SUMMER WORKSHOP OPEN SHOWING
But the pleasures of virtuosity can pall. When 20 ballerinas in the corps do triple pirouettes in unison, we enjoy it, but we also recognize that a pirouette is a skill that can be learned with enough practice. Watching virtuoso dancing can be like watching a sport: we get over our astonishment rather quickly and take our primary pleasure in the competition, as we would watching gymnastics in the Olympics. When dancing becomes a spectator sport, the main thrill is the competition between favorites.
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Columbia College brought in two out-of-town choreographers to teach there this summer for two weeks. I took classes from Karen Bamonte and Loretta Livingston, and though both are concerned with issues of virtuosity, they come down on opposite sides of the fence. Each set a dance on Columbia students, which was then presented at an open showing. Each choreographer’s teaching and work was a consistent whole; together, they represented a concrete dialogue on virtuosity in dance.
Livingston is an instructor at the California Institute of the Arts and an independent choreographer in the Los Angeles area. Her style, well within the mainstream of contemporary American dance, emphasizes eclectic movement, virtuosity, and freedom in the torso and hips. As a teacher, she was clear, patient, and rigorous. There was a correct way to perform every movement. Her approach made virtuosity feel natural.
And Then There Was One . . . offers a rather heartbreaking metaphor for the dance world, where many talented dancers compete for the few jobs available and where who wins is sometimes determined by luck rather than talent.
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photos/Sharon Bays, Breatriz Schiller.
