|
Article Excerpt
In October 2002, Arthur Mitchell's Dance Theatre of Harlem went on a brief tour of England. Principal dancer Tab Jimenez kept a journal.
October 26, New York City
It has been fourteen years since Dance Theatre of Harlem performed in London. This trip is a first for some dancers, and the atmosphere is one of anticipation and excitement. I am not excited; I cannot see past the hard work that awaits us. The magnificence of royal palaces, no matter how richly appointed, cannot take away the disappointment of a bad performance. After a difficult year financially, we cannot afford to be less than stellar.
October 27, JFK Airport
We are about to take off. I am eating, I realize that I am eating because 1 am nervous. This, in turn, makes me more nervous. I eat a little more. Before I know it, I am in knots about my weight and the possibility of imminent disaster. Somewhere in my head there is a connection between fat and a plane crash. This might be a good time to ask some big fat questions before the little voices take over.
So, can I, will I, make room in myself to love my body, to accept it though it is less than ideal by ballet standards, while leaving room to love the ideal? Often as a dancer, I am unsatisfied with my body. I think this is true of most of us, whether we admit it or not. If I believe that dance is an end in itself, then I have to have an ideal, something to aspire to. But if I consider dance as a process, not an end, then I am free of the ideal.
That evening, London
Fighting jet lag, I attended a performance of The Royal Ballet. Darcey Bussell and Sylvie Guillem, two artists who epitomize the ideal ballet form, danced. I savored the outlines they cut through space. Bussell especially had a dynamic, unmistakable presence. There were many other great dancers, some with less than ideal bodies. I wondered if the chunky girl with the bad feet could have gotten that job if she were black. What are we really watching when we watch dance, anyway?
November 4, London
I have to do the Sanguinic variation in Balanchine's...
|
|
More articles from Dance Magazine
Fall preview and calendar: September 1-December 15, 2003.(Calendar), September 01, 2003
A shift in the whirlwind at Butler University: dance head Stephan Laur..., September 01, 2003
On education.(recreational dancers the financial base of dance studios..., September 01, 2003
Dancing to learn.("Kids oil the Move" program brings dance into the pu..., September 01, 2003
Jessica Flynn gets her dream: from student to corps member at New York..., September 01, 2003
Looking for additional articles?
Search our database of over 3 million articles.
Looking for more in-depth information on this industry?
Search our complete database of Industry & Market reports by text, subject, publication
name or publication date.
About Goliath
Whether you're looking for sales prospects, competitive information, company
analysis or best practices in managing your organization,
Goliath can help you meet your business needs.
Our extensive business information databases empower business
professionals with both the breadth and depth of credible,
authoritative information they need to support their business
goals. Whether it be strategic planning, sales prospecting,
company research or defining management best practices -
Goliath is your leading source for accurate information.
|
|
