March/April/May 2017
Dance Central A Dance Centre Publication
Emergences Modus Operandi A conversation with David Raymond and Tiffany Tregarthen Page 2
Grounding A conversation with Marissa Wong Page 8
Welcome to Dance Central
Dance Pedagogies: A conversation with David Raymond and Tiffany Tregarthen
Welcome to the March/April/May issue of Dance Central, and to the introduction of Emerging Bodies, a series about the experiences of young dance artists at the early stages of their professional career in one of the world's ten most unaffordable cities. Following a recommendation by Amber Funk Barton, we begin with a conversation with the Vancouver choreographer Marissa Wong of TWObigstepscollective. As part of our ongoing series Dance Pedagogies, this issue also features a conversation with David Raymond and Tiffany Tregarthen of Modus Operandi, a training program for contemporary dance artists that has, over the past ten years, successfully established itself as an alternative to academic institutional dance training. The conversation centres on what is involved in developing a curriculum that is both responsive to the requirements of young performers and rigorous in laying the foundation for a professional career in the evolving context of contemporary performance. As always, we thank all the artists who have agreed to contribute and we welcome new writing and project ideas at any time, in order to continue to make Dance Central a more vital link to the community. Please send material by e-mail to members@thedancecentre.ca or call us at 604.606.6416. We continue to look forward to the conversation! Andreas Kahre, Editor
2
D a n c e C e n t ra l M a rc h / A p r i l / M ay 2 0 1 7
Modus Operandi
AK: Dance Central is featuring a series about dance pedagogy and in particular about how the training of young dancers is changing in response to developments in the performing arts. Aside from the established schools and institutions in Vancouver, Modus Operandi has now been operating for ten years, and has become a very visible presence in the community, with alumni dancing with companies across the city, with students working in professional situations, and a full-fledged four–year dance program. What made you do this? DR: MO began as a series of annual workshops, and over 4 or 5 years it transformed and formalized into a multi-year program. When we started, it was a place for Tiffany and I to share our work as dancers, choreographers, and teachers but MO quickly evolved in the direction of the needs of the young artists who attended and since then we have been constantly developing into a place where young dancers come to get professional training. With this, a whole new set of questions and responsibilities presented themselves. We asked: Why are these young people interested in MO and how is that unique from what is already available to them? Why, what and how should we expand, structure and nurture? Who are the right people for this responsibility? How much formalization is too much before we discourage instead of cultivate the possibilities, discoveries, openness, diversity and humanity that are central to what is already beautifully working and shared with our students? What do these interested young artists have in common? How do we honour and nurture the group and how do we
D a n c e C e n t ra l M a rc h / A p r i l / M ay 2 0 1 7
3
Dance Pedagogies: A conversation with David Raymond and Tiffany Tregarthen
DR: There are lots of schools and teachers that have similar philosophies; to bring the students’ curiosities and individual needs into the conversation, and to assess what they are going to encounter when they leave, which brings up one of the big questions we are all asking: What is contemporary dance going to look like in the future and how do you prepare young artists for something that doesn’t necessarily exist yet? We were inspired by places like the Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance, or SEAD, and especially by P.A.R.T.S., a contemporary dance school in Brussels founded in 1994 by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and Bernard Foccroulle. One thing that we are specific about is that we want to reinforce the idea of the dancer having
offer our experiences as professionals as a platform for their
an artistic voice that needs to be developed as much their
development while providing the means for them to discover
physical ability, and establish this philosophy in relation-
the artist they want to be? What are we learning from them
ship to what their responsibilities will be to themselves,
that should shape how we work together? These are ques-
their own practice and how that will meet the people they
tions we are constantly processing, and one of the ways we
work with. The format in which people practice contempo-
are responding is to connect aspiring dance artists with current
rary dance is always shifting and developing. There is a lot
practicing professional dancers/creators/choreographers/
of project–based work, and that demands many different
teachers — with people actively engaged in the field. We try
skills. Working as an independent dance artist now means
to encourage and program this interaction between young
moving from place to place and not necessarily staying
dance artists and professionals as the means to find out what
within one form of practice, and that is something we want
is needed to become a rigorous and integral practitioner, to
to prepare young dancers for. We want them to understand
expose our students to a range of perspectives and values,
and feel empowered that they are in control and respon-
and also discover what gaps exist in their development instead
sible for their own dancing and trajectory.
of assuming that all of our students have the same existing skills and challenges. The program attracts young people
AK: In the past, training would be divided along the lines
from varied backgrounds; ranging from those with extensive
of creator and interpreter, choreographer and performer,
training in gymnastics or athletics, to self taught street danc-
along similar lines that music training divided composers
ers, to students from formal ballet schools, and they all come
and instrumentalists. Dance artists now move more freely
together in the same room. Their needs are deeply varied, and
between various roles, and that presumably means that
our approach keeps striving to nurture the individual, to find
training programs must respond to this. You used both the
out what their needs are, rather than to focus on a general
word institution and school in describing Modus Operandi.
training curriculum. We are not trying to train a dancer for a
Does it fit into that grid of organizational frameworks?
certain type of movement, or a certain type of career, but to understand over the four years how each student’s interests
DR: That’s a big question that Tiffany and I are constantly
are developing and how we can help them to move towards
asking ourselves. I think MO functions both inside and
their evolving goals. The goal is to be in a feedback loop with
outside of those frameworks. That’s part of why our format
each one of them to help guide their development. Each year
is somewhat unique. We want to make sure the process
we are asking questions about the previous year, and where
between the teacher and the learner is as organic and ef-
we can improve, make changes and adapt the program to
fective as possible and sometimes conventional models
move it more towards the needs of the young dancers and the
of dance institutions can obstruct this. At the same time,
needs and standards of professional dance.
a structural framework is necessary when you need to provide information to a group of people: scheduling, cur-
4
AK: Are there organizations or institutions like Modus Operandi
ricular progression and repetition are necessary to provide
that you have been inspired by?
foundational training and depth of understanding. Still,
Dance Central March/April/May 2017
we are resisting a lot of formal institutional structures and values. The more we evolve MO the more we learn about how resistance is a critical part of its success. It is really about honouring and engaging the natural learning process, perspective and curiosity of each dancer who comes into MO, within a framework that enables not only the transmission but the transformation of information. When it comes to responding to the evolution of traditional roles and how we address that in a curriculum, one of the first things we try to instill in our students is that dance is research and how, why and what we research doesn’t have to be dictated by roles we play in a creative process. In our lessons we are transparent about our thoughts, motivations and challenges as professionals who are performing, creating, teaching and administrating dance and like us so many professionals who work with MO find ways to invest all aspects of their practices into their learning material for MO. While we don’t offer formal
"We asked: is needed to succeed in a current–day professional
What
contemporary
performance or dance career? How can we provide the range of skills that a dance artist will have to
develop
in a space
of four years?"
courses on choreography for example, making dance, deD a n c e C e n t ra l M a rc h / A p r i l / M ay 2 0 1 7
5
Dance Central The Dance Centre Scotiabank Dance Centre Level 6, 677 Davie Street Vancouver BC V6B 2G6 T 604.606.6400 F 604.606.6401 info@thedancecentre.ca www.thedancecentre.ca Dance Central is published every two months by The Dance Centre for its members and for the dance community. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent Dance Central or The Dance Centre. The editor reserves the right to edit for clarity or length, or to meet house requirements. Editor, Art Director & Layout Andreas Kahre Copy Editor Hilary Maxwell Contributors to this issue: Marissa Wong, David Raymond, Tiffany Tregarthen Photography: Wendy D, David Cooper Dance Centre Board Members Chair Ingrid M. Tsui Vice Chair Josh Martin Secretary Margaret Grenier Treasurer Matthew Breech Past Chair Beau Howes, CFA
Dance Pedagogies: A conversation with David Raymond and Tiffany Tregarthen veloping collaborative skills, speaking about dance, leading their own creative projects and many more related activity is prominent throughout the programming. AK: Speaking of the four–year format, which corresponds to a typical undergraduate dance program, how did you decide on that length? DR: We actually didn’t intend to model MO after typical undergrad programs. The four-year format naturally evolved as the program developed. We started to see in the first few years that it really does take that amount of
Directors Carolyn Chan Eve Chang Jai Govinda Anndraya T. Luui Starr Muranko
dedicated time to provide enough support for young artists
Dance Foundation Board Members Chair Linda Blankstein Secretary Anndraya T. Luui Treasurer Jennifer Chung Directors Trent Berry, Kimberley Blackwell, Praveen K. Sandhu, Janice Wells, Andrea R. Wink,
or getting into a company right away. It’s really about help-
Dance Centre Staff: Executive Director Mirna Zagar Programming Coordinator Raquel Alvaro Marketing Manager Heather Bray Venue and Services Administrator Robin Naiman Development Director Sheri Urquhart Technical Manager Shawn Sorensen Accountant Elyn Dobbs Member Services and Outreach Coordinator Hilary Maxwell Member Services and Development Assistant Anna Dueck The Dance Centre is BC's primary resource centre for the dance profession and the public. The activities of The Dance Centre are made possible bynumerous individuals. Many thanks to our members, volunteers, community peers, board of directors and the public for your ongoing commitment to dance in BC. Your suggestions and feedback are always welcome. The operations of The Dance Centre are supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Province of British Columbia, the BC Arts Council, and the City of Vancouver through the Office of Cultural Affairs.
to develop the faculties needed to move forward on their own. MO is not so much about getting a person ready for a professional career immediately after leaving the program ing young dancers establish a high standard of practice and develop their own momentum, confidence and tools to becoming a strong dance artist. MO alumni have had so many varied trajectories and it’s really important to us that young dancers don’t get stressed out about the timing or expectations of their opportunities. AK: How do you balance all these elements in developing your curriculum? DR: We are constantly evolving the curriculum based on the abilities and needs of the students, so it is a fluid thing. There are foundational components; we know that a strong physical aptitude including agility, conditioning, endurance, awareness and sensitivity are universal necessities for a contemporary professional dancer, but that can look like many things. We focus on core practices that provide the best platform for a dancer to develop in many different directions. We know that a dancer’s goals might evolve and we try to provide a foundation that allows them to move into multiple directions. Therefore we are not just focusing on any one of the established foundational techniques, but rather on providing a plethora of practices and resources that come together to cultivate physical intelligence,
6
D a n c e C e n t ra l M a rc h / A p r i l / M ay 2 0 1 7
continued on page 15
"What is contemporary dance going to look like in the future and how do you prepare young artists for something that doesn't exist yet?" continued on page 14
Dance Central November/December 2016
7
Emerging Bodies A conversation with Marissa Wong AK: Your background is strongly based in ballet, but the move-
did my relationship with Amber, more toward having her
ment you create in the context of your company and your solo
as a choreographic mentor. She has been really wonder-
work is quite different. How do the two relate to each other?
ful in helping me develop and keeping me grounded in this industry...
MW: I started with a heavy ballet background, and that's what I trained in when I was growing up in Vancouver. I even went
AK: Speaking of the 'industry', there is a distinction made
to ‘Provincial Reps’ and attended ballet intensives such as Jof-
between 'emerging', 'mid-career' and 'established' artists;
frey Ballet, The Rock School for Dance, and Ballet Austin where
categories that map artistic development on a linear arc
I ended up doing the training program in Austin, Texas. That's
that reflects the notion that funding rewards seniority as a
when I realized I didn't want to do that any more, so I chopped
marker of perceived merit, but not necessarily meaningful to
off all my hair and moved to San Francisco to study at the
an artist's actual journey. Where do you see yourself in this
Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program, which is a brilliant
framework?
place to foster you as an individual and also encourage you to expand on the facility and foundation you already have. The
MW: I don't necessarily define myself in that particular way
director, Karah Abiog, and the teachers there encouraged the
but when I am being compared to other artists in the com-
exploration of your genuine self. That was really helpful to me
munity, there are those who have definitely had more time
in exploring how to break down the barriers of what I knew
and experience to develop, and a more defined vocabulary,
and translate that into a narrative in an honest way. The experi-
which is what we are currently exploring, and differenti-
ence at LINES allowed me to explore my intention and the type
ates someone who may be 'emerging' from someone who is
of movement vocabulary I wanted to explore as an artist and
more established.
choreographer. AK: Do you have a sense that you have an audience that folAK: When did you move to Texas?
lows you?
MW: I moved there when I was seventeen. I had graduated
MW: Yes, and no. It's difficult because I have been choreo-
early from high school and had it all planned out: I was going to
graphing for the past four years, but I have been travelling a
be a professional ballerina, but once there I realized I wanted to
lot, and I spent a lot of time in San Francisco and Montreal;
explore other forms, and contemporary movement allowed me
we are going back there this fall. So we have many follow-
to find a more raw place to express myself from.
ers, but not in one place, because the audience here hasn’t had a chance to see us develop and expand, but we have a
AK: I did notice a similarity between your way of moving and
lot of support, with a lot of wonderful people helping us and
that of Amber Funk Barton, who had suggested you for this
cheering us on, but we are receiving that more in terms of
series. How did you meet?
online communication.
MW: I met Amber through my mentors, Sarah Brewer-Clowes,
AK: You use the terms collective and company somewhat
and Jocelyn Wozencroft. Each time I came back to Vancouver I
interchangeably. The TWObigsteps collective website lists
was wondering if I wanted to stay here, and if it was a place that
you as the choreographer for most projects. Do you think of
would foster me; one thing I have learned in my travels is that
yourselves as a company with defined roles, or do your roles
location really does matter. As priorities in my life shift, so do
shift among members, as they often do with collectives?
my intentions as an artist to finding balance in all aspects of life,
8
and dividing that energy and time. I went to one of her work-
MW: Right now, we are still in the process of establish-
shops and I was interested in working with her as a performer,
ing what the collective is, and I am spearheading it, making
and as my relationship and interests within my craft shifted, so
sure we are on track in terms of time and organization, but
Dance Central March/April/May 2017
Grounding
"I want to be able to share, be collaborative and create a community; not just to be a dance company, but also to create a space where other people can project their dreams."
D a n c e C e n t ra l M a rc h / A p r i l / M ay 2 0 1 7
9
"I have a lot of people in my life who are
artists and many who are not, and they go to see art for different reasons. Some, like Mama Wong, just want to be entertained, while others have different objectives. I want to make art accessible to a broad range of people and not narrow the audience." 10
Dance Central March/April/May 2017
Emerging Bodies A conversation with Marissa Wong I am working with wonderful people (Katie Cassady, Kaitey
talk with people, and take a break from the constant cerebral
DeSante, Andrew Haydock, and Sarah Formosa) who are
work really helps to keep me balanced.
helping, with social media, meetings, and to keep me sane. We are writing and working together, and in the studio it is
AK: Do you feel connected to a particular generation, or
definitely a collaborative process, but in the work that isn't
cohort, in Vancouver or in San Francisco?
dancing or movement, we are negotiating time and availability, because all the members are involved in many different
MW: I think both cities have quite different communities.
projects, which is very nice because it allows us to bring dif-
In Vancouver, there is a very tightly-knit dance community,
ferent vocabularies to our work. It is a collective in that sense,
which is difficult to break into, but once you are there people
and it is important to me that it is stated that we are working
are really open and giving, and willing to share their experi-
collectively and collaboratively, but I am the one who directs
ences. I have connected with many different generations
where the train goes.
of artists and mentors who have been able to pass on their experiences. Studying at school in San Francisco created an
AK: San Francisco and Vancouver are two of the most expen-
automatic way into the community, whereas coming back
sive cities in the world, and to find a studio, keep it warm and
here I came from the outside, because I hadn't been in a pro-
pay the rent must be difficult. Is it manageable to run a dance
gram, so I had to create connections on my own.
company under these circumstances? AK: Among others, you worked with Jennifer Mascall? MW: We are currently navigating creative ways of receiving funding, which goes beyond just grant writing, such as hono-
MW: Yes I did, and that was really nourishing; it was a very
rariums, sponsorships, or community engagement. A huge
liberating process for me to be accountable to someone else,
part of it is creating genuine connections through the art and
especially as we were starting off and I had a huge amount of
dance world. We work collaboratively with emerging and
other work. It was really nice to be in a process where I was
underrepresented artists to build a community and help one
going to be dancing and creating, but without the administra-
another expand their practice. Our connections in San Fran-
tive responsibility of directing.
cisco have made residencies possible through exchanges, but it’s still hard...
AK: Your movement contains a strong element of contact improvisation. How did you come across it?
AK: More there than in Vancouver? MW: I have taken classes from Peter Bingham in VancouWM: I think it is equivalent. If I look at rent and cost of living,
ver, but I was introduced to improvisation in San Francisco.
they are about the same. When starting out, you have to have
Understanding touch and sensation and the relationship to
another job, because you are working a lot for free—which
another body is a different type of contact. I also worked
we are hoping to change—but as we are at the beginning and
outside of school hours and with friends while in Montreal to
trying to establish ourselves in Vancouver after being migra-
explore that connection and weight transference.
tory for a while, we are currently supporting our work this way. For me it also fosters other experiences: I teach, which I
AK: In watching your choreography for a trio work titled Veils,
have grown into and find is another platform where I can use
it was striking how much you choreograph them almost as
my voice, but I also work in a restaurant, which allows me to
one body. How do you generate movement?
take a break from dance. I know that other artists are looking to make it a full-time career, and there are creative ways
MW: I call it ‘playtime’, where we allow ourselves to create
to work in theatre, or in administration and to have a full life
the creative vocabulary and the spine for the work. With
in dance, but I need a break when I get home. I am thinking
each new process and each new group of dancers we estab-
about the artistic work I am engaged in all the time, and to
lish a vocabulary that relates to the piece or the conceptual
allow myself an eight-hour shift when I can check out and
idea, and also with what the dancers are exploring or have Dance Central March/April/May 2017
11
Emerging Bodies A conversation with Marissa Wong
when connecting to each other, and how these structures are established with another body. AK: In one of your solo works you appeared very strongly con-
learned recently. We start out with improvisational scores,
nected to the ground, which for someone coming from ballet is
depending on the piece, and with Veils we were working
not the first thing that comes to mind, but you look very com-
with the idea of self vs. identity, our relation to objective and
fortable with the floor as a partner. How did you manage the
subjective perspectives. Once we establish that connection
transition from the vertical axis to being grounded like that?
to the spine of the work, we begin to create phrases and improvisational scores. Sometimes I generate movement
MW: In that exercise, I was working particularly on floor work,
in which the dancers will translate individually, or through
and it's definitely a result of my training at LINES. Although we
prompts and scores, we will develop phrases working with
were doing almost two–hour ballet classes every day, we also
words, sensations, or a connection to the concept. I ask
had a sense of breaking what that foundation was, and working
each dancer to develop hyper awareness to ensure the
with and beyond our limitations. We were being asked to take
most accurate interpretation of my intention in hopes this
ourselves to the extremes of our strengths—emotionally and
will be translated to the viewer. That is our goal.
physically—, and draw out what we could in pushing further. I also spent a lot of time in Montreal, in an exchange where, for
AK: You keep the group very closely together, and while the
cleaning the studio at the end of the day I got free rehearsal
movement is very fluid, the sheer proximity requires a lot of
space, and where I spent a lot of time alone to see how I could
precision.
challenge myself. We also worked a lot with gyrotonic technique at LINES and that translates into how I teach, so rather
MW: That is just a result of working together and getting to
than having an up-momentum and getting myself off the floor
know each other well. As I learn more about the dancers, I
in ballet, I am now interested in how we use the down move-
start to see where their natural movement patterns are and
ment to go up and how we can connect to this vertical place by
how to relate that movement in the space and working with
using the floor and having it influence the movement, even in a
the group. We use contact techniques, and we do smack
lower position.
each other, but we also find out how to soften the bodies, how to create a genuine connection and that goes back to
AK: Do you still think of yourself as having a 'ballet body', has it
touch. There is so much one can say without words, and
transformed, or do you switch between different bodies?
simply touch. We often work with what we are trying to say
12
Dance Central March/April/May 2017
to establish that more. It also depends on who I am workMW: I think they influence each other. I love ballet; I love having a
ing with, but everyone I have been working with has some
structured technique and a vocabulary that is familiar, and I love
ballet training, and the work requires some certain amount of
challenging my body from day to day in what I can explore. So now
technical foundation.
when I do ballet, I no longer think of my technique, but I focus more on sensation, on intention, ideas, metaphor and visualization, and
AK: Establishing and running a dance collective in Vancou-
on what I am trying to achieve through that, so when I am doing
ver demands that you administrate, fundraise, and manage
a promenade and attitude I am not thinking of where the lines are
resources, media and publicity. Do you have sense of where
but what they translate to, perhaps in a relationship to a bowl, or
you want the company to establish itself in the local ecology?
expanding wings. I love that structured place but also exploring how to challenge myself in terms of contemporary floor work. Ballet is a
MW: I do. I think establishing that coincides with your values
lot easier to access because it is my foundation, and it takes a little
and morals, and especially navigating the city as a business
more mental stamina to work on contemporary work, both alone
owner or entrepreneur you need to establish your integ-
and with others. In the context of the collective, it is easier for me to
rity and what your limitations are. It is like purchasing an
choreograph on other bodies because I can see the lines or momen-
apartment in the city. I may want to have a porch, a view,
tum, and can give direction or suggestion as to how we can explore
heat, and you go and look at all these apartments, some
it further, and that is how we work in the collective, how we expand
great some not, and then you say, 'within my price range or
what we are working with, and how we work with collective and
boundaries, what I am I willing to give up, and what is es-
individual narratives. When I am working in the studio by myself,
sential to me?' I think it is the same with approaching your
I explore how to meld ballet and contemporary techniques, but
career. Are you willing to take certain opportunities because
mostly just moving from an honest place.
they might offer more money or advancement, or do you want to work under specific conditions? It is important to
AK: Vancouver has a number of companies that merge contempo-
establish your values, and from that you establish where you
rary and ballet movement, and some strongly emphasize the balletic
want to go. Everything we are doing as part of the collective
elements; more than it appears in your work. How do you approach
is creating a community, and that is super–important. My
the integration of these elements?
goal is also to share and to create a framework that is accessible to a broad range of audiences. I have a lot of people
MW: I think in the pieces you have seen I was rebelling a little, to
in my life who are artists and many who are not, and they
see if I could break away, and as I am still exploring but beginning to
go to see art for different reasons. Some, like Mama Wong,
establish my vocabulary as an individual artist, it is going to translate
just want to be entertained, while others have different
more into my choreography. In this current process, I am attempting
objectives. I want to make art accessible to a broad range of
people and not narrow the audience. I want to be able to share, be collaborative and create a community; not just to be a dance company, but also to create a space where other people can project their dreams. In order to do that we are working with multi-disciplinary artists, such as musicians or photographers, to create a broader range, and to get people talking. So if I am able to make an impact through dialogue, communication, connection, research process, or the final performance, then I feel I have done what I have set out do. AK: How do you experience your development in this community? MW: It is a process. In navigating this new territory, I am learning to surrender to this process and to these new experiences and situations. If you had asked me a year ago, I would not have thought I would be here now. If you had asked me five years ago, I would have thought I would be a performer in Europe going from project to project. As you gain experience your priorities shift, and that doesn't always involve art, which allows you to invest your time in things that are important to you, which in turn will foster your art practice. And it's hard; some days I just want to say 'I want to make art, I just want to dance', but there are a lot of other things that ride on that, administrative work, fundraising, grant–writing, and a lot of time spent working on the computer. When you begin the process, you are not necessarily prepared for these things, and you navigate them as you go along, but I have a lot of wonderful people helping me, and that network and a community are super–important. I have come to the realization that creating these ties and genuine connections is really important in life, because your art relies on a community; you can dance for yourself in the studio and there is nothing wrong with that, but if you’re looking to make an impact in a more global sense, then a network is critical. AK: If there is something you could say to the dance community, what would it be? MW: Generosity, gratitude and being honest with your intentions, for yourself and your relationships are vital. Take the time you need, be generous with yourself, and find gratitude. It is a good reminder that you have the privilege to make art, and not everyone has that luxury. It is something to be grateful for every day, and when I get stressed out because things get hectic, that is a brilliant thing. AK: Thank you!
14
Dance Central March/April/May 2017
. "It is a good reminder that you have the privilege to make art, and not everyone has that luxury. It is something to be grateful for every day, and when I get stressed out because things get hectic, that is a brilliant thing."
Dance Pedagogies: continued from page 7 A conversation with David Raymond and Tiffany Tregarthen adaptability, critical thinking and their own perspective. Laying a foundation that will equip the dancer to move in the different directions they may want to explore in the future represents for us the best way to picture the curriculum: to provide a foundation that allows the dancer to be adaptable. This foundation does not look like the same thing in each person due to the different backgrounds, value systems and career interests in the room. AK: When it comes to the future of the artistic environment, performers will find themselves in an unpredictable environment of elements, interactive media, text, sound and sited performance strategies. Is it possible to prepare dancers for these encounters, and do you make it part of the training? DR: Yes, I believe it’s possible to prepare dancers for these encounters. One of our philosophies in MO is to encourage dancers to employ their curiosity and to always be asking themselves questions about the work they are doing as a most essential
part of any process. I think this is also what is needed to navigate new environments, tools and ways of working. That being said our focus at MO is mainly the physical and artistic development of the body as the expressive instrument. We do provide students with as much exposure as possible to how the body is being worked with currently in contemporary dance and hybrid performance practices, but we also make clear that the focus in MO is primarily on mastering how to work with our bodies as the material and source of the choreographic process. Our creative labs and projects, public performance & practice classes, and student- lead projects like Dance On Screen definitely incorporate a multitude of elements and environments into processes. We also program artists whose practices and/ or classes are not necessarily centred in dance and include theatre, voice work, and visual arts, for example. The diverse backgrounds and skillsets of our current students includes basketball, gymnastics, martial arts, and tutting to visual arts, drag, social justice, American Sign Language, biology and drumming, which creates a strong foundation of experimental, unpredictable and interdisciplinary considerations.
Dance Pedagogies A conversation with David Raymond and Tiffany Tregarthen
covering new information in order to do our work. Descriptive language is often the thing disseminating understanding in creative process especially when working with abstract ideas so we are always encouraging students to be exploring, reflecting and documenting their thoughts. We also think it is important
AK: Given the range of people who teach, choreographers like
for dancers to develop a voice not only to speak about their
Justine A. Chambers or Delia Brett whose work often involves
practice but to speak for themselves, their standards, their eth-
these and other dimensions, do you try to constrain or focus
ics, to be activists, to be critical. Our students and alumni are
the program on the physical aspects, or do you accept what-
both following part of the movement of dance artists eager to
ever the instructors bring to the work with your students?
express and expand the form through writing and dialogue.
DR: It’s always a negotiation. Justine and Delia have been
AK: How are you creating support to allow Modus Operandi to
engaged with the students on multiple levels. We strive to
continue?
find common grounds between the developmental needs of the students and what the educator is working on in their own
DR: We have always and continue to strive to make MO
practice. Quite often we find this through preliminary discus-
affordable and accessible as we know the burden of student
sions with the artists to develop a process that is an enriching
debt is very difficult to manage in a field like dance. MO is
exchange for them and provides an essential learning experi-
fortunate enough to receive funding through the Department of
ence for the students. Of course the program goes beyond the
Canadian Heritage’s Arts Training Fund and the BC Arts Council
purely physical practice and it’s always exciting when a per-
to support its activity. We are also very grateful for the sup-
spective is offered for students to see just how diverse dance
port of The Dance Centre and Harbour Dance Centre which
practices can be. I wouldn’t say we constrain artists’ working
has helped provide access to affordable studio spaces and
interests with the program but we do have to consider our
resources to students and alumni. It’s an exciting challenge
focus on developing the physical and practical due to the
to tackle all the needs of young aspiring dance artists and we
age and stage of development students tend to be in when
are constantly looking for new ways to meet it. We also have
they come to the program. Laying a foundation to prepare
to acknowledge the immense expertise and generosity of
someone for something as diverse as contemporary dance is
the teachers, mentors and artists who contribute so much to
a huge task in itself so we are always trying to balance taking
making MO what it is. Their thought–filled contributions and
care of the depth of that foundation while exposing the stu-
desire to engage in the development of young aspiring artists
dents to as much as possible.
is vital to what makes MO continue and grow stronger. From its inception MO has been resourceful. Our public practice and
AK: Along with new modes of dance performance, there has
performance course was a solution to wanting more program-
also been a strong movement of dance artists speaking about
ming, experimental activity and environment, and challenging
their practice and defining a language that articulates artistic
performance development without being able to afford studio
goals and critical reflection. Do you make that part of your
rentals and refusing to raise tuition. By taking class out of the
curriculum?
studio on a regular basis, we now have an invaluable part of our curriculum that gives our students a platform to research
DR: Yes, for sure. The ability to communicate and articulate
and challenge their notions of practice and performance in
what you are working on is an essential skill we address in the
relation to space and public.
program. There are several written projects throughout the years of MO that ask dancers to define their artistic and prac-
AK: A young dancer who wants professional training has a
tical goals, be descriptive about their strengths, weaknesses,
range of options, including dance programs at universities and
interests and approaches as well articulate their thoughts in
private institutions. How do you think these options compare?
many areas of their dancing and development. These exercises really help them develop that language. In dance processes
DR: Dance programs such as SFU, Arts Umbrella and Modus
we are constantly being asked to explain or describe no mat-
Operandi are all very different from each other and they offer
ter what role we are in and we are always mining and dis-
very different things and that is just 3 out of many options. I would encourage young dancers to do a lot of research to
16
Dance Central March/April/May 2017
assess what they are looking for, really understand what is being
cerned with theory and language, one related to the skill of
offered by the various options before they select one of the many
making objects and another focused on the ability to see and
institutional or other training options. Again the cost of dance edu-
critically reflect. To negotiate all of this and package it in such
cation is tough, given the limitations of the income available even
a way that one can offer a meaningful curriculum and also a
at a professional level. That’s why it’s really important for young
way for students to develop on their own terms, constitutes
dancers to do research before committing to any one avenue for
continually new ground. Dance, I believe, is shifting dramati-
multiple years.
cally in how it situates itself as a performing practice, and interacts with other disciplines compared to twenty or thirty
AK: If a young dancer approaches you and asks what your pro-
years ago. The word pedagogy is perhaps less reflective of a
gram offers, what would you say is unique about it?
specific method and more shorthand for how the conversation is continuing, in the community and with the students.
DR: MO is one student body and this means that for the majority of
How would you define it?
the student’s development they have access to the same maturity of information and opportunities as each other. This shared
TT : Ah! That’s hard for me to define. I agree with calling it a
environment and the level of individual mentorship supports a
conversation with the community and students. What feels
trajectory not based on credits, grades but on their own progress
most essential if we are going to engage in a relationship
and needs. Our application criteria is seeking a student body that
where we are housing a group of young people working,
reflects diverse experiences, bodies and skills that will reflect
is that they should feel they have the opportunity to chal-
the essential need for the profession to include different voices,
lenge the house they are doing that in, and that they feel like
people and dances. The diversity of students and programming fo-
they are supported in the process of discovering what they
cuses less on a central syllabus or aesthetic and more on opening
are becoming, as opposed to being dictated to about what
students to an enormous possibility of ways and reasons to dance
they should be. That seems like central values of what we
so they can discover the artist they want to be. This diversity cre-
should offer, and means that I have to keep transforming it
ates an environment where students learn an enormous amount
in my mind as an instructor, mentor, artist and seeing that as
from each other and where trial, error and risk are celebrated.
working together with our students, and also transforming
The educators are all active professionals who use their current
the actual structure of the program. Our students, regardless
practices, research and interests as the source of their classes. MO
of their history within or before MO or their specific interests
is striving to be responsive and adaptable and our students are
and skills that are developing, for the most part share the
encouraged to shape what MO becomes.
same class in the same room and the same opportunities together and hopefully they will share the same professional
AK: Is there such a thing as an overarching performance peda-
community. To me that suggests that the thing they share is
gogy; in your experience, or are pedagogies developed in relation
more of a commitment than anything else; something that
only to distinct forms such as ballet, contemporary dance, First
revitalizes daily curiosity, dedication, stamina and generosity.
Nations dance, flamenco, or any of the other forms that make up
These are the things that are becoming more obvious to me
the tapestry?
as one of the leaders of Modus Operandi, than what actual dances I am teaching. The program has changed so much,
DR: That is a big question. If you asked me that five years ago I
and I am hoping it will continue to do that. I think that the es-
may have attempted an answer in regards to contemporary dance
sential parts of my developing approach is to remain respon-
performance but it’s changing so fast and I’m always finding
sive, to listen, to stoke the individual fire in them that was
performance practices out there that I didn’t even know existed
already there before dance, to challenge my own institutions,
so I don’t think I can speak to this. I’m sure there are people out
to help students along the unknown, to not know and let
there working on it but it’s way out of my jurisdiction. There are so
them show me, to acknowledge that I am not the expert of
many different things coming together to form new things within
what they will become or a gatekeeper of their success and
contemporary performance today.
to share as much of my experience, energy and resources as possible.
AK: Any form of contemporary artistic training involves a range of shifting influences. For example, if you are training to become a
AK: Thank you!
visual artist now, there will be a media component, another conD a n c e C e n t ra l M a rc h / A p r i l / M ay 2 0 1 7
17
Dance Central March/April/May 2017