.
I feel like this kind of critical response should be reserved for the artistic director and ballet masters, not for the general public's reading. It's getting personal and it's fine if he feels that way and even if some of his arguments are valid, detailing such things in print is just like a child running off a list of annoyances about his friends. You know he'll keep going back with a smiling face and pretend nothing happened, so why bother hurting them publicly like that? If it's to "help the art form improve by criticizing it" that's all well and good, but when it comes down to the nitty gritty like that, just tell them in person in a rehearsal rather than subjecting the few of us left who read dance criticism to a petty bashing.
Rant over :)
Read it here.
He bashes all of the wonderful dancers but pretends to sugar coat it by giving a half compliment first, before tearing them apart. Is that necessary?
"Wendy Whelan’s upper body was a nightmare of inelegance..."
"Daniel Ulbricht, whose amazing elevation and spruce timing often excite, just as his unrefined line often dismays..."
"Tiler Peck...is so bold and strong that I wish she didn’t also seem hard-boiled..."
He goes on with naming and criticizing like 5 other dancers in the space of one review.
I feel like this kind of critical response should be reserved for the artistic director and ballet masters, not for the general public's reading. It's getting personal and it's fine if he feels that way and even if some of his arguments are valid, detailing such things in print is just like a child running off a list of annoyances about his friends. You know he'll keep going back with a smiling face and pretend nothing happened, so why bother hurting them publicly like that? If it's to "help the art form improve by criticizing it" that's all well and good, but when it comes down to the nitty gritty like that, just tell them in person in a rehearsal rather than subjecting the few of us left who read dance criticism to a petty bashing.
Rant over :)
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
newspaper cuts
As much as I'd like to blame our culture's lack of appreciation for dance for recent cuts in dance criticism in print, the truth is that all editorial content in print is at risk.
Times reports newspapers on the decline.
Times reports newspapers on the decline.
Monday, April 28, 2008
are there any left?
Danciti just posted that longtime NY Times dance critic Jennifer Dunning is leaving as of April 30. I heard rumors of this in my writing class - that she's retiring. Another dance critic gone.
Any bets on if they'll take on another stringer to join Claudia, Gia, and Roslyn? And Macaulay? Or will we just slowly kill off all dance criticism in print as we know it?
Any bets on if they'll take on another stringer to join Claudia, Gia, and Roslyn? And Macaulay? Or will we just slowly kill off all dance criticism in print as we know it?
Times at midnight
Lately in my late night ways, particularly since I started the Writing on Dance course at DTW with a New York Times critic, I've taken to refreshing the NY Times' Dance page repeatedly until tomorrow's reviews are put online. I'm rarely in bed before at least 1am nowadays, so as I'm doing my work I keep checking to see what new 300 word critiques I can read and critique myself.
I go through time spurts where I never make it to a theater to see dance and don't really mind because I'm distracted by so many other things. And then I go through periods, like now, where I can't get my hands on enough tickets (press, comps, or paid) to performances because there's so much I want to see that I HAVE to make time for it. I've been very fortunate to get into some great shows the last few weeks, and this week I spent literally every night from Wednesday to Sunday in some theater or another - not dancing, but watching and writing.
It's made me more inspired to write quickly, too. I used to see something, wait a day or two until I had a free moment, and then writing a blurb about what I saw. Lately I've been dashing to my laptop as soon as I get home from the performance...or sometimes even on the way home if Starbucks is still open, haha.
Anyway. This Writing course has also gotten me more into reading criticism. Before I would skim the Times dance page to see who had been reviewed and what the pictures looked like, only reading in detail if it was something I had seen or was going to see (but not review). Now I'm obsessed with reading everything that comes off the Gray Lady's dance page (or...its internet page, admittedly), and as soon as it comes out. No time in the morning, I need me news at midnight, haha.
I was rooting for Rebecca Kelly to get a review over the weekend but if it wasn't published by now it probably won't be. Too bad...they deserve the publicity, good or bad! That's one of the issues I find really interesting in dance criticism: who is worthy enough to be reviewed at all. With so much dancing happening in New York City it seems like there should be some way to document it all...I suppose the internet is helping with that, but not entirely...
I go through time spurts where I never make it to a theater to see dance and don't really mind because I'm distracted by so many other things. And then I go through periods, like now, where I can't get my hands on enough tickets (press, comps, or paid) to performances because there's so much I want to see that I HAVE to make time for it. I've been very fortunate to get into some great shows the last few weeks, and this week I spent literally every night from Wednesday to Sunday in some theater or another - not dancing, but watching and writing.
It's made me more inspired to write quickly, too. I used to see something, wait a day or two until I had a free moment, and then writing a blurb about what I saw. Lately I've been dashing to my laptop as soon as I get home from the performance...or sometimes even on the way home if Starbucks is still open, haha.
Anyway. This Writing course has also gotten me more into reading criticism. Before I would skim the Times dance page to see who had been reviewed and what the pictures looked like, only reading in detail if it was something I had seen or was going to see (but not review). Now I'm obsessed with reading everything that comes off the Gray Lady's dance page (or...its internet page, admittedly), and as soon as it comes out. No time in the morning, I need me news at midnight, haha.
I was rooting for Rebecca Kelly to get a review over the weekend but if it wasn't published by now it probably won't be. Too bad...they deserve the publicity, good or bad! That's one of the issues I find really interesting in dance criticism: who is worthy enough to be reviewed at all. With so much dancing happening in New York City it seems like there should be some way to document it all...I suppose the internet is helping with that, but not entirely...
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Times' Sulcas on Yasuko
NY Times review on Yasuko Yokoshi's "Reframe the Framework DDD", which I saw and reviewed Thursday night...
I think I met Roslyn Sulcas without knowing it was her, haha...Claudia was talking to our Writing on Dance class and I stepped away for a second, came back and another lady was talking with us about dance criticism, but nobody caught her name. She sat with Claudia and then this review just came out, so I can only assume it was her, haha!
I think I met Roslyn Sulcas without knowing it was her, haha...Claudia was talking to our Writing on Dance class and I stepped away for a second, came back and another lady was talking with us about dance criticism, but nobody caught her name. She sat with Claudia and then this review just came out, so I can only assume it was her, haha!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Times on Kirov/Balanchine
And so Macaulay's final foray from the Kirov's season comes...
I'm a little confused by it, though...he argues both that the Kirov's style and Balanchine's style are exceedingly similar and that there also is a huge gap between the two:
First, "When you watch the Kirov dancing any Balanchine ballet, you see how strong a stylistic connection still runs between the two."
Later, "But it’s also true that the Kirov dancing almost any Balanchine ballet will show how deep the chasm is between these two ballet cultures."
Okay...
He didn't like "Rubies," which was my favorite of the program...However I do agree with his opinion of Lopatkina.
Just finding it interesting with these performances to see all the different critical perspectives. There is so much history and such a complex context with which to place this season and judge it, particularly the Balanchine program. Very interesting.
I'm a little confused by it, though...he argues both that the Kirov's style and Balanchine's style are exceedingly similar and that there also is a huge gap between the two:
First, "When you watch the Kirov dancing any Balanchine ballet, you see how strong a stylistic connection still runs between the two."
Later, "But it’s also true that the Kirov dancing almost any Balanchine ballet will show how deep the chasm is between these two ballet cultures."
Okay...
He didn't like "Rubies," which was my favorite of the program...However I do agree with his opinion of Lopatkina.
Just finding it interesting with these performances to see all the different critical perspectives. There is so much history and such a complex context with which to place this season and judge it, particularly the Balanchine program. Very interesting.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
"big" ballet & outkast
As revealed the other day, I'm doing an article on Atlanta Ballet's collaboration with Big Boi from Outkast in the new work "big," which premiered Thursday night in Atlanta. You can see video of a rehearsal of the piece here.
Here's their NY Times review. "Ballet can’t achieve modernity by association, only by an extension of its own physical laws and principles." Hmm.
I love how the Times only covers out of town when it's reeeally important.
Also since I was working on my piece yesterday and searching to see how opening night went, I was slightly annoyed to have to wait until NOW to get a review. No bloggers in Atlanta posting immediate feedback?
Here's their NY Times review. "Ballet can’t achieve modernity by association, only by an extension of its own physical laws and principles." Hmm.
I love how the Times only covers out of town when it's reeeally important.
Also since I was working on my piece yesterday and searching to see how opening night went, I was slightly annoyed to have to wait until NOW to get a review. No bloggers in Atlanta posting immediate feedback?
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Times: "Death by Blogging"
When I first read this, I thought it was a joke:
"They work long hours, often to exhaustion. Many are paid by the piece — not garments, but blog posts. This is the digital-era sweatshop. You may know it by a different name: home...In the last few months, two among their ranks [bloggers] have died suddenly...To be sure, there is no official diagnosis of death by blogging, and the premature demise of two people obviously does not qualify as an epidemic...."
Indeed, this comes from a NEW YORK TIMES article.
Just in case we weren't clear on the fact that 'death by blogging' is not an option for an autopsy result. Hah.
The article describes the new wave of people who make careers out of blogging, some making as many as six figures (clearly not in the realm of dance blogging...)! But because of the importance of timeliness online, apparently bloggers in certain genres are working too hard to break stories rather than keeping up with natural human health. "Other bloggers complain of weight loss or gain, sleep disorders, exhaustion and other maladies born of the nonstop strain of producing for a news and information cycle that is as always-on as the Internet."
Okay then.
I still can't get over that this is in the Times. "All that competition puts a premium on staying awake. Matt...is the right man for the job. He works for...a popular Gawker Media site...He says he sleeps about five hours a night and often does not have time to eat proper meals. But he does stay fueled — by regularly consuming a protein supplement mixed into coffee."
Coffee = the key to everyone's success, haha. In my book anyway. And the Times, apparently.
I have to laugh. I don't know that "death by blogging" or that kind of absurd work ethic is necessary for dance blogs. We haven't hit that height of importance, newsworthiness, or abundance of competition yet (will we ever?). BUT after considering this fact I did take pride in the fact that my post on Village Voice dance critic Deborah Jowitt getting laid off was a full 36 HOURS before Gawker (mentioned in article as one of the most timely of blogs) mentioned it, AND before the Times ran a blurb on it. Honestly I posted it hoping it weren't true, as my sources were 2 other blogs (Zimmer's and NAJP) but alas, it was true.
I think the only "death by blogging" is going to be the death of print, sadly.
"They work long hours, often to exhaustion. Many are paid by the piece — not garments, but blog posts. This is the digital-era sweatshop. You may know it by a different name: home...In the last few months, two among their ranks [bloggers] have died suddenly...To be sure, there is no official diagnosis of death by blogging, and the premature demise of two people obviously does not qualify as an epidemic...."
Indeed, this comes from a NEW YORK TIMES article.
Just in case we weren't clear on the fact that 'death by blogging' is not an option for an autopsy result. Hah.
The article describes the new wave of people who make careers out of blogging, some making as many as six figures (clearly not in the realm of dance blogging...)! But because of the importance of timeliness online, apparently bloggers in certain genres are working too hard to break stories rather than keeping up with natural human health. "Other bloggers complain of weight loss or gain, sleep disorders, exhaustion and other maladies born of the nonstop strain of producing for a news and information cycle that is as always-on as the Internet."
Okay then.
I still can't get over that this is in the Times. "All that competition puts a premium on staying awake. Matt...is the right man for the job. He works for...a popular Gawker Media site...He says he sleeps about five hours a night and often does not have time to eat proper meals. But he does stay fueled — by regularly consuming a protein supplement mixed into coffee."
Coffee = the key to everyone's success, haha. In my book anyway. And the Times, apparently.
I have to laugh. I don't know that "death by blogging" or that kind of absurd work ethic is necessary for dance blogs. We haven't hit that height of importance, newsworthiness, or abundance of competition yet (will we ever?). BUT after considering this fact I did take pride in the fact that my post on Village Voice dance critic Deborah Jowitt getting laid off was a full 36 HOURS before Gawker (mentioned in article as one of the most timely of blogs) mentioned it, AND before the Times ran a blurb on it. Honestly I posted it hoping it weren't true, as my sources were 2 other blogs (Zimmer's and NAJP) but alas, it was true.
I think the only "death by blogging" is going to be the death of print, sadly.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
why be mean?
Hey, I'm all for telling the truth in journalism and writing, but in terms of dance criticism, why must we point out silly flaws in particular people and announce it to the world in the very limited word space we have, in print OR even online?
This is twice now for Macaulay, just in the past few weeks:
"Neither in the arch of her feet nor in the line of her shoulders does she yet seem a prima ballerina..." What on EARTH is wrong with Sara Mearns' feet?!
"And her sleeveless attire...ungallantly draws attention to the muscular looseness under the upper arm that often becomes apparent after the age of 40 in even the most otherwise youthful female dancers..." Of all the things to say about Bolshoi ballerina Nina Ananiashvili, was that necessary?
I've had a few conversations lately about dance criticism, and I have to wonder if these kinds of personal attacks (for lack of a better word) serve a purpose? There are other ways to give a negative review besides making a dancer more uncomfortable than they already are forced to be about their body...
This is twice now for Macaulay, just in the past few weeks:
"Neither in the arch of her feet nor in the line of her shoulders does she yet seem a prima ballerina..." What on EARTH is wrong with Sara Mearns' feet?!
"And her sleeveless attire...ungallantly draws attention to the muscular looseness under the upper arm that often becomes apparent after the age of 40 in even the most otherwise youthful female dancers..." Of all the things to say about Bolshoi ballerina Nina Ananiashvili, was that necessary?
I've had a few conversations lately about dance criticism, and I have to wonder if these kinds of personal attacks (for lack of a better word) serve a purpose? There are other ways to give a negative review besides making a dancer more uncomfortable than they already are forced to be about their body...
Friday, March 14, 2008
Boston struggles...again
"Boston Ballet to Cut Nearly 20% of Dancers in Company"
In seeing this article in the Times today, I was reminded of my days at Boston Ballet School and was saddened to hear that they have to cut back...and on dancers, of all things! The company has faced many issues while I was there in the school (til '04) and since then, but just the sound of laying off 11 dancers is horrible!
Dancers barely get paid decently in most ballet companies, but from what I had heard Boston seemed to be one of the better ones in terms of taking care of their dancers, even offering full health and dental benefits and show allowance to their SECOND company BBII. Few companies to my knowledge can afford to treat their apprentices that well, nevermind the company. So to hear that 11 company members won't have their contracts renewed because of debt and financial problems is awful.
The news also comes with the announcement that their executive director is leaving to "explore a number of exciting opportunities in the nonprofit world,” according to her quote in the Times. I found this interesting also after reading Danciti's post about the struggle to keep good executive directors in dance (post links to an upcoming panel hosted by Dance/NYC about this probelm). Apparently Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen will be wearing both hats of artistic and executive director until they find a replacement, but won't that create even more challenges?
Oh the trials and tribulations of non-profits. During y rehearsal this morning our director was speaking of a board meeting they had recently where they laughed about the fact that almost any problem could be solved with more money. It's sad that the arts are not well funded today. Sigh.
In seeing this article in the Times today, I was reminded of my days at Boston Ballet School and was saddened to hear that they have to cut back...and on dancers, of all things! The company has faced many issues while I was there in the school (til '04) and since then, but just the sound of laying off 11 dancers is horrible!
Dancers barely get paid decently in most ballet companies, but from what I had heard Boston seemed to be one of the better ones in terms of taking care of their dancers, even offering full health and dental benefits and show allowance to their SECOND company BBII. Few companies to my knowledge can afford to treat their apprentices that well, nevermind the company. So to hear that 11 company members won't have their contracts renewed because of debt and financial problems is awful.
The news also comes with the announcement that their executive director is leaving to "explore a number of exciting opportunities in the nonprofit world,” according to her quote in the Times. I found this interesting also after reading Danciti's post about the struggle to keep good executive directors in dance (post links to an upcoming panel hosted by Dance/NYC about this probelm). Apparently Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen will be wearing both hats of artistic and executive director until they find a replacement, but won't that create even more challenges?
Oh the trials and tribulations of non-profits. During y rehearsal this morning our director was speaking of a board meeting they had recently where they laughed about the fact that almost any problem could be solved with more money. It's sad that the arts are not well funded today. Sigh.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
one more NAJP quote
Reading on after the blog entry I just linked to on NAJP's blog, regarding dance critic Segal's layoff, I came across an interesting quote posted by former Times chief dance critic John Rockwell:
"In this age of the Internet, for a newspaper to sit on its hands while the blogs are alive with facts and rumors is suicidal...What worries me, especially under the threat of Internet competition, is how sober newspapers like the Times, still clinging to their sweet dreams of fairness and objectivity, may be easing up on their former scruples about checking and double-checking not only the facts but the tone in which they are presented."
Very very interesting. I like this blog I just found...check it out.
"In this age of the Internet, for a newspaper to sit on its hands while the blogs are alive with facts and rumors is suicidal...What worries me, especially under the threat of Internet competition, is how sober newspapers like the Times, still clinging to their sweet dreams of fairness and objectivity, may be easing up on their former scruples about checking and double-checking not only the facts but the tone in which they are presented."
Very very interesting. I like this blog I just found...check it out.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
digital dance class
This article in the Times is brilliant...Merce Cunningham classes offered online. Dance and technology merge once again. How cool! I can't wait to see the videos they do, even though I'm not really familiar with his work. It would be great if more master teachers did something like this so that people outside of New York (and those of us here as well!) could learn from them without the hassle of a big master class.
The separation from technology does eliminate that immediate feedback factor of class, but nowadays you're lucky (or, me anyway) if you get attention at all in a class like that.
Anyways, go read about it.
The separation from technology does eliminate that immediate feedback factor of class, but nowadays you're lucky (or, me anyway) if you get attention at all in a class like that.
Anyways, go read about it.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
off to Nutcracker weekend #2!
In the freezing snow I'm off to the train to Connecticut for my second (and last) weekend of Nutcracker. I'm excited to be in the BIG theater this weekend, and will update regularly from the hotel :)
Also of note is that I just spoke with the NY Times dance writer about my thesis and she gave me some GREAT insight and interesting perspectives. I'll share details next week when I have time to finish off my thesis. So glad this insane semester is almost over!
Happy snow day :)
Also of note is that I just spoke with the NY Times dance writer about my thesis and she gave me some GREAT insight and interesting perspectives. I'll share details next week when I have time to finish off my thesis. So glad this insane semester is almost over!
Happy snow day :)
Sunday, December 2, 2007
snow, onstage and off!
It snowed today!
I had this big long creative blog post typed up and then my comptuer died (as it often does) so here's the boring version of my day...
When I woke up to snow I half-hoped I wouldn't have to go all the way to Hartford for our last Sunday of Nutcracker rehearsals...but I'm really glad I went! As a surprise we got to rehearse in the theater today instead of the studio. I guess they got in early to lay down the marley, so we spaced and ran through everything today so that Thursday won't be so stressful (tech and dress day).
It was fun! I really love being onstage and being in a theater and everything. And this theater is super spacious because it's not in a city, haha. So nice. Rehearsal itself went well, although my Achilles is acting up again. My body often decides to go crazy on me when I change dancing environments, such as going on to a hard stage or going into 20 degree weather. Lovely.
Besides being unable to walk after the bus ride home, the day was good. I got home to a nice email from (my favorite) New York Times dance journalist, and Dance Editor of Time Out New York, Gia Kourlas!!! She's another contributor to The Winger and Kristin put me in contact with her to get some input for my (ever-developing-excitment) thesis. Wow! This paper is turning out to be a lot bigger of a deal than I ever expected but I'm really happy about it and that people care about it. It's no longer about my grade. It's about getting the issue out there and getting the opinions flying.
Anyway, I have yet another busy week ahead. Tomorrow after morning class I'm lecturing at that high school I mentioned last week. That should be amusing, to say the least. Tuesday and Wednesday will be mostly spent at my internship since Thursday, when I would normally be there, I'll be at the theater all day long in Connecticut. I'm spending from Thursday-Sunday staying over there and really can't wait to perform! The only part I'm not looking forward to is putting on pink tights. I've been kind of rebelling against them and wearing black tights since I "graduated" from BAE in June and have been in no rush to get them back on. But I guess Waltz of the Flowers would be slightly unattractive with little black legs sticking out of a pink costume, haha.
I'll keep posting through the busy week but come Thursday I probably won't have internet access...so wish me luck for Nutcracker year 13!
I had this big long creative blog post typed up and then my comptuer died (as it often does) so here's the boring version of my day...
When I woke up to snow I half-hoped I wouldn't have to go all the way to Hartford for our last Sunday of Nutcracker rehearsals...but I'm really glad I went! As a surprise we got to rehearse in the theater today instead of the studio. I guess they got in early to lay down the marley, so we spaced and ran through everything today so that Thursday won't be so stressful (tech and dress day).
It was fun! I really love being onstage and being in a theater and everything. And this theater is super spacious because it's not in a city, haha. So nice. Rehearsal itself went well, although my Achilles is acting up again. My body often decides to go crazy on me when I change dancing environments, such as going on to a hard stage or going into 20 degree weather. Lovely.
Besides being unable to walk after the bus ride home, the day was good. I got home to a nice email from (my favorite) New York Times dance journalist, and Dance Editor of Time Out New York, Gia Kourlas!!! She's another contributor to The Winger and Kristin put me in contact with her to get some input for my (ever-developing-excitment) thesis. Wow! This paper is turning out to be a lot bigger of a deal than I ever expected but I'm really happy about it and that people care about it. It's no longer about my grade. It's about getting the issue out there and getting the opinions flying.
Anyway, I have yet another busy week ahead. Tomorrow after morning class I'm lecturing at that high school I mentioned last week. That should be amusing, to say the least. Tuesday and Wednesday will be mostly spent at my internship since Thursday, when I would normally be there, I'll be at the theater all day long in Connecticut. I'm spending from Thursday-Sunday staying over there and really can't wait to perform! The only part I'm not looking forward to is putting on pink tights. I've been kind of rebelling against them and wearing black tights since I "graduated" from BAE in June and have been in no rush to get them back on. But I guess Waltz of the Flowers would be slightly unattractive with little black legs sticking out of a pink costume, haha.
I'll keep posting through the busy week but come Thursday I probably won't have internet access...so wish me luck for Nutcracker year 13!
Monday, November 5, 2007
Ballet + College = NYTimes article
As mentioned in my letter to Dance Spirit, I think it's really important for dancers to have an education. Though it was once frowned upon as a distraction and waste of time, college is becoming more and more prominent in the lives of professional dancers.
See this article in the NY Times yesterday. It talks about the new LEAP program a lot of New York area dancers are starting. My teacher who helped me graduate high school early is helping out with the program and it sounds really great for dancers with limited time.
I hope this is the start of a more forgiving and encouraging outlook of the ballet world towards education.
See this article in the NY Times yesterday. It talks about the new LEAP program a lot of New York area dancers are starting. My teacher who helped me graduate high school early is helping out with the program and it sounds really great for dancers with limited time.
I hope this is the start of a more forgiving and encouraging outlook of the ballet world towards education.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Senior Thesis Topic: Dance Journalism in New Media
So this week I'm submitting my "prospectus" for my senior thesis due later this semester. Basically I just had to outline what I'll be writing about and list some questions to be explored in my research.
I thought I'd share it here to see if anyone has some other ideas to add or comments about what I'm thinking about. See what you think and TELL ME.
----
Dance Journalism and Criticism in New Media
For my paper I would like to explore the changes that the internet and new media are bringing to arts journalism, specifically dance criticism. With the invention of online communities, blogs, and social networks, the journalism and publishing industries have seen significant changes in recent years. I want to investigate these changes and see how they are leading us to the future of arts journalism.
Being passionate about both dance and writing, this topic has intrigued me for some time now. The culture of the dance world is extremely unique and they way this community fits in and interacts with the larger world has proven to be a special relationship. Concert dance is far removed from mainstream culture and the art form has always struggled to find a place in popular media. I personally want to find a way to integrate this sector of society and raise awareness of what’s going on in the dance world by communicating with the mainstream. In a culture that thrives on celebrity pitfalls like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton it seems as though true art is far underappreciated.
With that being said, the most powerful method of communication about dance, besides movement, has been in print media. Newspapers traditionally provide entertainment listings where dance performances are given brief blurbs of details and ticket information. Only the country’s largest papers allot space to dance criticism, and as a result only few dance companies are represented in the press.
The more important issue is that in recent years there has been a severe cutback in print space given to dance coverage. Magazines, such as New York Magazine, have completely eliminated the position of Chief Dance Critic and run stories on dance very rarely. Newspapers have also seen a shortage of staff on this beat due to funding. The New York Times, which is the largest print outlet serving the dance community, has drastically cut space for dance in the popular Arts section over the past 20 years.
Another major issue with dance journalism is the shift in dance magazines. In the past, the major monthly publication for the art form was Dance Magazine, owned by Macfadden Performing Arts Media. The other regular magazines dedicated to dance include Pointe Magazine (specifically for ballet), Dance Teacher (for educators), and Dance Spirit (for a younger, competition based sector). All of these were owned by Lifestyle Media, Inc, which ran a slew of other smaller magazines. In August of 2006, Dance Magazine bought out this company, thus merging all of the dance titles under Macfadden’s reign.
The issue that I see with this is that of media convergence. The larger society of American, and the world for that matter, has seen a surge in the power of the media giants. Ownership has become a great issue, with 5 or 6 major companies running the majority of society’s media outlets. Time Warner, News Corporation, Viacom, and others have been the key players in acquisitions and mergers across all types of media, from television to print.
If this is problem enough for the “real world” it is even more of an issue in the “dance world” because the community alone is so small. With all of the dance news coming from essentially a single source now, Macfadden Performing Arts media seems to have a monopoly of power. Only certain voices are being heard and few opinions are being expressed in print. The situation is a mirror image of what’s going on in the larger scheme of media.
What seems to have risen as a solution to these two major issues of coverage cutbacks and media convergence is dance criticism online. A number of message boards have been in existence for years, allowing dance enthusiasts and balletomanes to express their opinions on the goings-on of the performing world. But only recently have blogs begun to pop up which provide more in depth coverage of performances, news, and general issues relating to dance. These sites allow a bigger variety of perspectives to be exposed and are not limited to the restrictions of time and space as print outlets are.
The internet has allowed for a beneficial increase in dance writing and has allowed for a close connection to be developed among the community. There is now an outlet for public discourse around the art form that would be nearly impossible to have without new media. Especially with the New York Times rumors of eventually going out of print and being solely online, this could be the future of arts journalism and potentially publishing as a whole.
Questions to Explore:
-What other internet conventions could be used in the context of dance journalism? For example, would the Wiki platform be used to document records of past performances or choreographic notations?
-How have the websites of the various dance magazines taken advantage of new media, and how do they compare to independent websites?
-What sparked the decline of dance journalism in print, and how can that be prevented in the online context?
-What conventions of the “dance world” impact how the topic is covered in media? For example, funding is an extremely big problem and dance companies perhaps need to be represented in the best possible light to stay alive. Is this preventing some of the more controversial issues facing the dance world from being publicly exposed?
-How can the dance world gain exposure in other mediums besides the internet and print?
-In what ways is the industry of publishing changing which may affect the future of arts journalism?
(c) 2007 Taylor Gordon
I thought I'd share it here to see if anyone has some other ideas to add or comments about what I'm thinking about. See what you think and TELL ME.
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Dance Journalism and Criticism in New Media
For my paper I would like to explore the changes that the internet and new media are bringing to arts journalism, specifically dance criticism. With the invention of online communities, blogs, and social networks, the journalism and publishing industries have seen significant changes in recent years. I want to investigate these changes and see how they are leading us to the future of arts journalism.
Being passionate about both dance and writing, this topic has intrigued me for some time now. The culture of the dance world is extremely unique and they way this community fits in and interacts with the larger world has proven to be a special relationship. Concert dance is far removed from mainstream culture and the art form has always struggled to find a place in popular media. I personally want to find a way to integrate this sector of society and raise awareness of what’s going on in the dance world by communicating with the mainstream. In a culture that thrives on celebrity pitfalls like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton it seems as though true art is far underappreciated.
With that being said, the most powerful method of communication about dance, besides movement, has been in print media. Newspapers traditionally provide entertainment listings where dance performances are given brief blurbs of details and ticket information. Only the country’s largest papers allot space to dance criticism, and as a result only few dance companies are represented in the press.
The more important issue is that in recent years there has been a severe cutback in print space given to dance coverage. Magazines, such as New York Magazine, have completely eliminated the position of Chief Dance Critic and run stories on dance very rarely. Newspapers have also seen a shortage of staff on this beat due to funding. The New York Times, which is the largest print outlet serving the dance community, has drastically cut space for dance in the popular Arts section over the past 20 years.
Another major issue with dance journalism is the shift in dance magazines. In the past, the major monthly publication for the art form was Dance Magazine, owned by Macfadden Performing Arts Media. The other regular magazines dedicated to dance include Pointe Magazine (specifically for ballet), Dance Teacher (for educators), and Dance Spirit (for a younger, competition based sector). All of these were owned by Lifestyle Media, Inc, which ran a slew of other smaller magazines. In August of 2006, Dance Magazine bought out this company, thus merging all of the dance titles under Macfadden’s reign.
The issue that I see with this is that of media convergence. The larger society of American, and the world for that matter, has seen a surge in the power of the media giants. Ownership has become a great issue, with 5 or 6 major companies running the majority of society’s media outlets. Time Warner, News Corporation, Viacom, and others have been the key players in acquisitions and mergers across all types of media, from television to print.
If this is problem enough for the “real world” it is even more of an issue in the “dance world” because the community alone is so small. With all of the dance news coming from essentially a single source now, Macfadden Performing Arts media seems to have a monopoly of power. Only certain voices are being heard and few opinions are being expressed in print. The situation is a mirror image of what’s going on in the larger scheme of media.
What seems to have risen as a solution to these two major issues of coverage cutbacks and media convergence is dance criticism online. A number of message boards have been in existence for years, allowing dance enthusiasts and balletomanes to express their opinions on the goings-on of the performing world. But only recently have blogs begun to pop up which provide more in depth coverage of performances, news, and general issues relating to dance. These sites allow a bigger variety of perspectives to be exposed and are not limited to the restrictions of time and space as print outlets are.
The internet has allowed for a beneficial increase in dance writing and has allowed for a close connection to be developed among the community. There is now an outlet for public discourse around the art form that would be nearly impossible to have without new media. Especially with the New York Times rumors of eventually going out of print and being solely online, this could be the future of arts journalism and potentially publishing as a whole.
Questions to Explore:
-What other internet conventions could be used in the context of dance journalism? For example, would the Wiki platform be used to document records of past performances or choreographic notations?
-How have the websites of the various dance magazines taken advantage of new media, and how do they compare to independent websites?
-What sparked the decline of dance journalism in print, and how can that be prevented in the online context?
-What conventions of the “dance world” impact how the topic is covered in media? For example, funding is an extremely big problem and dance companies perhaps need to be represented in the best possible light to stay alive. Is this preventing some of the more controversial issues facing the dance world from being publicly exposed?
-How can the dance world gain exposure in other mediums besides the internet and print?
-In what ways is the industry of publishing changing which may affect the future of arts journalism?
(c) 2007 Taylor Gordon
Sunday, September 23, 2007
dance and academia in NY Times
I know I'm kind of outsourcing some reading lately, but there have been some good articles going on...
Please read this article in the Times today (9/23).
I have many many many comments, but one quote sums it up:
“There is a real tension between dance — at even a department like mine, which is very well established — and an academic context,” said Lynn Garafola, a dance scholar who is a professor in Barnard College’s dance department. “Most of the people teaching technique classes have been longtime professionals. They’ve never been to a liberal arts college. There really is a deep anti-intellectualism, but in some ways it’s almost a naïve anti-intellectualism. It’s just not a part of their world.”
Amen.
Please read this article in the Times today (9/23).
I have many many many comments, but one quote sums it up:
“There is a real tension between dance — at even a department like mine, which is very well established — and an academic context,” said Lynn Garafola, a dance scholar who is a professor in Barnard College’s dance department. “Most of the people teaching technique classes have been longtime professionals. They’ve never been to a liberal arts college. There really is a deep anti-intellectualism, but in some ways it’s almost a naïve anti-intellectualism. It’s just not a part of their world.”
Amen.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
The Winger in NY Times
See mention of The Winger (the other dance community/blog site that I contribute to) in today's New York Times article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/21/arts/dance/21revo.html?_r=1&ref=dance&oref=slogin
Very interesting arguements about the relationship between television and dance. I personally never got into watching "So You Think You Can Dance" but I think it's really important that the dance world be exposed in popular culture in any way that it can. With dance journalism on the decline in national papers and magazines, we have to find another outlet in today's media to reach audiences that normally wouldn't be in touch with dancing.
"That perception hints at the gulf separating classical dance, often characterized as elitist and old-fashioned, and popular culture," says the article. While maintaining the classical traditions, I think ballet and the culture of the dance world need to find some way of updating to the 21st century...in terms of repertoire, education, and outlook.
Very interesting arguements about the relationship between television and dance. I personally never got into watching "So You Think You Can Dance" but I think it's really important that the dance world be exposed in popular culture in any way that it can. With dance journalism on the decline in national papers and magazines, we have to find another outlet in today's media to reach audiences that normally wouldn't be in touch with dancing.
"That perception hints at the gulf separating classical dance, often characterized as elitist and old-fashioned, and popular culture," says the article. While maintaining the classical traditions, I think ballet and the culture of the dance world need to find some way of updating to the 21st century...in terms of repertoire, education, and outlook.
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