Art Here and Now » Dance

OnTheBoards.tv – Performance Art On-Demand

Trout Monfalco — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 01:22:54 +0000

Musicians, filmmakers and performing artists all invest a lot of time and money into writing, rehearsal, design, and sometimes character development and technology innovation. This investment can include hard costs and the time of dozens, or even hundreds, of people. For musicians and filmmakers, the fruits of their investment live on. The films and music can be copied and distributed, allowing their work to spread and even earn them a living. If the work is innovative or challenging, the places an audience can find it grow even narrower.

For performing artists, whose investments in time and money are similar, the art only lasts until the end of the show. You have to physically be there with the artists to experience it, and it’s not easily copied. This severely limits who can see the art – usually to sizable cities with performance venues. It also limits the artists ability to earn a living, or even recoup the investment they’ve made in creating the work.

On the Boards in Seattle has presented contemporary performance artists from around the world for over 30 years. Last week, it launched OnTheBoards.tv to present contemporary performances to wherever the audience might be. This is the first site of it’s kind to present complete, sometimes challenging, contemporary performances.

A trailer for Transition by Reggie Watts and Tommy Smith

Several years ago, On the Boards began documenting work in HD using five cameras. The final edit is performed with the cooperation of the artists. These HD videos are available for $5 rental (for 48 hours), or $15 to buy. There are also several subscription packages for the site, starting at $50 for a year of unlimited streaming, up to the educational subscription, allowing an entire institution unlimited streaming for $250. The earnings are split 50/50 with the artists. This is not as generous as other online splits (Apple’s is 30/70 in favor of artists), but On the Boards has been footing the $10,000 bill required to film and edit each performance. Having their shows professionally documented is also a huge benefit to artists. They can provide the online video as worksamples to other venues and funders, without the expense of filming, editing and producing DVDs.

So far there are eight artists represented at OnTheBoards.tv. Seven artists have full performances available, and one artist, Michelle Ellsworth, is delivering video directly online during a one year residency. On the Boards hopes to add 7-8 artists per year, and also hopes to partner with other organizations. PS-122 in New York is already a partner.

Alaska by Diana Szeinblums, shot at PS-122 in New York.

Documentation of many contemporary performances exists only in arts org archives and libraries with very restricted access. Even professional researchers and scholars have trouble accessing these videos and recordings. Especially for well-known and historically significant artists (e.g., Meridith Monk, John Cage, Laurie Anderson), opening this material up to a much wider audience is another goal of OnTheBoards.tv.

The site is new, so currently has a small sampling of work. Hopefully On the Boards will attract funding and partners to add more than 8 artists a year. Music rights remain a tricky obstacle to adding more work, as they are for many online video projects. Artists may clear rights for performances, but don’t have rights for online distribution. On the Boards has to clear music for each production, or the work can’t be included on the site. The bios, performance credits and other artist information is provided in PDF, which is helpful but would be better as a fully integrated part of the site.

Hi There by Melissa Ellsworth, a piece made available directly through the site, part of an OnTheBoards.tv artist in residence.

The basics behind this idea aren’t new. Similar projects have been tried, using DVD and VHS as distribution, and for other types of performance. The cheaper costs of internet delivery and it’s easier access for audiences now makes the idea much more feasible.

Many performing artists believe their art should only exist in the moment, that it’s somehow cheapened or made worse by capturing it, and creating the definitive performance of record. But audiences of the world will get more and more of their art on demand. TV, film and music all move this direction, and audiences will likely not go back. Expanding their audiences, and being able to earn a living so they can continue making work, is a new, amazing opportunity for artists. It doesn’t diminish the power of seeing the artist and the work in person. It just exponentially expands the possibility that someone will be able to see an artist’s work at all. Cumulatively, efforts like this will also give us a historical memory of contemporary performances, that all to often fade away completely.

The site was created with funding from the Wallace Foundation and Dance USA, to test new successful models for sustainably expanding audiences.

Artists on the Site

Learn more

OnTheBoards.tv
Recording Staged Works for All the World to See – The New York Times
PS-122
Digital Theatre
Metropolitan Opera, Live in HD

While you’re dancing like a zombie, remember choreographer Michael Peters

Trout Monfalco — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:50:50 +0000

In all the news reports of record-breaking crowds gathering to recreate Thriller’s signature dance sequence from beginning to end, I’ve heard no mention of Michael Peters, who choreographed Thriller with Michael Jackson.

Michael Peters was an award winning choreographer, winning Tonys and Emmys for his work, including choreography for Donna Summer’s Love to Love You Baby, Michael Jackson’s Beat It, Pat Benatar’s Love is a Battlefield, Lionel Richie’s Hello, the film What’s Love Got to do With It?, and the original stage choreography for Dreamgirls. Michael Peters died in 1994.

People magazine did a story on him in 1984,
Michael Peters Is the Hot New Choreographer Who Makes Dancers Out of Video’s Rock Stars

Below is some of his well known choreography.

Thriller:

What’s Love Got to do With It?

Love is a Battlefield:

Beat It (Peters is the one in white):

Michael Peters and Michael Bennett win the Tony for Best Choreographer

Some other people you might not know about:
John Landis director, and his wife Deborah Landis, who designed the iconic red jacket for the video.

Buy the work of Michael Peters, Michael Jackson, John Landis, Dreamgirls, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, Donna Summer and Victor/Victoria.

From 1987, Computers and the Arts

Trout Monfalco — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:09:34 +0000

The Computer Chronicles series ran for 20 years, covering the new and ever-changing world of computers for a broad audience.

In 1987, they presented a show titled Computers and the Arts.

United States Candidates – positions on The Arts

Do animals make art?

Trout Monfalco — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 23:28:27 +0000

In this video of dolphins blowing rings and playing with them, you can’t help but notice they themselves look at them in wonder like some people look at art, and interact with them in interesting ways that lack any real purpose. Some definitions of art boil it down to objects or performances created with no practical purpose, but only for aesthetics or the affect on the artist and other viewers.

An elephant paints a self portrait

People Become Sugar Gliders and Flying Squirrels

Trout Monfalco — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 23:55:46 +0000

As with Parkour, Yamakasi and Freerunning, here is another endeavor that blurs the line between performance art and sport.

New suits that give the wearers the aerodynamics of sugar-gliders or flying squirrels allow people to do flying feats never seen before. Currently people must tackle landing with a parachute, but flyer and basejumper Jeb Corliss is trying to change that. Watch this incredible video.

Flying:

Jeb Corliss basejumping:

Read the related story from the New York Times.

No Art, Only Entertainment

Trout Monfalco — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 08:18:22 +0000

I’ve noticed for quite some time that most media web sites and newspapers do not have an Arts section. The closest you find is Entertainment. The meaning of these two is of course very different, not because art can’t be entertaining, it can be. But art often has more purpose to it than that. By sticking only to “Entertainment,” the media avoids discussion of any of the other reasons for art, or the cultural criticisms it might be presenting. It takes the easy route, sticking to celebrity gossip and celebrity fashion, and not a bigger cultural context, or inclusion of any artwork whose main purpose may be something other than Entertaining.

If your TV station or newspaper covers only Entertainment and not the Arts, write them and ask why, and ask them to change it (not just the name of the section, but what they cover.)

Some examples of “Entertainment” and no “Arts”:

Some great papers that still have an Arts section:

Parkour, Yamakasi and Freerunning – Being Chased is an Artform

Trout Monfalco — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 05:08:24 +0000

When you watch cats, birds and flying squirrels jump, land and glide from place to place without a second thought, rarely injured, with great grace and efficiency, most people think this is simply encoded into their species. This ability comes from their animal form, nothing more.

Some people though see this movement as something to learn. David Belle, a French martial artist and gymnast, along with childhood friends, developed a series of tactics and movements known as Parkour, “the art of displacement.” In a similar way to martial arts, which defines movement to harm or defend against an attacker, Parkour practices techniques to flee, as quickly and efficiently as possible. The best way to get the idea is to watch a video:

Yamakasi and Free Running have their roots in Parkour, but in addition to fleeing with speed and efficiency, they add aesthetics and self improvement to their purpose. In practice, this means Yamakasi and Free Running may add flips, turns and other technically inefficient movements if they are beautiful to see or perform. Another difference is Parkour’s stance against martial arts-like competitions, feeling Parkour is not a competitive practice but one of cooperation and self improvement. Some other forms do not hold this stance. All three forms are amazing to watch, both visually and athletically, like dance and many types of martial arts.

Practitioners of Parkour are known as traceur (men) or traceuse (women). Movements can be dangerous, but the practice has the philosophy être et durer (to be and to last), intending to avoid short and long term injuries (which are inefficient, and efficiency is the goal of movement.)

The artform has spread worldwide and has been featured in films and documentaries.

Here is a documentary on Yamakasi:
Learn more: Parkour, David Belle, Yamakasi, and Free Running

Sites: Parkour.net, Yamakasi Korea, Mad3run Parkour team, and American Parkour

Films featuring Parkour, Yamakasi or Free Running:
District B13, co-starring David Belle; Casino Royale; The Bourne Ultimatum; and the region 2-only (won’t work in US/Canada DVD players) documentary Jump London. (The films Yamakasi and Les Fils Du Vent are also out there but many are disappointed with the amount of Yamakasi featured, in addition to simply being bad films.)

Travel to France (Travelocity) or learn French (Rosetta Stone).

People Become Sugar Gliders and Flying Squirrels

Artist Astronauts, Artist Cosmonauts, Artists in Space

Trout Monfalco — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 11:23:17 +0000

I have all kinds of crazy dreams. I’ve had one of them for a long time, and I’ve never told anyone about it until now. Even for me it’s a nutty one. My secret dream was to be the first artist in space.

I had such a strong desire for this, I think, because all of our missions to space are so technical or militaristic. Yet if you’ve ever known anyone working in space travel (like NASA), you know how poetic they can be. My dream to be an artist in space is nowhere near as crazy as actually trying to get anyone into space at all. There is a certain long term humanity, a looking back on ourselves as a whole, a historic something that runs through these spaceborne intentions — from astronauts and engineers alike. Somehow though, that all gets lost. This is exactly the kind of thing artists explore. For much the same reasons artists are sent into combat, they should be sent into space. (And if you’re asking why do we go at all, isn’t there something better to spend money on? the answer in the short term is always yes. But long term, our planet’s species, including our own, have a much higher chance of surviving if we become interplanetary. This is covered in The Drake Equation.)

My heart skipped a beat when first hearing Laurie Anderson had been chosen as the first artist in residence for NASA. She’s the perfect candidate for this. Unfortunately when she asked “Do I get to go up?!” the answer was “No.” Sadly, she was the first and last NASA artist in residence. Representative Chris Chocola introduced and passed a bill specifically prohibiting NASA from having an artist in residence.

Little did I know that the first artists in space had already travelled long ago. The first was Russian cosmonaut Alexey Leonov in 1965 and the second was United States astronaut Alan Bean in 1969. Up until writing this post, I didn’t know that a small tile artwork titled The Moon Museum by Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Claus Oldenberg and John Chamerlain was left on the moon by the crew of Apollo 12. There have been many other artist cosmonauts since then, of many nationalities, and many pieces of art flown into space.

This is in fact such a frequently pondered idea that there are several non-profits in existence solely to get artists into space programs throughout the world and get artists creating work for the context of space travel.

And Tate Modern, one of the top museums in the world, has plans in motion to create it’s next museum location in Earth orbit.

Organizations exploring art and artists in space: The MIR Network, The OURS Foundation at Ars Astronautica, and Tate Modern Space.

A great list of artwork taken to or created in space.

Artist-Astronaut: What the Future Told Us, a project by artist Debra Solomon.

Two blogs by on duty combat artists: Fire and Ice and Sketchpad Warrior.

In the Press: The Globe and Mail – Greetings, art lovers. We come in peace and The Times UK – Blast off: artistic adventures in time and space.

Buy related work: In the Stream of Stars: The Soviet-American Space Art Book (by Alexey Leonov and others), Apollo : An Eyewitness Account By Astronaut/Explorer Artist/Moonwalker by Alan Bean, Baghdad Journal: An Artist in Occupied Iraq, by combat artist Steve Mumford, They Drew Fire – a documentary about combat artists in World War II; and work by Laurie Anderson.

Travel to space on Virgin Galactic or Space Adventures.

If You Get Points, Is It Art?

Trout Monfalco — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 06:32:33 +0000

I went to an afternoon of flat track roller derby, and even though it’s a sport, I could care less who won or lost. A lot of us were there to be entertained. Roller derby is dramatic and theatrical. Lots of players and whole teams have strong characters (whether real or mythical), and the opening and half time shows are fun and over the top. You could see a lot of artistic types in the audience who don’t go to many other games. There’s something creative and entertaining drawing them in.

But when the main purpose behind a performance is to get points and be the winner, is it art?

Figure skating, ballroom dancing and DanceSport, color guard and some forms of gymnastics are all artistic performances where the main goal is to get points and win. In most cases, performers are required to play certain types of music, wear certain clothes, and use certain prescribed moves.

Most of the performers are clearly exceptional athletes, are very dedicated, and have great artistic skill. But many people, especially the “real artists,” look down on all this. For me the problem has always been the limits put on the work — why would you limit yourself to only certain moves or, for instance, being required to twirl a fake wooden rifle?

A lot of people have trouble with the motivation. If you’re there to get points, based on how well you perform predefined and accepted moves, where is your artistic voice, your unique viewpoint of the world? Another motivation is money. Money motivation also brings the artistic merits of TV shows, films and albums into question, even beyond TV art sports like American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, and On the Lot. Artistic authenticity and innovation are often the measures of success for modern artwork. Motivations for money, points and winning are contrary to real art.

You might say authenticity and innovation are the point system for modern art. But who are the hidden judges? What are the secret rules?

When artists apply for grants, panelists often look for predefined forms that, to them, define great art. When ballet dancers come on stage, the audience looks for a limited set of predefined moves that add up to what they think of as ballet. When donors give money to a theatre or opera, they vote with dollars for work that most fits what they think art should be. Curators, promoters, producers, executives, politicians, grantors, donors, boards of directors, ticket buyers, book and music lovers and others are all doling out points. Many artists don’t like to admit we’re influenced by these points. We are trying to win money or notoriety.

The perfect modern artist is someone whose work pops out like flower buds, for no other reason and purpose than the artist wants it to. Money or status have no influence whatsoever. These are people like Henry Darger, who painted in secret his whole life. He was pure, untainted by desire for money or fame.

But if you are authentic, and you aren’t influenced by your audience or worldly temptations, how do you know your art is doing what you intended? Are puppies and shaving creme really disturbing and life changing, or only to you? Do dinosaurs make everyone think of birds, or just paleontologists? Maybe your art is just boring, confused and badly made. How will you know if you don’t listen? How will you make better work if you aren’t willing to change and learn?

In modern art, forming a fake rock band or standing on a street corner and shouting curse words at drivers can both be art. Dressing like your grandmother while impersonating Nixon might be your authentic voice. Maybe in this confusing open ended anything-goes arena, the points we get are the only barometer we have for whether our work is to other people what it is to us. Once we get those points, we can decide to change, to work for more points at the possible smogging of our clear intents. Or we can decide to remain steadfast, and risk pulling a Van Gogh – dying penniless with no recognition. It seems Van Gogh was right. I think the key is that, after collecting the points, Success or Winning is just ultimately affecting the world as you wanted to, regardless of what other rewards that might come your way.

Maybe the art athletes have it all figured out. Get the rules in writing. By the end of the night, be called the winner in front of a cheering crowd, and get paid decently for all your skill and effort.

Get In the Realms of the Unreal, the fascinating documentary about Henry Darger; or From Ballroom To Dancesport: Aesthetics, Athletics, And Body Culture

The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein

Trout Monfalco — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 09:06:11 +0000

The Producers and Hairspray both began as movies, became musicals, and then turned into movie musicals. I have little doubt the new musical Young Frankenstein will follow the same footsteps.

It’s still in previews and has its flaws, but mostly it’s a lot of fun. From some really funny moments to a giant Frankenstein lab with lightning, Romanian and swing dancing, and Megan Mullally, Roger Bart, Christopher Fitzgerald, Sutton Foster and Andrea Martin, it’s a good time. Unfortunately my dormant memories of Haunted Honeymoon and Transylvania 6-5000 kept popping up. Thankfully few people have seen these movies.

Regional theatres all over the US have had financial difficulties for over a decade. One of the problems is getting audiences interested in new work which wasn’t written by someone they already know, and doesn’t star someone they’ve already seen (preferably a star). The musical blockbusters on Broadway, based on films, with big name stars, is a way to attract enough audiences to pay for such big productions. But is this theatre a living artform if it continually recycles ideas? Certainly every idea is a combination of new and old, but when the producers only want to risk already proven plots and characters, less new work gets a chance on stage. Instead you get Carrie the Musical and Clueless.

All that said, I’m so happy I got to see Andrea Martin as Frau Blucher. (Even I fell for the well loved stars and characters.)

Get Young Frankenstein, The Producers, stuff with Megan Mullally, stuff with Andrea Martin, Haunted Honeymoon, Transylvania 6-5000, or the book Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops

Constanza Macras, Dorky Park – Back to the Present

Trout Monfalco — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 06:56:38 +0000

Throwing stuffed animals at each other while jumping on second hand furniture in between stripteases doesn’t count as art most of the time, even though it’s a helluva lot of fun. But Berlin choreographer Constanza Macras and company Dorky Park weave together an enticing performance that’s both fun and sexy while technically challenging. The company flips easily from dance to string quartet to stripping to punk band to honest monologue.

As an artist, this hint of run down apartment with used furniture, other artists hanging around all day doing strange things, getting sexy and then too introspective feels all very familiar. The monologues each performer gives hit right at the heart of being artists.

Several friends of mine have moved to Berlin in the past year. It’s felt like Berlin is the current Bohemia, in the tradition of Bloomsbury, Montmartre and The East Village. Cheap rent in former East Berlin housing, a bustling metropolis, ways for artists to make a living at their work, and a big artist population make it a great place to be.

Far more than fun, sexy, and talented, what hit me watching this was how much fun it must be to live in Berlin right now. The members of Dorky Park are from all over the world, but are based out of Berlin. I’ve lived in some great places with solid artist communities, but I’ve never been at the center of Bohemia. Having such a powerful, collective creativity all around you pushes you to do more and better, and makes you feel anything is possible.

I’m jealous of artists in Berlin.

How Long Does a Bohemian Flower Bloom?

Beijing Modern Dance Company – Pink Floyd’s The Wall

Trout Monfalco — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 21:58:24 +0000

The Beijing Modern Dance Company created the piece Red Light set to the music of Pink Floyd’s The Wall. It toured the U.S. back in 2005, and has haunted me ever since.

For most people in the United States born after the 80’s, The Wall is something you see and listen to in high school. Many people adopt it to provoke and encourage all the rebellion they’re going through. It’s a natural desire to break away from your parents and become you’re own person, and these lyrics are great for it. Over time, though, the lyrics no longer have the general punch they used to. They became solely about dealing with teenage rebellion and nothing more. They became a cliché. “Hey! Teacher! Leave those kids alone!” is a perfect excuse to stage a walkout and go sit in the sun and smoke under a tree.

I didn’t think much about this going into see Red Light. I liked the film, even though it had been awhile since I watched it. But it never dawned on me what cultural preconceptions I had when I entered the theatre.

For the first half of the performance, I cringed often. The whole thing seemed coupled together from stock modern dance moves, with some Flashdance thrown in. The set was scaffolding, uplight hitting dancers twirling around poles and leaning out from them. It seemed pretty awful.

But then something happened.

As the title song The Wall (pt. 2) started, I had a sense of dread. We’ve heard the song so many times, why should this be on stage? Will they pantomime stealing liquor from their parent’s locked cabinet and getting drunk in a friend’s garage?

The dancers came out in lines, to me reminiscent of video I’d seen of Chinese training schools. These schools have hundreds of students in one class, lined up outdoors in strict formation, exercising or practicing martial arts.

Then the lyrics, which for so long had meant nothing outside of high school, played out
We don’t need no education.
We don’t need no thought control.

Outside the context of my comfortable U.S. suburban childhood, suddenly this song was not just daring, but dangerous. We had all seen the videos of tanks against students in Tiananmen Square. Dancing to this song, to this whole soundtrack, at it’s heart about standing up to authority in any of it’s guises, was an act of courage. I had been naive, comfortable and lucky. I had to rethink my perspective, and understand this wasn’t about teenage rebellion. It was about breaking free of real authority and control.

I still feel some of the choreography itself was stuff I’d seen before. But good art should take you out of your own shoes, shift your perspective. Rarely has it happened as strongly as when I watched this work.

I know China is opening up to many new things. It’s hard to tell what news outlets are passing on here, how skewed or limited it may be. It’s clear though that artists in China are taking risks, and the government is allowing it. Risky art is important for any culture, helping the people to reflect on what they do and who they are. As more risky art is created in China and shared with the rest of the world, the more we all benefit, artists and audiences, from being pushed into new ways of seeing China and ourselves.

Buy Pink Floyd’s The Wall

Graffiti Artists at the Bethlehem Wall