On Thursday we were fortunate enough to have a panel of the company members speak to us about health, wellness, and the dancer body. If you’re interested in what they had to say, check this out.
The inner life of a dance comes specifically from the movement, the rehearsal process, the intension, focus, direction, and energy of a piece. We’ve past the point of learning the “steps” of Panorama and are starting to work on the art of the piece.
Students rehearsing Panorama
The way a dance is performed can make or break the choreography. As we learn the intricacies of what seems to be simple movement we’re being made to understand how precise specifications unite us. In a piece of work where so much of the choreography is done in unison, it’s not up to the individual to decide how and in what way to transition – we must dance as one.
We are a school of fish darting together in one singular moment; an army marching to a singular heartbeat; we are feminists, activists, freedom fighters.
The most challenging aspect of learning this kind of piece so quickly is the speed at which strangers must come together and unite energetically. In just twelve days thirty-five of us will have learned Panorama and built up a strong energetic and physical connection to each other in order to do justice to this work of art. Without the proper energy behind the movement, our steps mean nothing.
The rehearsal director plays a large role in uniting a corps of dancers. We’ve had the empowering opportunity of having Janet Eilber and Miki Orihara coach us through the process. Janet gave us strong images this morning. We used our voices to find power, and as we felt the vibrations of our own sound we marched in a space that was filled for the first time with a resounding energy. We have a long way to go but the valves from which our energies will flow, mingle, and strengthen have opened.
–If you are interested in reading more specifically about the process of being coached by Janet Eilber and the corrections and images she’s given us, please refer to the comment section of this post.–
Our surroundings on the Skidmore College Campus remind me of Allegheny, Pennsylvania where Martha Graham spent her young life. From my 9th story dorm room window I look out and see the vast space as Martha saw it. The contours of the American landscape meet the heavens at the pale blue horizon. These, I imagine, are the sights that inspired and defined Graham’s work as an artist.
We’ve been here for only four days but have already absorbed a plethora of information. As we learn repertory (Clytemnestra, Panorama) our understanding of the technique deepens. Here in lies Martha’s genius – her technique comes from the repertory; the repertory came from her observations and discoveries of the human body and its potential for movement and expression. In no other technique can so many different kinds of bodies perform with such precise clarity and efficiency. To learn the Graham technique is to learn how to live – with passion, focus, energy, risk, and dedication.
This is truly a Graham intensive. We are exploring Graham from all angles and perspectives. For the next three weeks we are dancers, students, performers, choreographers, audience members, historians, critics, anthropologists, and journalists. The comprehensive view of Martha Graham we’re presented with gives volume to our technical and spiritual work as artists. Many levels of understanding (mental, physical, emotional, artistic) build on top of each other to create an explosive force that emanates from the core of each dancer.
