BryanM

Well, I suppose we too are thorwing stones in general when we reply here, and hardly am I a mainstream dance reviewer. By all means, criticism is a good and healthy thing. Here's to spunk!

It's certainly true that dance in the US cannot compare to the golden time, but I hope some of my perspective is from unfair: I hope there are choreographers of which I know nothing yet who will emerge.

While the sense of energy and experimentation is in Europe, I agree much of it is recycled and, excpet for a few, Ithink not so interesting. Look out for Asia... the social and economic drivers are in place to produce lots of new artists there.

I worked and danced in Japan... same local first mentality exists there as everwhere.

Bottom line: open system, recruit the best, allow everyone to compete will create the world's best schools and companies. We can only benefit.

I would think that for younger dancers, starting out careers, we need to suport a regional/ national system. However, for performance age dancers, globalized attitudes, mixed cultures, are true to the best qualities of our country.

-Bryan

Remarkable. I spent time to read through. Its a strange juxtapostion to see the performance reviews from newpsapers inserted as clippings (in the second PDF).

Makes me wonder, given the availability of info now, how much is kept and maintained on individuals.

-Bryan

Gosh Leigh, wish I was in NYC! Sounds like a great program. The best I can do is stayin touch with my friends and get comps, but I hate to oversuse comps when I feel that I should pay when I can. Unforunately, my budget doesn't sometime match the ticket prices.

Another funny problem is when a friend asks me to go see them dance, and they tickets are way overpriced for the performance, but you have to go anyway.

Guess it all works out in the end.

Anyone with the same problem in SF, let me know!

-Bryan

Yes the report is sloppy, but I can say having lived in the midwest, San Francisco, overseas and Boston, that indeed Boston folks do attend many a performance.

I wonder how much of this statistic is based on universities and students activity?

I'm enjoying this back and forth and applaud everyone's active response. However, even though I share the pessimistic view of this potential poison pill, does anyone have the facts on this increased budget?

Did I hear something on the news that this was intended only for "classical" arts?

it would be great to know what the budget really stipulates... anyone?

-Bryan

B) Definately will take our kids -- in fact I find children before adolescence have no qualms whatsever -- we learn this inhibitions much later in life. The other fact is that this theatre, as traditions in other forms (takurazuka in Japan, kabuki) is quite serious in its funniness.

-Bryan

It was showing in my neigborhood, and was gone before i knew it. I think it last two weeks at most -- sad. Guess it will have to live as a DVD.

Kangaroo was so much a part of early TV memories for me, its great to see him remembered here.

Thanks

Agreed... not to get too intense here. In fact, finding ways for the American culture to connect to dance is not a trivial or easy topic. Since sports is so mainstream in the US, its a natural thought. I think we can think of two parts of this issue:

1) How to get the attention of people who would otherwise have no exposure to dance, both performing and watching

2) How to promote the ongoing social relevance and connectedness of dance to a modern audience.

For the first issue, all of the examples given (Gene Kelly's demonstration is my favorite) do their part. Equally, since social patterns and modern life globally are changing so quickly, dance must do its part to keep up. As I said, this sint easy!

I'vre always thought that very small differences, a nuance at the end of a phrase, the way the head adds an accent, and the conveyance and angles fromt he stage towards the audience can make a very large perceived difference in a dancer's body. So the artistics traditiona and raked staged coudl account for mcuh of the difference. Do you see the same difference with dancers from other regions who then went to study there?

After all the writing about it showing in so few theaters I was pleased to find its at the movie theater in my neighborhood,l about a 5 minute walk. My expectations are high, with Robert Altman, and hoping its not another feel good movie, but a realistic portrayal.

Im afraid its going to get worse before it gets better in many communities. The current mix of budget shortfalls and attitudes towards public supported arts is sad. The most important thing is to get organized and make sure the traditional supportors keep the pressure on gov officials.

Recently I attended the new Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, with an exhibit highluighting Korean artistic traditions. The museum incoroprated several installations, with a young Korean Monk creating a sand sculpture in the middle of the exhibit, and ink and stamp images being created for visitors nearby. These additions made the experience very engaging. Check it out!

I love the way that these museums understand they experience of the visitor as theatre... with an emphasis on the flow of experience.

I believe that the classical ballet can be considered in its original cultural context, which at the time may have had some jarring or realistic aspects; therefore updating a classical piece to engage a modern audience -- in the same way that the original was meant to connect to its audience -- make sense to me. Yet often it is best if only some elements are updated or made to be "realistic". The key here is reflection on how modern audience require adjusted style for the same, orinigally intended impact.

I was surprised not to see anything posted here. There are so many companies now in Asia. I danced in Japan, and also I see so many Chinese companies and Korean modern dancers everywhere.

Please let me know if you see a trend with an increase in dance coming from Asia!