Is the avant-garde now centered in Europe?

[Alexandra]

This is from today's Links:

New York-born choreographer Nicolo Fonte, in Melbourne to stage a work for the Australian Ballet, says that his home town is history as far as choreographic leadership is concerned.

"I haven't seen or heard of anyone new in New York who's really all that interesting — except for Chris Wheeldon," he says. New York's heyday, which produced dance icons such as George Balanchine, Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham and Twyla Tharp, is over.

Today, the most influential names are European: Nacho Duato (for whom Fonte worked for seven years), Jiri Kylian and Mats Ek. And in the new wave are Netherlands Dance Theatre's British choreographer Paul Lightfoot, the Cullberg Ballet's artistic director Johan Inger, and former Frankfurt Ballet dancer-choreographer Regina van Berkel.

"The boom happened in Europe," Fonte says. "Somehow the [uS] didn't catch up." He blames America's cultural conservatism on the need to meet budgetary bottom lines, a situation that isn't so pressing for most European companies, which receive more government funding.

I've read this elsewhere, and he has a point. Modern dancers began worrying about the high rents in NY forcing them out during the 1970s (it's impossible to starve in a garret in NY anymore; the garrets are gone. Studio space is at a premium as well). The crisis in creativity in choreography in ballet is often discussed here. I'm not sure that fiscal problems are completely to blame there.

There's no question that Duato and co. are dominant -- but that doesn't mean they're good

[Nanatchka]

It's possible. (I mean about the avant garde being in Europe, not about Duato.) But his feeling that Wheeldon is avant-garde makes me dubious about Fonte's definition of "in the vanguard," as he puts it, in the first place. I am also dubious about the notion of avant-garde in ballet. It seems to me that when someone produces something along those lines, it is then deemed "not real ballet." The grand exception is streamlined but technically classical work, but one can hardly call modernism avant-garde. Anyway, come to think of it, do we merely mean "ahead of the next trend" by this term, or do we mean "something new?" If the former, the something could be avant garde and retrograde at the same time. Now, we're getting to Wheeldon...

[sandik]

Anyway, come to think of it, do we merely mean "ahead of the next trend" by this term, or do we mean "something new?" If the former, the something could be avant garde and retrograde at the same time. Now, we're getting to Wheeldon...

I've read so much about Christopher Wheeldon as the next savior of ballet that I'm getting a bit fried by it all, but this makes me want to hear a bit more -- why do you say this?

[Nanatchka]

Only that Wheeldon is a back to the future kind of artist--very adept within a number of traditional genres.

[liebs]

Having recently seen de Keersmaker's piece to Mozart, I wonder if there is an avante garde left. It was modern dance but nothing in movement we haven't seen before in the choreorgraphy of Childs, Taylor, Cunningham and maybe Tharp and to a very classical, traditional score.

It left me wondering whether an avante garde exists at all - if we define it as creating something really new or previously unseen. Duate does not meet that criteria, his work just looks like recycled ideas of better choreographers.

[Alexandra]

liebs, I agree with you. Everything -- everything -- I've seen that's labeled as "new" or "pushing the envelope" is recycled from the 1960s and '70s.

[Nanatchka]

Since Cunningham was cited, I will just mention that I think he is still making movement that is new, for various reasons, perhaps most primary being his desire to keep himself interested.

[BryanM]

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.

[Alexandra]

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.

What an interesting idea, Bryan -- have you seen any choreographers in particular whose work you find interesting? Or just an expectation because of, as you put it, "the social and economic drivers" in place. And do you think those drivers will produce experimentation, or go into creating institutions along Western models?