Oh, those young people today.....

[Alexandra]

From today's NY Times:

Oh no! Young people today are:

quote:

---

Neil Howe and William Strauss's book "Millennials Rising" — a survey of the post-Gen X generation — suggests that the young people born in the early 1980's and afterward are, as a group, less rebellious than their predecessors, more practical-minded, less individualistic and more inclined to value "team over self, duties over rights, honor over feeling, action over words."

---

Debate? Dissent? Discussion? Oh, Don't Go There!

I found this article very interesting. It deals with debate, or the lack of it, and probes behind such contemporary catchwords as "whatever."

How will this affect us (those of us who like discussion groups)?

How will this affect ballet?

[LMCtech]

Interesting article. I have seen this phenomenon in my own family, my much younger sister being much quieter about her views than my brother or I. We always thought it was because we overpowered her (which may be some of it), but it could be generational as well.

I don't think it will change ballet. The art form will continue as it always has.

[Alexandra]

Interesting that you noted it in your own family. It might be nice to have a quiet generation so we can all get a breather

I also think that ballet will lkeep going (at least, I hope so, and with all the young dance students out there, it seems likely!) but I can see how the character of a generation can affect the character of an art form.

[Alla]

I wonder if there might be a connection here with the Nadine Meisner article posted on Links today, at the end of which she wonders if young Wheeldon has the "disruptive" fire needed to push the art form forward. Her phrase "freshness without disruption" seems to be a perfect description of the Millennial generation, at least as it's pictured in this NYT article. Wheeldon isn't a Millennial, but he's in the ballpark.

[Alexandra]

That's an interesting observation, Alla. I've read the objection to Wheeldon's lack of rebelliousness several times. It's usually attributed to the fact that he's English. (No, no. We don't deal in racial or ethnic stereotypes.)

I think the tension between the older generation -- It must be new to be good. Bend those boundaries, that's what art is about -- and the younger one -- let's explore what's here, let's work together and within a tradition -- may be the next great tension in art.

I read an article a few years about about a renewed interest in classical and neoclassical architecture among young architects. There was enough interest to start having panels about it at conferences. They wanted to know the rules -- not because they couldn't think for themselves, but because they'd been educated by people who knew the rules, but thought teaching them would stifle creativity.

Perhaps this is the dawn of another neoclassic revival (in the 18th century sense of the term, although I personally hope it is not so formulaic and slavish a following of rules). I've always viewed this within the model of a pendulum swing, or art coming full circle because rebellion breeds contentment breeds rebellion. I never thought of it in terms of being shaped by the personality of a generation.

[LaFilleMalGardee]

I was not able to read the article since I did not sign up. Do you mean dancers doing better in the corps than as a principal dancer? Or no personality at all???