THE BEND

2016 has just begun.  Goals have been set, new routines are in place, and exciting projects are on the horizon. Resolutions have been proclaimed and with the close of the ‘season of giving’ I can’t help but ask, are we as artists givers or takers?  Do we fuel our passion and self-motivate for our own egos or for our art as a larger cause?  Are we Selfish or Selfless?

As artists, dancers, choreographers and beyond, we know that in order to achieve success it is imperative to focus endless time and energy on ‘us’.  We literally are the tool used to create our art.  There is always room for improvement; even 8 hours a day of rehearsal can seem too short.  There isn’t an “off switch” when we get back home to our families, partners, and non-dancer friends.  We constantly ponder thoughts of “what do I need, what does my body need, how can I do better.”  If not cast in a piece, we can spiral with the thought of, “well what is wrong with me.”  Even beyond our own internal obsession with our talent, body, ideas, strengths and weaknesses, society goes on to praise our dedication and sacrifice “to get where you are.”  So many aspects of this creative life forces microscopic attention and obsession with ourselves.

Jodie Gates, the inaugural Director and Vice Dean of the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance at the University of Southern California even admits, “a dancer’s life is somewhat selfish and needs to be.”   Gates’ remarkable career as an educator, director, choreographer, and principal dancer proves she is well versed in what it takes.  “The dancer is required to have a smart body as well as a smart mind, and this field takes great focus, dedication and expertise to succeed.”

Jodie Gates Director and Vice Dean, USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance Founder / Director, Laguna Dance Festival.

Whether or not we concede that self-involvement is a necessity as we are absorbed in our craft day-to-day, the important fact to remember is that, we truly are the lucky ones.  We fulfill our soul in a way that most people never experience beyond a fleeting stint.  Call it self-interested, selfish, narcissistic or call it unrelenting passion.

In fact many of the same arguments promoting the self-involved artist can also backup the cause of selflessness. To achieve success in dance we must fully give ourselves to our art and our audience.

“She wanted to live, and live fully, and to give life, she who loved life! What was the good of existing, if you couldn’t give yourself?”

-French novelist, playwright, journalist, Emile Zola

The devotion to our field and our art world can in fact produce a commodity to the greater cause. Although we are not doctors saving lives, we have the ability to create an environment where an audience can escape the present to laugh, cry, feel excitement, joy, and sadness.  Energy is exchanged and it can be magical; the simple gift of creating a human to ‘feel’ is transacted.  It is the fundamental connection that has drawn humans to dance for centuries.

Gates continues, “Dance is about community. This is personified in several cultures and social dancing.  There is no difference in the concert dance world, dance artists feel at their best when connected within their community and are certainly influenced by, and contribute to our culture in several ways.”

Yes, we seem self-involved because our success requires time, devotion, our full attention.  However, we also give ourselves away to fulfill our role and duty in the art world.  As is the case in so many aspects of life, balance appears to be the key to success.

Jorma Elo, choreographer. Photo, Rosalie O’Connor.

Acclaimed choreographer,  Jorma Elo provides an authentic perspective on achieving this balance, “I think the good dancers have a way of separating themselves from their bodies and expression…to look at themselves from above, removed from it…molding the instrument to what they want to be.”  He continues, “The good ones are also prepared to make mistakes, look awkward or ugly to be able to reach something that is needed from them; this needs courage and skill to put yourself aside to be vulnerable.”

In order to progress in this demanding career, dedication is paramount… but that doesn’t make us bad.  Why do you do what you do? Self-reflection and setting intentions is a thoughtful way to begin a season to make sure that you are a person and an artist that you are proud of.

Elo is confident in his daily approach, “Its just what I do and love to do… I have fallen in love with the art form as a young man and it has totally submerged me a long time ago.     I have been in it happily sharing my life every day in the studio with these wonderful people.”  His focus is not on why or to who a work matters, and instead directed by personal love while being in the moment with his dancers and music, “and of course I wish it turns out something beautiful, or interesting, or both, that the audience is drawn to it.”

Jorma Elo in rehearsal with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet.

For Jodie Gates, “shaping an artist is shaping a responsible citizen, this is the goal as a mentor and educator.”  The students in the class of 2019 at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance will be trained to support their work with a motivation of “a healthy ego of self-identity and a connection to humanity.”

As we start our clean slate of the New Year, in the studio, on-stage, and in day-to-day life, I ask you to question your own ‘mission statement’ and test whether your personal motivation is too heavy towards self-fulfillment and not the greater art world.   Encourage yourself to acknowledge your presence in the dance world as a badge of honor, with respect and gratitude. Challenge yourself to dive a little deeper, and to be present in the process.

Main Photo Credit: Rosalie O’Connor, Jorma Elo with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet dancers.