Thursday, February 26, 2009

Part 6: Feb 26, 2009

Today we covered the framed photographs of the local dancers in Studio 300 with famous international dance artists/companies. Thank you thank you thank you to all of you who sent us photos. The photos you've provided have been valuable in informing our dialogue about which dance artists to represent in studio 300, and which we are choosing to leave out and place elsewhere in the building. The ones we didn't end up posting today, we are saving for later.

Today's posting was perhaps the most conflicting for us so far; as limiting as it may be, we ultimately decided on dance artists who fall under the category of what is labeled "Contemporary Dance" for the following reasons: 1. We wanted to provide an alternative to the photos that had originally been there (generally of Contemporary dance artists still alive and working, most or all of whom are U of M graduates, the majority White Americans) so as to provide international examples of Contemporary dance to contrast the local examples. The aim was to widen the scope but not change where it was looking; an alternative as opposed to a comprehensive cross-section of the world. 2. It is easier to find information about international "Contemporary Dance" companies and artists and search for photos which include performer citations that can print high enough quality in terms of file size. If we left gaps or were incomplete, it only speaks to our limited knowledge, education, and time - to thoroughly research every single awesome dance artist in the whole world while also reflecting all the cultural value systems for judging the signficance of each. We nonetheless did our best to represent, and we hope to go back and improve upon it, but no matter what, we will be leaving many important dance makers out. Our goal remains to provide an alternative; we are not attempting to assume a voice for everyone.

Dance Artists and Companies posted (clumped in terms of region but not in any particular order): Batsheva (Israel), Cairo Opera Dance Theatre (Egypt), Ibdaa Dance Troupe (Palestine), El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe (Palestine), Company Jant Bi (Senegal), Company Tche Tche (Cote d'Ivoire), Faustin Linyekula (South Africa), Gregory Maqoma/Vuyani Dance Theatre (South Africa), La Compañía Danza Fragmentada (Cuba), Makeda Thomas (Trinidad), Cloud Gate (Taiwan), Jin Xing (China), Sankai Juku (Japan), Astad Deboo (India), Jayachandran/Attakalari (India), Padmini Chettur (India), Navtej Singh Johar (India), Amrita Performing Arts (Cambodia), EcnaD (Singapore), Lee Swee Keong (Malaysia), Sardono Katsumo(Indonesia)

Combined person hours: 24
This figures does include last minute research and printing.
This figure does not include all research, organizing, printing, hashing and rehashing ideas, documentation, and recovery.

Financial costs: final costs to be calculated. We ran out of colored ink today ($42). $16 on more photo paper.

We did not take "before" photos. Our mistake.


PHOTOS AFTER

View entire album at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/thisbyus/Part6#

Sub-Saharan African, Indian Subcontinent, South America, Southeast Asia
From part 6


From part 6



Middle Eastern
From part 6


Middle Eastern, East Asian, Carribean
From part 6


click below to view entire album:

part 6

2 comments:

  1. thanks for clarifying some of your thought process behind choosing which photos were put up in 300. while i'm still uneasy about the overwhelming presence of thin, "beautiful" dancer bodies in these photos i can at least understand where they come from- showing any "alternative" is a valuable thing.

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  2. We reply:

    @ 1 by Alex Dorman:
    We were overwhelmed by the amount of research required for that part of the protest, and we recognize how difficult and incomplete any curatorial efforts of representation are. We welcome any additions or corrections to our very limited knowledge.

    -- us
    (Comment originally posted on Barker wall dated April 1, 2009)

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