What’s age got to do with it?
What’s age got to do with it? was an open discussion held on 12th october at the Royal Festival Hall as part of Dance Umbrella 2007 and co-produced with Dance UK.
Gill Clarke chaired a panel consisting of Fergus Early, Paul Andre Fortier, Scott Smith, ChitraSundaram.
Dance Umbrella Brochure introduction:
Still a relatively young art from, contemporary dance in the UK is only now beginning to produce a substantial generation of mature danc eartists, both dance-makers and performers. What are the issues - philosophical, aesthetic and practical - that affect an artist’s ability to sustain his or her art/ How do their priorities change over time? What do we need to learn as a sector if we are to retain their experience?
November 6th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
Originally I questioned why I’d gone to the discussion. Was it to find out if I was in a career with longevity? To hear from the voices of experience who have paved the way before me? Maybe, but what I got was ultimately what satisfies me as an individual. The need to constantly learn new information and to understand that which I think I know. The pannel were not at the end of their careers looking back, or holding the ultimate answer to all their discoveries, but a continual journey of inquisitivness and thirst for lifelong learning. This is what drives them to continue in their artform.
The discussion was well structured and without knowing it I had gotten exactly what I wanted out of it. I did feel the youngest there, being in my late 20s, but not out of place.
I was interested in the fact that the discussion turned to a “new” audience for older dancers. If we’re talking of bodies as encyclopedias and the older you are the more people are able to learn from you. Then why is a new audience needed? Surely it would be better to see older dancers as part of the same collective of performers and not market them differently. If we, as an artform, see older dancers in a completely different set then I do not blame audiences for seeing it as an often completely separate part of the artform. Then again it has a lot to do with our throw-away society that we live in and a lack of respect for the older generations.
I thoroughly enjoyed the discussion and listening to others points of view during and after the session. Sorry i couldn’t stay longer!
Hayley Durward
Freelance Contemporary Choreographer, Dancer and Teacher
November 6th, 2007 at 11:13 pm
Dear Gill, Fiona and Betsy
i attended the ‘what’s age got to do with it?’ talk at the south bank yesterday. Firstly, thanks for having it!
then, i have a few thoughts
perhaps a book could be written to illustrate and declare the wealth of talent that is held by this ever growing group of artists known as ‘mature’ (it was very interesting to read biographies of those on the panel and it strikes me that the biography in itself could be a better tool for the ’selling’/marketing of any of the work that is engaged in by these and other artists) - this book could celebrate contemporary dance in all its youthfulness and age in UK today (and could be prescribed reading in all schools!).
in the funding world of ‘youth dance, youth dance, youth dance, new ‘flavour’, new ‘flavour’ new flavour’ (choreographer)’ and graduate platform support ad infinitum it seems there’s a difficult job to do to maintain space and money to invest in those artists at the thin end of the wedge - as in Education, it seems that Government ‘policy’ is always about ‘new’ and ‘testing/assessment/exams’, as opposed to, perhaps, an implicit (or explicit) acknowledgement and interest in work involving ‘mature’ artists
‘mature’ seems to suggest, on some level, SERIOUSNESS - i enjoyed in Gill’s opening the idea that ‘play’ is part of her engagement in her practice - creativity needs play and essentially we are CREATIVE people, despite what Scott said about not being a choreographer as such…..maybe more, or something in particular, is expected of older artists which precludes the zest and being ‘fired up’ that is part of the creative process and what we all probably call upon as part of our very daily practice (actually i say ‘we’, in that i’m including myself as one of these ‘mature’ artists, but, i don’t know whether i am, should call myself or am nearly!)
the other thing was about ‘practice’ - i came from a creative dance background/starting point and then trained at Laban - my creativity is MINE, my dancing/performing is ME and i consider that my practice is about developing ME (and me DEVELOPING) as a ‘man dancing’…..all this to say that in dance Education, if in all forms there was a stronger recognition of the creative moment of learning then we would encourage the individual, perhaps, and also less the idea of ‘failure’ ( in meeting an expected ‘outcome’)……
i’ve always had difficulities with marketing dance in the sense that it seems to have to be be snappy, (potentially) superficial and all about, as was stated, energy and athleticism - creativity is creativity, the work is a creative act and performing it is a creative act….can’t that be enough! can’t that be marketed?
i hope that there is more discussion and consideration of this issue because, as someone said, this pervades our society on so many levels and, i believe that art and artists, have the possibility to lead on this discussion on many deep and potentially influential levels (also, aren’t marketing people creative??!!!).
November 6th, 2007 at 11:14 pm
[a ‘PS’ to what i wrote before]
‘mature’ in cheese and wine is seen as a very desirable quality - ‘high end’ in fact!
whilst i wouldn’t want to use the word ‘vintage’ - is very fashionable and equally sort after, right now and for some time to come i would imagine
don’t marketing people ‘mature’/get older? how would/do they market themselves?!
it seems all too easy to go for what’s new and ‘young’ and wave a dismissive fairwell to those artists who’ve paid certain ‘dues’ to the many systems and layers of the ’sector’ - i don’t think people stop being artists just because they reach a certain age; maybe their demands for better pay/working conditions or work/life balance change but there is still much to be gained from offering time, space and money to continue their practice and maintain a presence in society and the artistic forums they have helped develop.
Performance is about presence and those who’ve given, and want to continue to make artistic offers, should be given a level of status and respect!
[rant to possibly continue!]
March 9th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Dear Dave and all -
I have read this series of articles/comments before - and just today feel compelled to answer -
What you say is very close to my heart - and having shared a good chunk of professional life with you also support this -
I do count myself amongst the ‘vintage’ sector, I guess - and I’m currently reflecting on my past and future career, an interesting moment in time.
My knowledges and interests are varied, and at this point I would love to find a way to embrace more than one focus, i.e. not commit to only running a company, or a full time teaching post, or working in theatre, or a private practice…
Most importantly, I don’t want to miss creative work - being in a space, having time, exploring, researching, making, collaborating, performing - in my own way!
Testing myself, having nothing to prove, being both highly rigorous and highly playful…
And I know that I feel this way only because of the accumulation of my experience over the last 20 years.
So that implies something might have matured - a bit like the wine - who knows; Yet it is not easy to be allowed to make art - (and I acknowledge here that it does unfortunately cost money to make it, to sustain oneself and others, create the spaces etc) - without major excursions into ‘celebrating diversity’ and ‘public benefits’ - with due respect!!
Maybe small doors will open, maybe not -
I remain hopeful, and wish all the other wines and cheeses the very best of luck…..
Karin