Dance
Dancing in the New Year
A new year brings new possibilities. As we enter into the December/January issue, which for the Rail represents the New Year, I am honored to introduce myself as the new editor of this section.
Since I can remember, I have been dancing, and since being introduced to dance criticism and writing over 10 years ago, I have remained an active, passionate participant as a performer, choreographer, writer, and fundraiser. For these reasons, I am thrilled to continue my participation in the field of dance as an editor for the Brooklyn Rail. Dance writing at the Brooklyn Rail has always strongly emphasized the coverage of new and established choreographers alike—something I intend to continue. Moving forward, I want to expand dance criticism in this section, maintain the quality and quantity of features, essays, and personal accounts that have always been written here, while occasionally devoting certain issues to dance photography.
I plan to continue a column tradition established by former editor Vanessa Manko: Dancing on the Rail. I may change the name, but the ideas remain the same. I’ll touch on the unique qualities I see coming forth in dance, and comment on the commonalities among a month’s worth of work, and what I feel are the interesting things to look out for.
If the end of 2006 reflects on the beginning of 2007 in dance performances, then that is an indication we have a great year ahead of us. As we bring in the New Year, the long established favorites in dance and dance theater are stepping forward in numbers.
Pina Bausch @ BAM, Dec. 8 - 16. www.bam.org ♦ Bill T. Jones @ Harlem Stage at the Gatehouse, Dec. 5 - 9. www.harlemstage.org ♦ David Parsons @ The Joyce Theater, Dec. 5 - 17. www.joyce.org ♦ Richard Move @ DTW, Dec. 19 - 23. www.dtw.org ♦ Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo @ The Joyce Theater, Dec.19 - Jan.7 ♦ Susan Marshall @ DTW, Jan. 22 - Feb. 3.
The next two months are not just about established work, but also new artists coming together in festival and in process. We have ample opportunity to witness creations presented one after the other, which alight what is, in fact, going on in our field.
Movement Research Festival @ Danspace Project at St.Marks Church , Dec. 8 - 10. www.movementresearch.org ♦ Dance and Process @ The Kitchen, Dec. 20 - 21. www.thekitchen.org ♦ Draftwork @ Danspace Project at St. Marks Church, Dec. 16. www.danspaceproject.org ♦ Raw Material @ Dance New Amsterdam, Dec. 7 - 9. www.dnadance.org
And finally the Barnard Project at DTW brings it all together. Artists Gabri Christa, Jeanine Durning, David Neumann, and Reggie Wilson meet next generation’s dancers at Barnard College, and work with them on established pieces that are then presented December 7-9.
It all makes for a promising 2007. While I am grateful to have this opportunity to share my vision of dance in New York today, I do hope to hear from you, the readers. In the spirit of the Brooklyn Rail—which seeks to uncover arts, politics, and criticism—I seek out your input. This section is a continuing conversation, and I am hopeful to make the dialogue even more direct. I am eager to hear your thoughts and to further strengthen communication and coverage of the field that I love so much and that we are all a part of—dance.
Here’s to dancing in the New Year! @brooklynrail.org
RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
Dance Caribbean Collective's Third Year
By Susanna SloatJUL-AUG 2017 | Dance
There are cultural niches waiting to be filled, some particular to Brooklyn, where the islands of the Caribbean come together. Candace Thompson realized this as an emerging choreographer who wondered how she could get her work more widely seen, and more specifically, how work like hers, imbued with both her formal training in modern dance and other dance idioms, and her Trinidadian heritage, could reach a Caribbean American audience in New York. Joining with others in the same situation, she founded Dance Caribbean Collective (DCC) to present their first program in June 2015.
EDITOR'S NOTE
Pina Bausch:
Three Generations On
OCT 2017 | Dance
Pina Bausch’s dance-theater has left an indelible mark on Brooklyn (and the world), captivating and confronting audiences, dancers, and choreographers since Tanztheater Wuppertal’s BAM premiere in 1984. The return to BAM of the iconic double-bill Café Müller and The Rite of Spring this past month reminded us of Bausch’s enduring power—to haunt, to dazzle—across time. In recognition of her abiding impact and influence, the Rail ’s coverage is situated in three generational vantage points on Bausch’s career and legacy.
The Rail is honored to have dance critic doyenne Deborah Jowitt bringing to bear the long view of the Tanztheater Wuppertal’s lasting sway over the dance world; she is one of the very few who can. Deborah is joined by the dance scholar Clare Croft, and by Rail contributing writer Sariel Frankfurter. If you have a reflection on Bausch’s legacy, tweet it to @gillianjakab or @TheBrooklynRail. —Gillian Jakab
Pay to play: the costs of carving new space for dance
By Benedict NguyenFEB 2018 | Dance
What about all the artists who don’t register on the curatorial grid? The recently defunct Createquity has published a lot of research on who gets to be an artist and how saturated the field is with aspiring creatives. Many dance makers are finding space to present or perform their own work outside of the usual venues.
Judson Dance Theater: The Work is Never Done
By Nicole MeilyFEB 2019 | Art Books
From 1962 to 1964, Judson Memorial Church hosted a series of performances that challenged the conventions of dance. These “Concerts of Dance,” performed by a group of artists collectively known as Judson Dance Theater, centered on choreography that involved quotidian movements and simple prompts. Incorporating everyday objects and music, these interdisciplinary performances were imbued with a spirit of experimentation and collaboration.
