Dance is ephemeral while poetry has a chance to live on the page. But there are aspects of dance that I’d like to see happen in poetry––like gliding in and out of the wings of the stage, changing levels, and partnering. (My partner here is Edward Franklin, from a Michelle Ava AVAdance production, photo by Beatriz Paez.)
Collaborative poetry, such as some of the prompts of “Next Line, Please”, lends itself to a written type of partnering. Someone may be able to point out poetry that exits the page and returns with a different dynamic shape, or, at least, has that effect. Currently I’m experimenting with the idea of creating “moving poems”, where I am my poem moving.
It all started with a sixteen-count phrase improvised during practice for a collaborative choreography project. The prompt for movement had to do with an inner darkness coming to light. There was little time to think about my response, but in hindsight, that sixteen-count phrase correlated to a four line poem I’d already written. The two coalesced in an understanding of a parallel expression––and, in fact, both the poem and the performance debuted in July 2017, via publication and show, respectively.
Why not combine these modes of expression simultaneously? Let the dancer dancing be the poet speaking her poem. Or rather, let the dancer speaking her poem be the poet dancing. There’s that lovely blur again, how we began this conversation about dance and poetry on Monday, January 15.
There’s no end to that conversation, but to bring it to a close for now, here are three requests:
1. Can we bask in a blurring of lines to refine our sharp divisions and definitions? This is the edge that creativity brings us to.
2. There are many voices both in dance and poetry that deserve attention. My top five favorite companies in contemporary dance are: Ohad Naharin, Inbal Pinto, Pina Bausch, Mark Morris, and Alvin Ailey. This is a must-see list. But there are lesser known companies and choreographers to discover––just like the writing scene. You can't find all you may want to read from a bookstore or library. There's so much more that hasn't made it there. Go to other venues, poetry readings, online forums. Likewise, see what is going on in your local dance community and the performing arts.
3. Go ahead, find your own groove to move––however you interpret that!
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