MANY OF us who are familiar with the dance world realize the University traditionally is not known as the Mecca of professional dance; it is not a place for aspiring professional dance students looking for a well-rounded, established dance program.
Not surprisingly, though, the University has been open to trying new things and exploring the unfamiliar territory of the dance world. By bringing in distinguished choreographers to expose and engage the community in the arts, the University not only promotes a comprehension of the dance world but also hopefully improves the clout of its own dance program.
Bill T. Jones, who is in the final month of a three-part residency at the University, is one such choreographer. Vice Provost for the Arts Elizabeth Turner said that Jones' work has had "a galvanizing effect" on the University, as support for the arts is growing here.
Sitting in the audience two Sundays ago during a screening of the documentary "100 Migrations," which explored Jones' work crafting a dance piece for the University, I was enthralled with the artist. During his 2008 residency here - a separate residency from the current three-part stay - Jones took on the project of choreographing this piece, which shares the documentary's title, specifically for members of the University community while exploring the legacy of Abraham Lincoln. "What is going to be captivating in the way they move themselves?" asked Jones, ruminating on making such a large group of people with limited knowledge of balletic or modern movement and little dance experience move harmoniously and effectively.
This film offered the audience insight into the fascinating mind of a genius intent not on driving art to change the world but on using it to make people relate to one another in a new way. Jones is "a thought leader in terms of grappling with very large questions," Turner said.
Residencies such as Jones' give the University exposure to a creative process that is probably unfamiliar to those not immersed in the dance world. It is an experience, according to Turner, that "open[s] our own creative lives and processes." Here is a choreographer and a man who is an ideal example of why art should have a continuing and influential presence in society. Striving to produce art that is relevant to the greater world is no easy feat because the sad truth is that many people do not rate the arts or artistic expression as equal to law or medicine in terms of their viability as career options.
At the same time, Jones' residency has been an inspiration to dance students and has allowed them to embody artistic expression and inquire into their own artistic process. If, as Turner says, the arts "are not segregated, but integrated with larger questions of the day," I see this as an ideal opening for a proactive movement in the dance program that would make sense for a University seeking more integration of the arts.
It is true that improving upon and building up a dance program is most certainly a step-by-step process, as is bolstering the University's artistic reputation. Already, a new addition to the University's drama building is being constructed to serve as an additional performance space for both dance and drama productions. The mammoth effort that students and faculty in the University's arts community put into bringing the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company here is also to be commended. According to Turner, preparing for the residency took around a year.
Janet Wong, ballet mistress to Jones' company, also recounted the University's participation throughout "100 Migrations" during an interview. The piece was intentionally conceived around non-dancers, and she recalls being amazed at its organization. Wong remembers the difficulty of getting people coordinated for such a large-scale piece but remarked "the feeling of it stayed" long after the piece was through. She says one cannot calculate the value of art in a community but sees the University as alive and well and thriving because it has embraced the value of the arts.
Yet Wong remarked that the company rehearsed in scattered spaces such as Memorial Gym and that last week was the first time the company had used Culbreth Theatre to rehearse or perform. Wong brings up a good point. It would be a good idea to have a permanent space, studios included, not only for residential and visiting companies to rehearse and perform but for the dancers here, as well.
The passion for dance already exists at the University, meaning the seeds have been planted for an expansion of the dance program. Now, as Jones prepares his final performance at the University, "Story/Time," he will be remembered as someone who has "inspired students to pursue careers as artists or arts administrators
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