anthro1

And a welcome to you, too, anthro1.

I don't know whether you've seen our companion forum, BalletTalk for Dancers, but you're likely to find many discussions there that will interest you. It has special forums for teachers. If you decide to participate, you'll have to register separately, and we ask (but do not require) that members of both boards keep the same user name, just so readers of both will recognize you as the same person.

'm not sure what "dance iconography" means in the context of these forums. Could someone explain that to me?

I hope historiennedeladanse will.

I don't know if my reply should go here, but Thanks, Cabro, for the welcome! I, too, hope that historiennedeladanse will answer the iconography question, but if she has, I haven't found it yet. I'm not ready to take on "BalletTalk" just yet, and I'm no longer teaching, so I'd rather not get involved in a teachers' forum. Hopefully, someone will take on the iconography question. I printed out the article on modern dance (can it be preserved) and found that it has a lot of things I disagree with in it, but I'll save that for another time.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/magazine...1&ref=dance

We've discussed this topic across different threads. With the publication of this New York Times article, I'm creating a thread to discuss this topic in general. (I'm cross-posting the link to the Cunningham Living Legacy thread to discuss Cunningham in particular, which is the theme of the article.)

To miliosr:

I clicked on the Times article and printed it out. Now, I'll read it and get back to the subject another time. I knew Cunningham, but was unfamiliar with the article. I was teaching in a small college in China in November, 2009.

Thanks.

anthro1

I think I'm about to make myself unpopular, but to the question, "Can modern dance be preserved?" I'd have to say yes, based on the fact that Labanotation is capable of preserving any form of dancing in the world.

I don't know how others feel about movement-writing, but it has been a major help in the academic work I've done with the dance. It takes statements about movement out of the realm of 'imagination' and puts it in writing so that people know exactly what you are talking about.

If I could, I'd have every young student learn the basics of movement-writing along with their first ballet classes. Literacy really helps! I'm aware, however, that not everyone feels the same way I do about this. I'd be glad to know others' opinions and would welcome comments.

anthro1

I'm a new member. My field is social anthropology. I taught ballet and modern dancing for many years on the west coast and in New York. I don't teach anymore, but I write a lot about dancing. I'm interested in many issues related to teaching and performance. I've studied ideokinesis, and am interested in the use of imagery in teaching and dancing.

I'm not sure what "dance iconography" means in the context of these forums. Could someone explain that to me?

anthro1