UTM Dance Project
Connecting Contemporary Dance and Juba:
How Does Art Affect Art? An 'Artists Respond' Project prepared by Sarah Spencer, Brittany Wright, Craig McDermott, Catherine Boutin April 2007, at the University of Toronto Mississauga, Ontario Introduction: It is not simply through the experience of one art form that we can truly learn the significance and impact of that art. It is after one learns about the history and experiences surrounding it, that the impact and importance of an art form can truly be appreciated. The dancing of Master Juba has undoubtedly influenced a variety of dance, but what we wanted to see was not only how the actual forms of the dance connected, but how the performance emotionally connected to the dance of Master Juba. The way in which we decided to explore this connection came from our own knowledge of dance/ movement training. Through a dialogue that we could all identify with (ie/ the Laban movement scale), we asked five dancers with vary different backgrounds to describe their style of movements- the way in which they would dance in reaction to reading the provided material. The dancers were all asked to read a package of material including articles, and reviews of Juba’s dancing. After reading it, they had a day or so to absorb the material; and then they were asked to present an improvisational dance/ movement piece that would reflect their emotional reaction to the given material. The five participants all had varying knowledge of dance, as well as limited to extensive knowledge of Blackface Minstrelsy. Each dancer performed privately, in order to eliminate any form of censorship, and duplication of movements. We wanted every participant to express physically how the material made them feel. We also provided the participants with the song, ‘How Many Miles Must We March’ by Ben Harper. We felt that using contemporary music was fitting, because we were exploring the contemporary forms of dance, not inspired by the music of early Blackface Minstrelsy, but inspired by the historical documentation of the period. The song also carried significance in the sense that it is written and performed by an African-American performer. In addition to the movement descriptions, and the performance, we asked each participant to answer a variety of questions ranging from what their knowledge of the given topic, to what their opinion about how art affects art was. From this information we were able to see in more academic terms what each participant’s views on the topic were. The following is the summary of the information provided by the individual participants, and our interpretation of their performances. |
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Final Thoughts:
Every performer entered our process with varying degrees of dance training, historical knowledge and emotional connection to the material that they were given. What became very clear to us as we observed the performances was that no matter how each artist interpreted the material, they were affected by it, and they had the ability to express their emotions through their art.
Art affects art, and art is a reflection of real life. The lasting impact of Blackface Minstrelsy cannot be denied- in it’s time it was a way for performers to entertain, at the expense of an entire race; and now, we can look back and reflect on how our culture has been molded by, and grown from the actions of our ancestors. Art, in any form, has the ability to last over generations and generations in a very public way, and the impact that it can have over other artists, (or even regular people) is something very profound in the sense that art, and specifically in this case dancers, are able to connect emotionally with the audience. Even watching the short clips of some of our participants was very moving, and at the time it may have been hard to articulate why.
Each participant brought something different to the project, which reinforces what we think we have found- That the impact of Master Juba’s dancing can influence artists in so many ways, and the work of these artists will in turn influence the art of those exposed to it, and this will go on as long as artists create. The strength in the performances of Juba translated through a critic’s eye, translated through a classrooms discussion, will continue to enrich and inspire artists in ways unanticipated. The past absolutely influences the present, and everything can be connected in some way- giving credit and acknowledging the history of our art can only enrich it and inspire those exposed to it.
Every performer entered our process with varying degrees of dance training, historical knowledge and emotional connection to the material that they were given. What became very clear to us as we observed the performances was that no matter how each artist interpreted the material, they were affected by it, and they had the ability to express their emotions through their art.
Art affects art, and art is a reflection of real life. The lasting impact of Blackface Minstrelsy cannot be denied- in it’s time it was a way for performers to entertain, at the expense of an entire race; and now, we can look back and reflect on how our culture has been molded by, and grown from the actions of our ancestors. Art, in any form, has the ability to last over generations and generations in a very public way, and the impact that it can have over other artists, (or even regular people) is something very profound in the sense that art, and specifically in this case dancers, are able to connect emotionally with the audience. Even watching the short clips of some of our participants was very moving, and at the time it may have been hard to articulate why.
Each participant brought something different to the project, which reinforces what we think we have found- That the impact of Master Juba’s dancing can influence artists in so many ways, and the work of these artists will in turn influence the art of those exposed to it, and this will go on as long as artists create. The strength in the performances of Juba translated through a critic’s eye, translated through a classrooms discussion, will continue to enrich and inspire artists in ways unanticipated. The past absolutely influences the present, and everything can be connected in some way- giving credit and acknowledging the history of our art can only enrich it and inspire those exposed to it.