Nothing Personal
It's called show business, not show fun.
So let me ask… Do dancers or ballettiers (whatever) always do “what is written on the page”?? I have come to understand that musicianship is becoming a lost art, and that if it is not written “on the page” it will not get done.
Since dancers don’t read from a “page” as it were, do you interpret things artistically… musically? Or do you just do what your told?
Oh, we are CONSTANTLY reinterpreting! There is no such thing as “writing on the page” for us, all we have is (sometimes) video, and otherwise just what your director or master remembers. With this pas de deux that I just did we changed about 40% of the small details because they weren’t working for us, they weren’t flowing with the music, we wanted to hold some things more than the couple that did it last year and felt better going more quickly through other parts. Both versions come off as “musical” but if we try to shove ourselves into the other couple’s style then it comes off as forced and unnatural, almost definitely unmusical, and definitely not spontaneous.
It’s tragic to hear that this is happening in music. This is by far the best part of being a dancer, for me, when I feel I’ve done this particular dance in a way that can only be done best by me - you can’t see someone else do it exactly like this.
Wow, I meant to run off to the movies 15 minutes ago! This has been quite a diverting conversation!
