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Dance: A Transcendental Theatre Art
Samantha DeBonis
Elements of Dance – T, R 12:15 – 1:30
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Merriam-Webster defines dance as “a series of rhythmic and patterned bodily
movements usually performed to music. Urbandictionary.com simply states dance as
“something that you need to know how to do if you want any hope of getting laid.” Such
vague and ignorant views of dance distort such a beautiful physical art form. Dance is more
than just a cheap tool for money or a one night stand, and is much deeper then visual
patterns. Dance is a transcendental theatre art that can express the unseen emotions from
the heart.
Transcendental branches off from the 19th century’s philosophical movement of
transcendentalism. Famous figures who publicized this include Ralph Waldo Emerson,
Theodore Parker and Henry David Thoreau. They explained through their literature work
the spiritual transformation based on intuition, rather than schooling at institutions or
tradition. Stimulated by romanticism, transcendentalism was not subject to conformity,
rather to find solitude within one’s self, to transcend to nature and to be a part of something
greater than them.
Theatre derives from the Ancient Greek terminology theatron, meaning “a place for
viewing.” The Greeks were among the first to display theatre as an art, besides the
Egyptians. Strict definitions of types of theatre were developed, comedy and tragedy, and
used mythical characters to tell stories. Today there are various types of theatre, too many to
describe in detail and exemplify.
Art is all about reaction. The impact of art on an individual ranges depending on
personal opinion, however, the beauty and work behind it is significant and obvious. There
is always a story, purpose, or meaning behind all forms of art. Personal expression, as well,
is an important factor when developing all kinds of art work. Margot Fonteyn (1919-1991),
regarded as one of the best classic ballerinas of all time once said, “Great artists are people
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who find the way to be themselves in their art. Any sort of pretension induces mediocrity in
art and life alike.” Such ballet royalty and a timeless figure in dance history, Fonteyn is such
a highly respected figured among the English Ballet community.
All three separate definitions combine to create a perplex vision of dance. Different
cultural backgrounds, religious standards, philosophical views, and reasons for movement
all come into play when considering dance as a transcendental theatre art. Martha Graham
(1894-1991) is another inspiration and famous figure besides Margot Fonteyn that has
radically changed our views of dancing forever. One of her most remarkable statements
includes, “dance for yourself, if someone understands good. If not then no matter, go right
on doing what you love.”
We’ve learned in Elements class that dancing isn’t meant to impress or show of skill
or high quality. By showcasing your inner emotions and letting your guard down, you are
allowing people insight into your soul. It is not their right to judge one, because if you are
judging their dancing and motions, you are judging their thoughts and how they feel.
Different cultures base their rituals, chants, and dances along the same concept.
They dance for rain, praise, celebration, or possibly even death, but never to impress others
among their peoples. Unlike Americans in our society, indigenous’ social norms base a lot of
their traditions around dance. They speak from the heart, and transcend these feelings into
dance.
“They Slice the Air: A Reflection on African-American Narratives, Spirituals, and
Poetry” was a highly emotional and touching assortment of live music, dancing, and
narratives that reminded us of the hardships among African’s during a time where their
color and religious view were not accepted. During the piece, the four performers created an
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enlightening story line, from the hardest of times until the time slaves were finally set free.
During the last sequence of performance, ironically titled Transcendance, the poetry titled
“They Slice the Air” was, I feel, the most powerful and moving part of the piece. Lourin Plant
spoke the poetry, talking about developing from the little things in life we take advantage of,
to the air we breathe and live off of. Paule Turner beautifully amplified his words, using
slightly smaller, intricate movement into something larger than he was. Although the poem
couldn’t be found on line, from my remembrance of the piece, this section was a constant
reminder to me of growth. The notes of the program also included, “with these truths felt
and sung, an undistorted exchange takes place in the minds and hearts of the performers
and listeners. This dialogue has power to transform us.”
This single line identifies the exact transcending conditions that follow ones heart to
dance. The expressiveness of song and symbol represent one of our greatest gifts we can give
to the world; character. In book “Go Down Moses: Celebrating the African-American
Spiritual,” author Richard Newman stated “…songs of sorrow into songs of resilience and
overcoming, and even into affirmations of divine redemption and human triumph.” His
book wrote this book as insight into the African culture, and to make it more accepting
among some disheartening figures. This line also reflects the line taken from “They Slice the
Air” program, since they both speak of transformation as a lead into other peoples hearts.
While reading Stephen Nachmanovitch’s “Free Play: Inspiration in Life and Art,” I’ve
taken a lot of his concepts and quotes and have used them for my own inspirational
purposes. However, while looking back into the novel, a lot of what he discusses intertwines
with the concepts of dance as a transcendental art form. He quotes, “in the athletic arts of
dance and theater, we see this power in and of the whole body, which is the motive, the
instrument, the field, and the artwork itself.” (82, Nachmanovitch)
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I feel like this line strongly captures the deeper sense of motion. It describes how
each step, inhale of air, or even movement in the tiniest of form is an art. All is put out for
display when one is in a performance; all emotions, insecurities, deep thoughts. This act of
thought transcending into movement is less of a challenge or effort, and more of an act of
reaction. Although we are not dancing to impress other, we often try to pull a reaction of
some sort out of our views for future incite and hopefully to have other join along.
While being a student in Leslie Elkin’s class last semester, Dance Improvisation I,
one of her most influential lessons, and the base among most of her other teachings, was to
“shift, develop, and transform.” To shift means to change, or transfer in weight, pressure or
angle. To develop is to expand, and elaborate in detail. To transform means to form a
certain appearance, structure, and/or character. By demonstrating these characteristics, you
are forced to accept your body’s needs and urges. This natural flow of bodily functions is
another example a transcendental theatre art; the transfer of feeling into movement.
Dance as a transcendental theatre art is the evolved stages of the world’s original arts
of dance into what we have made it into today. In our modern culture, choreographers like
Mia Michaels have highly influential standards on our community, but looking back into
history, other notorious figures have also changed dance into what it is molded into today.
The transformation; transcendental experience, of showcasing ones emotions through body
and art work is what breaks away dance from a stereotypical thought into much more than
that.
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Work Cited:
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Nachmanovitch, Stephen. Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art. New York: G.P.
Putnam’s Sons, 1990. Print
Newman, Richard. Go down Moses: a Celebration of the African-American Spiritual.
New York: Clarkson Potter, 1998. Print.