What in your daily practice gets you really enthusiastic to find out more about? Who do you admire who also works with what makes you enthusiastic?
In my daily
practice I am always enthusiastic about finding ways to delve deeper
into what I am doing. For instance, in ballet class I am always
trying to find a way to work which will gain me greater strength and
work my body in a more effective way. I also like to find expression
within every exercise I do and strive to show differences in
dynamics, although this is an area that I do tend to find challenging as naturally I move in a very legato way. Expression and creativity are what I love about dance and although some people do not like
it, perhaps because they feel that dance should be an athletic feat,
the artistic side of dance is what I am passionate about. I do know a few people who share this feeling but not that many to be honest. However, I do
know that the dancers of the past expressed an innate sense of artistry and they are a constant inspiration to me. Some
of these dancers were Anna Pavlova, Lynn Seymour, Margot Fonteyn,
Rudolf Nureyev to name just a few. They might not have been as
technical as the dancers of today but they had such an exceptional
level of artistry that they were far greater than most of the dancers
of today in my opinion.
What gets you angry or makes you sad? Who do you admire who also shares your feelings or has found a way to work around the sadness or anger?
I tend to
become angry when I feel that dance is purely an athletic feat or
when there is an emphasis on every dancer being the same. I feel that
dance is a form of individual expression and everyone should be able
to offer something entirely unique to them. I know many dancers who
feel the same way as me with regards to this. However, most of these
dancers have no choice but to engage with the athletic side because
it is essential if we want to find work in the industry. It is
finding a way to untie these aspects which I believe is key. It makes
me sad when the art form is not treated with the respect I feel it
deserves, for instance when a traditional ballet is being
re-choreographed and there is a lack of respect for the version
before. I think it is essential that ballet moves forward, however I
also think we must respect tradition in order to make these
developments. It also makes me sad when there is a lack of respect
amongst the workers or any sort of unfair dealings amongst people. I
think that people must at all times be empathetic, never judging
someone until they have stepped into their shoes and walked around in
them. I know and admire many dancers who also share this feeling,
again it is a challenge as the profession can naturally be quite
unfair. I think that all my teachers at school shared this feeling in
particular Larissa Bamber, a wonderful teacher who always knew what I
was going through but never lost site of the journey ahead of me!
I also feel
that as a company Ballet Cymru is very good at understanding each
dancer as an individual and I think that makes it quite unique
actually.
What do you love about what you do? Who do you admire who also seems to love this or is an example of what you love?
I love the
notion of dance from the soul. Dancing with true sincerity and
delivering a quality to an audience that they will never forget. Some
of the artists who I admire who I think really did achieve this were Anna
Pavlova, Lynn Seymour and Richard Slaughter. Below is some
information on each of these artists.
Anna Pavlova
Born in 1881
just outside St Petersburg, Pavlova was inspired to become a ballet
dancer after she saw a performance of The Sleeping Beauty as a child.
She trained at the Russian Imperial Ballet School and despite having
a frail and slender body, which was considered to be a hindrance for
her career, Pavlova was taken into the company. She trained with the
very best teachers Pavel Gredt, Christian Johansson, Nicholas Legat
and Enrico Cecchetti.
Even though
Pavlova became well known within the Imperial Russian Ballet, it was
only when Mikhail Fokine choreographed The Dying Swan for her
that it became apparent that what Pavlova had was something very
different. The Dying
Swan was
first performed on 22nd
of December, 1907 for a charity gala performance in St. Petersburg.
The solo became known as one of the most iconic pieces in ballet and
Pavlova's legacy is wrapped up within this solo.
. It
cannot be classified in the same way as other variations, as it does
not include virtuoso steps and on the whole, the choreography is
incredibly simple. The difficulty lies in not simply dancing the
choreography, but in becoming the swan creature; so that the movement
is so natural you do not have to think about it, you just immerse
yourself within it. Having said that, it is obvious that it is not a
realistic representation of a dying bird. Svetloff's quote describes
it well below:
The Swan's Death is not a mere ''variation'' unimpeachably performed, nor a mere realistic imitation of the wounded bird: it is the mystic elegy of a fated ending, translated into the soulful poetry of dramatised dance.
(Svetloff,
1974, p.92)
In
1909 she performed with Diaghilev's Ballet Russes and then formed her
own company in 1910. She toured the world taking ballet to places who
had never even heard of the art form. For nearly two decades she
toured with her company, during this time inspiring the next
generation of dancers and choreographers who would diffuse all over
the world and develop ballet to the next level. In 1931 she died
because she was unwilling to undertake an operation which would mean
she would have to give up dancing.
Pavlova
was unique, she was an artist who danced from her soul. Below are
some quotes which I think depict this.
''Leave acrobatics to others, Anna...You must realise that your daintiness and fragility are your greatest assets. You should always do the kind of dancing which brings out your own rare qualities instead of trying to win praise by mere acrobatic tricks.''
(
Pavel Gerd cited by Minden, 2005,p136),
Choreographer Frederick Ashton recognised Pavlova’s sincerity in everything she did, saying:
‘As a dancer she had genius, when you think how limited her vocabulary was, but whatever she did, she became that person, she personified dance.’
(Ashton
on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn_K41P0B1w
)
Sources:
Anna
Pavlova
on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn_K41P0B1w
Frederick Ashton talking about Anna Pavlova with Nathalia Makarova,
undated, uploaded 2008. Last accessed 01/05/16
Minden,
Gaynor (2005) The Ballet Companion, Fireside: New York
Svetloff,
V. (1974) Anna
Pavlova,
New York: Dover Publications
From Top to bottom Left to Right: Anna Pavlova as The Fairy Doll https://www.pinterest.com/pin/410742428491505966/
Anna Pavlova and Pierre Vladimiroff in The Fairy Doll 1925-29 https://www.pinterest.com/pin/278378820692015161/
Anna Pavlova in The Dying Swan, p 170, in Pritchard, Jane and Caroline
Hamilton, 2013 Anna Pavlova Twentieth Century Ballerina, United
Kingdom: Booth Clibborn
Lynn Seymour
Lynn Seymour
was born in Canada in 1939. She went to London to train at the
Sadler's Wells School in 1954 before joining the Covent Garden Opera
Ballet in 1956. Then in 1957 she became a member of The Royal Ballet.
She became a principal dancer 2 years later. She was a muse of both
Frederick Ashton and Kenneth Macmillan. Some of her most famous roles
being the Young Girl in Les Deux Pigeons (1961), Juliet in Romeo and
Juliet (1965, although Margot Fonteyn danced Juliet on the Premiere
performance for political reasons) and Natalia in A Month in the
Country. A link to a video of her performing the pas de deux from
this ballet with Anthony Dowell is below. I think the artistry with which she dances is very evident from this video. :
Lynn Seymour in The Two Pigeons. Jordan, Stephanie, The Royal Ballet programme, Rhapsody and The Two Pigeons, The Royal
Opera House, London December 2015 to April 2016, p 23
Sources:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, (5, 13,2016) Lynn Seymour, Canadian ballerina
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lynn-Seymour
Accessed 21/11/16
Richard Slaughter
Richard was
born in Sussex and attended The Royal Ballet school from the age of
13. Whilst at the school he won the Ursula Moreton Choreographic
Award twice and first appeared with The Royal Ballet Company as a
student in 1974. Throughout his training and career he has received
coaching from many famous names including Leonide Massine and Svetlana
Beriosova.
He joined The
Royal Ballet in 1977 and went on to dance principal roles with Ballet
For All, London City Ballet and The Royal Ballet Education Unit. He
has worked in the field of Historical Dance and appeared in the film
'The Dark Crystal' by Jim Henson.
In 1989 he
started his own company 'Ballet Creations of London' together with
Ursula Hageli. The school and company lasted over 18 years in which
time Richard choreographed many productions.
His career has
taken him through so many different aspects of dance and he continues
to explore new possibilities. He is currently artistic director of
The Ballet Pod in North Wales, lecturer in dance at Chichester
University, freelance teacher of the Cecchetti method across the
country. Richard has been my teacher since I was 9 years old and what
he has taught me has stretched far beyond technique. When he
demonstrates and performs he has a special aura about him, a
spiritual presence which is unique. I have so much admiration for him
as an artist and feel honoured to be able I work with him.
You can read
more about Richard by following the link below:
Richard Slaughter as the Harlequin in Ballet Creations
of London programme, A Portrait of
Pavlova, No date but created for the 1990 tour
I also love to apply the principle of perseverance, to push through no matter what stands in your way. Two dancers who in my opinion are proof that anything is possible with perseverance are Michaela DePrince and Misty Copeland. Both experiencing traumatic childhoods but both whom have gone on to lead the most incredible lives and careers as dancers. The following sites provide more information about both of these dancers.
What do you feel you don't understand? Who do you admire who does seem to understand it or who has found a way of making not understanding it interesting or beautiful, or has asked the same questions as you?
I still feel
like I do not trust myself and body to achieve certain steps,
especially allegro and other styles of dance. I am interested to find out whether it is my body
or my mind which is holding me back or whether it is the lack of
connection between both. I admire Dylan Waddell, my friend and
colleague in the company who seems to understand a natural flow of
movement. He is helping me to find the sensation of jumping in a
natural way first. I also admire Nathalia Barbara my teacher from 1st
year at English National Ballet School. She has the most incredible
mind which allows her to understand what is going wrong with each
individual's technique. What I learned from her in a year is a
lifetime of material! I think I find the concept of patience a
difficult one. I find it hard to wait for change to happen, I just
want to see it as I work but in reality that can never happen it is
only through the repetition over a period of time that change can be
seen.
How do you decide the appropriate ethical response in a given situation? To what extent are disciplinary responses different to that you might expect more generally in society?
Within the
circle of dance there is generally an understanding that physical
contact is a part of the way we work. This is evident right across
the spectrum from choreography to improvisation and the teaching and
training of others. It is important to be careful when teaching to
ensure that the necessary consent forms have been signed to allow for
this physical contact, if the student is under 18. It is essential to
understand the differences in the students you teach as well. For
example a group of students undertaking advanced training would
understand that physical contact is necessary, where as a group of
beginners of the same age may feel self conscious or threatened by
someone touching them to help them understand a correction. This is
because within general society, many of the ways of working in the
world of ballet would seem inappropriate. I think this also applies
to the psychological approaches which are often adopted within the
studio. To the general public, the harshness with which dancers are
often treated would be quite shocking. In my opinion very little of
the harshness is actually called for anyway. It usually has to do with a tradition of harshness and negativity which was thought to bring out the best in dancers and make them work harder. I personally feel that you can still make someone work harder and achieve more with a positive attitude towards them.
Through
answering these questions I have discovered that I am very
much interested in the expressive elements of a dancer. The individuality and
artistry that every person holds inside themselves and how this can
be unleashed and allowed to fly, in a world which can tend to want to
form and mould everyone to be the same. I am looking forward to
exploring these lines of enquiry further as I progress through the
course.
Bibliography
Books
Minden,
Gaynor (2005) The Ballet Companion, Fireside: New York
Svetloff,
V. (1974) Anna
Pavlova,
New York: Dover Publications
Videos
Anna
Pavlova
on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn_K41P0B1w
Frederick Ashton talking about Anna Pavlova with Nathalia Makarova,
No date, uploaded 2008. Accessed 01 May 2016
Websites
Encyclopaedia Britannica, (last updated 2016) Lynn Seymour, Canadian ballerina. Available from: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lynn-Seymour Accessed 21 November 2016
Encyclopaedia Britannica, (last updated 2016) Lynn Seymour, Canadian ballerina. Available from: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lynn-Seymour Accessed 21 November 2016
University of
Chichester, no date, Staff profiles: Richard Slaughter . Available
from: http://www.chi.ac.uk/staff/richard-slaughter
http://www.michaeladeprince.com/
Accessed 22 November 2016
Mulkerins,
Jane, 21 June 2015, Misty Copland: Meet the ballerina who rewrote
the rules of colour, class and curves, The Telegraph.
Available from:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/dance/11675707/Misty-Copeland-ballerina-interview.html
Accessed 22 November 2016
Pictures
Ballet Creations of London programme, A Portrait of Pavlova, No date but created for the 1990 tour
Lynn Seymour in The Two Pigeons. Jordan, Stephanie, The Royal Ballet programme, Rhapsody and The Two Pigeons, The Royal Opera House, London December 2015 to April 2016, p 23
Anna Pavlova as The Fairy Doll https://www.pinterest.com/pin/410742428491505966/
Anna Pavlova and Pierre Vladimiroff in The Fairy Doll 1925-29 https://www.pinterest.com/pin/278378820692015161/
Anna Pavlova in The Dying Swan, p 170, in Pritchard, Jane and Caroline Hamilton, 2013 Anna Pavlova Twentieth Century Ballerina, United Kingdom: Booth Clibborn
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