Fantasy Portraits of the Dance World

[fendrock]

I watched Flashdance this weekend, and was left aghast at its portrayal of the dance world:

- she's a welder by day, bar dancer by night, wants to get into the local ballet company

- she’s eighteen and has never had any kind of dance lesson

- she sends in an application (and is told to list her years and places of training) for an “invitation only” audition to the repertory company

- her boyfriend calls someone on the board and asks him to arrange an audition for her as a favor -- the favor is granted and our bar dancer/welder auditions

- she wears jazz shoes, a high cut leotard and bare legs to the audition, where she auditions alone before a panel of five judges in a room without a barre in it

- the panel of judges LOVES her routine, which looks like a cross between an aerobics workout and a jazz exercise

Anyone else have similar silly portraits to share?

[djb]

"Flashdance" was certainly the most absurd plot I've come across in a movie about dance, although I did enjoy the dance numbers. David Letterman continued in the same vein by having a man on his show who was purportedly a welder with dreams of becoming a film critic. The man reviewed "Flashdance," of course. All of his comments were things like "They had her welding with all this curly hair sticking out -- you'd never see that in a real steel mill." It was even funnier than the movie.

[Leigh Witchel]

Call me crazy, but I think this story points out some of the problems the US has with ballet. One of the great American myths is that anyone can do anything. You can grow up in log cabin and become President or a movie star. We almost prefer it. Ballet refutes that myth on a daily basis. You need intense training to do it, and worse training isn't enough, plenty of people who work hard enough to deserve it will never get a chance. And then, once the dancers finally move, they do in a movement style (partnered, choreographed and with links to social dance) that's fallen out of favor with something more tribal and unstructured in its place (why? Perhaps because it looks like anyone can do it with no training?)

Maybe Flashdance tells us more about dance in America than we think!

[atm711]

If you keep watering down expectations ANYONE can become an actor, or even a President----can Ballet be far behind?

[fendrock]

I think you are right, Leigh. Your observation is quite insightful about the American attitude of what it takes to accomplish something.

Actually, I think becoming a ballet dancer requires more natural gifts and facility than becoming a president. The dancer has no equivalent of a speech writer, political strategists, teleprompter, etc.

Of course, the movie is a fantasy; it's fun to dream about making it big against all odds -- the equivalent of playing the lottery and hoping you will win.

But Americans find it difficult to accept that such depictions are just that -- fantasy.

[Mel Johnson]

But if Americans come to the point where they believe a ballet dancer could be President, then that really would be something!

[floss]

My knowledge of American presidents is not extensive but you've had an ex- actor as a president and one with a farming background. Why not a dancer? That would be something special. Do you think the world would be better off if all heads of state were ex-dancers. I know off topic, , so good night all.

[djb]

When I saw "Flashdance" in the theater with a couple of fellow dancers, all 3 of us laughed out loud when the main character states that she's never had a dance lesson in her life. (The dancing was done by Marine Jehan, an obviously trained dancer.) A girl in front of us turned around and asked, "What's so funny about that?" I guess she believed the fantasy.