Caro Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 (edited) Hi there. I am currently studying Benesh notation, and am interested to hear from any present or past students of the Benesh Institute. How did you find the course? Is it easy to find work as a dance notator? Edited September 23, 2003 by Caro Link to comment
Alexandra Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 Grace had posted a thread on Benesh notation -- I thought more than one, but could only find this one in a quick search. http://balletalert.ipbhost.com/index.php?s...showtopic=10827 That might be of interest, although it's more about learning notation. There are several notators here, and I'm sure someone will be able to answer your questions. Link to comment
grace Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 oh MY, caro...are you in london and actually there, at present? MY time there was sheer unadulterated hell. i pity you. don't jump off a bridge! i will try to look in here tomorrow, in case you have responded and provided a bit more info ... in the meantime, please know that it *IS* survivable... my thoughts are with you. :green: :cool2: Link to comment
Caro Posted September 24, 2003 Author Share Posted September 24, 2003 Hi Grace No Im not in London, Im actually in South Africa at the moment and am studying Benesh notation through my university course, lectured by Edward Greyling. If, howerver I want to become a qualified notator I have to go and live in London and study there as the final year can not be done through correspondance. You don't sound very keen on London though!- any particular reasons? As far as I know this is the only way I can complete the qualifications to become a notator- or is there another way? Link to comment
grace Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 that USED to be the only way - maybe it still is. the only other possibility that i know of, is the university of waterloo in canada - rhonda ryman is there, and she MAY have a course - although possibly not to the same company-professional level as the benesh institute's course. i should say that the benesh institute has moved - physically - several times, since i was there. also, some (but not all) of the people have changed. so the atmosphere of the whole course MAY have changed (for the better - or worse ?!?). who knows? however, english institutions have a real stuck-in-the-mud 'quality' that resists change... about work as a notator: my experience (and i am not talking about looking for notation work for myself - because i didn't do that - but about what i have seen in the field) is that there is extremely LITTLE such work. the economic crisis in the arts has meant that actual paying JOBS for notators have ALMOST disappeared. it is a truly elite pursuit, with only a handful of people working in it, worldwide. the people who DO work in it, in my experience, are people who would have got those jobs anyway - they are the ex-dancers who have a photographic memory, who would always have become employed as a ballet-master or repetiteur when they transitioned from performing (often with the same company). however, there are other uses for notation than becoming employed as a notator for a company. tell me a little more about yourself and what you want to do, and i may be able to help a bit more... (if you like). Link to comment
Caro Posted September 26, 2003 Author Share Posted September 26, 2003 (edited) Hi Grace Thanks for the info. Well, about myself.... I am currently living in South Africa, and am busy studying a degree in dance at the University of Cape Town. I am also about to simultaneously start studying a journalism degree. My passion in life is dancing, but I know very little about the ongoings of the dance world outside South Africa. My dream is to become a proffessional dancer, but I am very aware that dancing is a short lived career as it is, and if one sustains an injury you can be out of a dancing career at an early age. Therefor Im am trying to equip myself now with the tools I need, to go into a dance related field other than proffessional dancing. Thus I am exploring all the options. Benesh notation was just one of those options, although after your advice I don't think Im so keen! Other areas I am looking at are becoming a dance critic - it is for this reason that I am about to begin a journalism degree along with my dance degree - Are these the right qualifications for a dance critic? And what is your opinion on this as a career? I also love choreography and hope to make it one of my 4th year majors, although I know that a career in choreography depends entirely on the standard and appeal of the works you produce. I would love to run a company, but I am very aware that is usually the ex-principal dancers that end up with these roles. Have you any suggestions of dance related careers? I am not that keen to teach although I am preparing to do my associate exam in Cecchetti. Any suggestions and advice is welcome .Whats out there dance-wise in the rest of the world? Edited September 26, 2003 by Caro Link to comment
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