Dennis
> From: Stephan Koplowitz <SKoplowitz@packer.edu>
> To: dance-tech@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
> Subject: Re: serious work
> Date: Friday, September 05, 1997 6:24 PM
>
> dance-tech@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu,Internet writes:
> so i must take exception to
> "(or perhaps _particularly_ its attendant hype) is more
> likely to hurt serious work with dance and technology than promote it."
>
> 'cuz a truely 'serious' piece - will sooner or later - stand on its own
merits
>
> its not the presence of "failed to be serious" work that hurts dance and
> technology it is its absence
>
>
> so's i have a question to you dance techer's ... what is serious work?
...
> where is it? ... why do we need it?
>
> Dear Nik,
>
> Thank you so much for your response (the whole thing..)
>
> Look, I don't know what the protocol is in these listserv's etc....and
perhaps
> I missed something, but if Sarah is actually the choreographer or the
person
> most responsible for "leaping into the net" performance, I frankly found
Mr.
> Povall's response to her work quite unfair to Sarah...surely those words
could
> have been sent to her privately (perhaps he could have initiated a
dialogue
> with her prior to making his post...)....this kind of posting makes me
really
> question what is the real purpose of this group? Someone help me out
here, what
> did the folks who started this group intend? Is it to rip into people's
work
> in front of an audience of readers many of whom have not seen the same
work?
> This doesn't seem to be bringing anyone "together" or seem to make for a
very
> inviting atmosphere for dialogue and exchange...I'm not saying that Mr.
Povall
> should in anyway change his opinion about the work or not share it but
this
> kind of instant dialogue with a 100 people can get sticky...it's like
being at
> a party with a bunch of people and then stopping everyone's conversations
to
> say: "hey everyone, Sarah's work sucked! just thought you should know!"
> Etiquette at such a gathering would be to approach Sarah and ask her a
few
> questions....how did she feel the concert went? What would she do
differently
> next time? What were her GOALS and intentions...? We have this technology
that
> enables us to contact people easily and privately, it would seem we
should use
> it with discretion....but I'm sure I've got the wrong model of what this
> listserv or any listserv is but I can't help but write that I felt quite
a
> chill by Mr. Povalls words and to be fair to him, perhaps he did not mean
for
> them to come off as "chilly" as they did....
>
> "Sorry to seem so negative, Sarah if you're listening...." Is Sarah a
part of
> this listserv? If she is not, it would be fair for Mr. Povall to have
sent his
> post to her too....I'm assuming she is a member and will ultimately
"listen" to
> his words.....
>
> Personally, I have no interest in making "serious work" or anything
remotely
> resembling anything connected to nonlinear, non-narrative whatever....if
I've
> signed up somewhere to pass that litmus test get me out of here....terms
like
> "serious work" are terms that ultimately have no meaning...is a work less
> serious because it is popular? is Pop music less serious than
contemporary
> concert fare? Did the Beatles write "serious" music or was it Charles
Ives? or
> no, not him, he sold insurance....I've made several dances in my career
with
> dancers who have little or no "serious" dance trainning and I've
presented the
> work as part of my seasons here in New York...does that make it less
"serious"
> The work I present for the stage is accessible, easily understood by all
> audiences..does that make the work less "serious"? If so...well, I wear
the
> badge of making less "serious" work proudly...
>
> The other aspect of Mr. Povall's posting that gave me pause is that it
implied
> that there was a "right" way or a more "pure" method to use dance and
> technology (" A few screens from Netscape mocked up in Director does not
really
> make for a dialog between live dance and the virtual world")
> The product may not always speak to everyone intellectually, politically
or
> spiritually or whatever but I think a view of our place in time, a
perspective
> that takes into a account that so much of what we are calling "advanced"
> "sophisticated" etc technology will be viewed as "elementary"
"prehistoric" etc
> in a few years time....surely Sarah's concert in Cleveland isn't going to
hurt
> the march of "progress"...
>
> >From what I can tell, Sarah is interested in reaching new
audiences....it also
> sounds like she wants to somehow present an aspect of her online
experience to
> an audience....sounds great....she also got a lot of publicity for her
work
> (good for her!)....that is wonderful and in this day when the arts are
being
> attacked in Congress etc, this can't really hurt anyone...
>
> I'll stop now....
>
> Steve
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -------------------------
> Packer Collegiate Institute
> Brooklyn, NY USA