Dance History Repeats Itself

As I was participating in Guggenheim’s Works and Process live stream of PNB’s Giselle, I couldn’t help but notice the parallels as I prepare for a LEAP dance history seminar next weekend. I’ve been reading Susan Au’s Ballet and Modern Dance over the course of the past few days. At first, the text seemed like a bunch of facts streamed together. However, as I’ve progressed through the first few chapters, I am becoming more engrossed in the development of professional dance. Tonight’s discussions on dance notation and the complex process of creating a full length ballet such as Giselle brought to light an intellectual side of dance, which can sometimes lack in a studio setting. There was so much thought to detail in the ballet’s score, choreography, and mime; all three components are layered together seamlessly.

My LEAP seminar is being taught my NYC’s own Sydney Skybetter. My expectations of boredom and an overwhelming amount of dates and names have been replaced with a fresh sense of excitement to gain information on the original ‘dance rebels,’ who were way ahead of their time, artistically speaking.

I hope the Guggenheim plans on doing a live stream for all of their future Works and Process exhibits.