Please feel free to call me Eva. My surname is Yaa Asantewaa, not Asantewaa.

You might have overlooked the completion of my sentence: “These are not values that I associate with the experimental lab work of Movement Research–at least, not in the most direct, obvious ways.” Perhaps I should have put more emphasis on those concluding words. But I don’t think there’s any doubt that most audiences outside of MR’s immediate community of artists, like-minded colleagues, artistic collaborators, supporters and chroniclers are looking for work that has more familiar accessibility. Work that engages you as an artist and an audience member might be totally uncommunicative to someone else with other experiences, interests and needs. Which is not to suggest that you have to “kick your leg up to [your] head and do multiple pirouettes,” as you mention in your reply.

My words–“not in the most direct, obvious ways”–were my way of acknowledging that I do often find unconventional forms of virtuosity, skill and expressiveness in work presented by artists associated with Movement Research and its aesthetics. Would I be going to your concerts, your festival and sitting up in your community dialogue, if I really thought it was a complete waste of my time? I take particular exception to your listing artists such as Miguel Gutierrez, Daniel Linehan, Beth Gill and Isabel Lewis since I have admired much about their intelligent intent and artistry, and you seem to have made an assumption that I do not. Nevertheless, these qualities are not necessarily evident to all others. There’s a wide world, somewhere out there, and I tend to keep that wide world on my mind. The fact that a huge number of people out there are, like me and you, of African descent is not a negligible matter for me. I think there is a loss of the possibilities of communication and exchange and growth for everyone concerned. I was calling Movement Research–as a community and an organization–to be mindful of that loss and inquire into it. I was responding directly to questions that had come up in the community discussion and which had been addressed only in oblique ways or not addressed at all.

It’s interesting that you seem to be suggesting that artists should keep their focus on their work and not engage with expression and dialogue around matters of social concern. (I’m going to try to ignore your use of the words “sit and complain and blame,” which sound like something dismissive out of the political conservatives’ phrase book.) Many great artists have shown us that not only can they do both but they actually feel compelled to live out their deepest values by showing up for both roles, for entwining both. For some, those identities are indeed inextricable.

I kind of understand your mantra, MAKE YOUR WORK. But here’s the thing: Your work is movement. My work is writing and speaking, which means that when I see an elephant in the living room, those are the tools that would be most natural to me. I really would have to speak up about the elephant. Since you have acknowledged the elephant, it’s clear that we are both seeing it and responding and doing what feels inherent to who we are. I see, write, speak, inquire. My questions to Movement Research are these: When you look around at NYC dance audiences of most kinds, your own and others, you must admit that, with few exceptions, you can see with your own eyes that they are, effectively, segregated. What does that mean to you? How does that feel to you? Is it something to ignore? Or is it worth looking at in the spirit of inquiry, experimentation, collaboration and risk-taking that, from everything I’ve ever heard, Movement Research is all about?

Eva Yaa Asantewaa
InfiniteBody
http://infinitebody.blogspot.com

Let me first begin by stating that I was reluctant to respond to Ms. Asantewaa’s post, “Said/Unsaid,” simply because I believe that more progress can be made by MAKING WORK rather than getting trapped in the frustrating cycle of dialogue over what is wrong/unjust/unfortunate with the means to go about MAKING WORK. However, discussing dance can often become a valuable experience so…

I admire and am intrigued by Asantewaa’s persistence in acknowledging the “elephant in the room” concerning the underlying issue of racial invisibility within not only the Movement Research (MR) Festival but also within the organization as a whole. However, as an African American who happens to be a current Artist in Residence for MR, I feel it’s important to address some of the concerns that Ms. Asantewaa’s brings up in her post.

What most concerned me is Ms. Asantewaa’s assumption that MR does not support “…technical skill and virtuosity; clarity of theme and narrative; accessible feeling and dramatic intensity [and] moral direction and uplift,” which she states are those values that are often prized by “black consumers” and not MR. I firmly believe that the work I see by my fellow Artist In Residence and those affiliated with MR has not only a clear theme but also is extremely virtuosic and engaging; only in an aesthetically different way than what Ms. Asantewaa is referring to. To label one style of movement virtuosic and clear and another not is limiting and frankly, not well informed. I personally find the work of Miguel Gutierrez, Ann Liv Young, Daniel Linehan, Beth Gill, Isabel Lewis and DD Dorvillier to be not only smart and well thought out, but also progressive and motivating. And although he rarely performs now, Mr. Ishmael Houston Jones is one of the most talented, engaging, sharp and relevant artists I have ever come across.

I believe that what Ms. Asantewaa failed to remember is that artists such as Alvin Ailey, who is by far the most successful African American choreographer and whose dancers are known for their high level of technical skill and “glamorous performance,” is that his work came about because of a lack of visibility and respect of blacks within the ballet and modern dance world. Mr. Ailey wanted to show that blacks too have just as much artistry and skill as white dancers and by forming his own company he was able to develop a black presence alongside white-dominated ballet and modern companies. He was successful at what he set out to do and thus, paved the way for future artists. Since then dance, especially modern dance, has shifted, morphed and evolved and performance qualities such as virtuosic technique and glamour are being questioned and commented upon. High levels of technical dancing are still relevant; yet certain audiences are seeking to see it displayed in varying ways.

I also take issue with Ms. Asantewaa’s assumption that MR does not seek out, or make an effort to present African American artists. Rather, it is possible that maybe in turn, there is a lack of interest in MR on behalf of African American choreographers and dancers. I have been involved in dance since the age of three and over the years I have begun to realize that often, it is lack of resources, class differences and lack of interest that are reasons for blacks to not seek out institutions such as MR. It has been my experience that more often than not, I am one of only a few blacks present in many of the classes, workshops and festivals that I attend (although I have to admit that this is not usually the case for classes etc. in NYC).

Keep in mind, I sought out to experience dance in ways that are provided to me through organizations such as MR. Back in 2000 I began my studies to receive my BFA and at that time I started taking classes/workshops during my summer and winter vacations at places such as MR and Trisha Brown studios because they are affiliated with dance that interests me. I chose to apply to be a MR Artist in Residence because I believe MR is an organization that supports my interests/growth as an artist. There is a larger issue at hand here. Yes, race does play a major role; but I think it is also one of class and economic status and what to do about it is something that is bigger than dance/art.

I know within my work, I use my years of highly technical training as a basis for creating but it is not my concern to convince audiences that I can kick my leg up to my head or do multiple pirouettes. My main concern as an artist (because that it what I choose to call myself) is to comment upon and sometimes destroy the status quo, not only within dance but the world at large. I am not concerned with avoiding racial, political, gender issues. Rather, I feel more comfortable confronting those issues through dance/text. As many of my peers have heard me say over and over again, MAKE YOUR WORK. I can sit and complain and blame or I can get into a studio and create. I feel that I become more visible, uplifted and fulfilled through creation. I myself find it frustrating to see fewer women choreographers getting commissioned by major dance companies or to see females constantly being forced to portray ignorant and often silly gender stereotypes within dance. The point is, in the end, the artist creates as a mode of expression and thus, that is his/her tool for addressing these frustrations. MAKE YOUR WORK. Sometimes that is all one can do.

rrocke@gmail.com
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