Modern Dance in Competition

At this time of year, I find I am always infuriated from what is perceived as modern dance at competitions. What people call modern dance or rather palm off as modern dance seems to be as valid as trying to pass off musical theatre as opera. Don’t get me wrong. Musical theatre can be enjoyable, if you like adults pretending to be cats, youngsters shrieking about “tomorrow”, or teens depicting stereotypical greasers. In reality, I do enjoy a romp to the theatre to watch some mindless musical comedy. It can be as refreshing as a “cold one” on a hot August night. But to past off musical theatre as opera would offend nearly every trained singer. And to pass off what I’ve being seeing as modern dance has compelled me to reconsider my happy jaunt through the late 60's and early 70's. Maybe we didn't affect anything.

Oh yes, I'm supposed to call it contemporary dance, but I won't. It will always be modern dance to me. Contemporary dance has a whole different meaning to me. I took years of modern dance technique. I danced in pieces that just portrayed shape and form, reflected topical issues, or the inner emotions of a choreographer. Now when someone dances or creates a "contemporary" dance, I am often confused as to whether they are doing a lyrical dance or some soft, stylized jazz/ballet. Modern dance must attempt to depart from standard ballet technique regardless of what is being portrayed or it's not true modern dance. I do create contemporary pieces, but they are contemporary pieces not modern.

I believe that many of these competition “modern choreographers” think their routines are creative, innovative, refreshing works art. When in fact they are regurgitated, conventional, boring drivel. They grab a prop and think “if I create a routine using this prop the judges will be astonished and dumbfounded.” They take the prop and do a couple of (what they think are) nifty moves, which are about as nifty as the kinder surprise toy, make a few modernish shapes, and then throw in those damn jetés and fouettes combinations–which they used in their jazz, tap, character, "musical theatre" and lyrical choreography. Wow!?! Now we’re talking artistic expression–said sarcastically–about as much artistic expression as a farmer shovelling manure.

It took nearly forty years for modern dance to be accepted as a legitimate art form, thirty more years to be performed with any regularity in North American, ten more to make it to theatre and film, a dozen more to find its' way into competitive dance, and in just five years it has been degenerated into screwy moves that fit in between those ever so ubiquitous tricks. It’s beyond me how they delude audiences, and for that matter judges, into thinking they are doing modern. Perhaps, they have deluded themselves into thinking clever, mindless, pieces of tripe equals modern dance. Modern dance is something to be appreciated, experienced, savoured with all of its nuances and textures. Not shot at you like a spit wad in a boring math class.

Perhaps they should reflect on the origins of modern dance before even trying to create a piece. Or maybe they better not. If they actually realize what they’re doing, they would send themselves to their room until they say, “I’m sorry and I’ll never, never to it again.”

Modern dance first began because we were so fed up with those meaningless steps done over and over again. Ballet dancers did pirouettes when they were happy. They did them went they were lost in the forest. They did them when they made love. They did them to show off. And they did them just before dying. Now these charlatans put them in a modern dance not because they’re needed to express meaning in the piece, but because a group of 4th year dancers can all execute a triple.

The real tragedy is that many judges and adjudicators are validating this lack of respect for this art form. They look at the piece and say “It’s not ballet. Hum. It’s not jazz. Uh. Definitely not tap. Therefore, it must be modern. Hey, they’re wearing one roller skate. Yep! Definitely, modern. Oh, how clever.” FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, my 4 year old runs around the house with one shoe on–does that make him a modern dancer????

Maybe I'm just too old school to enjoy where modern dance is going in the competitive arena. Maybe modern dance as an art form shouldn’t be entered in dance competitions. Maybe it should be left in arenas of artistic intent. Or maybe we should just take Prozac before every competition. Then I just wouldn't care.

#competitivedance #dance #moderndance #contemporarydance