Ok, question of the night.
Why do we go through the struggles of working the way that we do, as a collective?
GO!
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About Me
- The Space/Movement Project
- TS/MP consists of: Larisa Eastman Allyson Esposito Anne Kasdorf Maggie Koller Leah Raffanti Megan Schneeberger Stacy Wolfson
4 comments:
I'm just gonna make a list:)
*Originally we started this whole thing as a vehicle to create/perform work on our own terms.
*to be able to share our artistic visions and create something truly unique
*to have a place to feel safe and experiment without being judged!
*a place to pull amazing dancers from, to practice technique with, and feel each others energies, and to learn from them.
-Stacy
The lone struggle of being an independent artist shouldn't be seen as something that is easier than that of working in a collective environment. The natural urge of banding together offers an empowering security, and yet the presence of company brings forth a equal amount of challenges. As a collective of artists, we have the incredible privelege of being able to struggle in a space that is automatically collectively supported, something that independent artists could lack if they do not have a forum for feedback in place. We are able to question ourselves out loud, to a group of peers, working towards the same artistic goal.
There is no question that working intensively as a collective is extremely hard. It has taken us a long time to figure out how to manage ten extremely big personalities in a way that highlights all our strengths. The great thing is: we get to be apart of eachother's successes and combine our reputations to make this company something we can be proud of.
Above all that I find that he feeling of community is vibrant within our midst. We are never producing a stale product because of the diversity in background and opinion that flows out of us all. And we are constantly evolving. Right now we have a collection of dances that has been choreographed by pretty much the same people over the last two years. The beauty of our project, though, is that in another two years other company members could have decided to produce work and our repertory may look completely different. This is not to say that a personal evolution is lacking in each company member, but that the pressure to just produce is off...we can all take the right moment to say what is on our minds.
This explanation is pretty central to my personal experience, but hopefully this helps:
This company allows dancers (i.e. me) to take ownership of their skill as performers. We thrive on the individuality of our respective movement styles, and that allows me to recognize and access a fuller potential in my dancing. Within this collective I feel like a strong and powerful mover.
It's important to the group that we are all learning to run a dance company together; pooling together whatever resources we can amass to successfully operate. There is a great deal of input and support behind any and all decisions. I like being a part of the administrative challenges as much as the artistic challenges. Well, maybe it's 60% creative 40% administrative-something like that. My point is that I really enjoy helping this company function on multiple levels.
--Anne--
A great deal of what has already been said resonates for me. I'll try to summarize in my own words what's really keeping me in the collective:
-I believe that the desicion to work as a group in support of one another is an experiment and research into a different kind of value system, and one that is sorely needed.
-I believe the work that a company produces contains multiple levels of meaning which are reflected in the company strucutre and working methods. At some level, even our most abstract dances contain a statement about partnership, shared resources, building and healing community.
-When I'm not feeling panicked and distraught about it, I really truly enjoy the challenges and rewards of working closely as a group. I believe this aspect of things can only grow more rich with time, and as we get more clear about what our values and goals are as an organization.
-It seems to me that there are a number of different responses one can take when they don't like the way things are. Making a community for ourselves to grow in seems like a great response. I, personally, have felt so nourished by this organization on so many levels. I beleive that there is even greater potential for us to build this into something that nourishes and sustains our creative energies both as individuals and as a group.
-and finally, that's what's its all about, nourishing and sustaining our creative energies (as individuals and as a group) so we can continue to develop and share our gifts (which, knowing all of you, I feel confident in stating are many). Zee makes a great point in saying that neither road is easiest. But it is a choice, and in choosing to work as part of a group like this you connect your own work to something larger than itself, while simoultanesly accepting the challenge of being humble.
that, perhaps, made little sense. when the day is done, I really enjoy spending time with you all. If we weren't dancers, maybe I'd want to just kick back and hang out with you. But luckily, (ohmigosh) we are.
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