Paul Taylor dance troupe shares American culture

Paul Taylor dance troupe shares American culture

By Edi Sedyawati

JAKARTA (JP): There must be good reasons for the selection of
Paul Taylor's Dance Company by the White House Millennium Council
in the U.S. to become the official "Cultural Ambassadors of the
United States". The U.S. ambassador to Indonesia has expressed
his hope that the two-day performance of that group at Taman
Ismail Marzuki (Dec. 3 and Dec. 4) provided an opportunity for
"sharing American culture".

Of course this is especially an act of sharing or appreciation
that could only be fully experienced by the audience present at
the performances. It could have been more effective if whole
features representing the best of Paul Taylor's works were
broadcast through public media. In this way, a greater number of
Indonesian television viewers could enjoy a break from all those
sex and violence serials that, as a matter of fact, for the
general public represent the cultural image of the U.S.

A true "spirit of cultural exchange and cooperation", a
symmetrical one, or even a fair asymmetrical one, is indeed
expected to be more vigorously pursued in the future, as it was
only carried out sporadically in the past.

To dance students, Paul Taylor is well known as an exponent of
the "third generation" of modern American dance choreographers.
The first generation was pioneered by Isadora Duncan and the
second one by Martha Graham, the latter who is an important
sources of ideas for Taylor.

At the beginning of his career as a choreographer, Paul Taylor
vigorously pursued new ideas and movement techniques, thus
enriching his repertory with a variety of styles and themes.
Currently however, from an observation of his works performed at
TIM, one cannot but be convinced that he has arrived at a fixed
style, manifested by several aspects recurring in his works. (At
least those chosen for the Jakarta performance.)

One trait that recurred in his works was the evident technical
foundation on classical ballet, although it was always tempered
with modifications and an expansion of classical movements.

His performers mostly dance barefoot, or wearing shoes
(Spanish style, or other kinds, but never the classical ballet
shoes). The expansion in the movement repertory includes the
swaying and undulating movement of the whole torso. Leg movements
and steps include many unconventional actions (compared to
classical ballet), such as sliding the soles on the ground,
making angles at the knee and changing the dancer's weight from
the left to the right leg. As an example, in one of the male-
female duets, the female dancer steps on the upper end of the
flexed leg of her partner. As a legacy of the Martha Graham
technique and subsequent choreographers, Paul Taylor also uses
leg or whole body movements on the ground, hence dancers may
crawl or roll on the ground.

Humorous and playful movements appear from time to time in his
compositions, such as two dancers thrusting and touching their
foreheads together. Cutting off the logic of sequential movements
also engenders a feeling of surprise and amusement.

Virtuoso technical feats are found in his compositions, such
as performing a pirouette in a close duet in a difficult position
against each other, as seen in Piazzolla Caldera (1997). There is
also his quick "rotating wheel" movement performed by two perfect
controlled male dancers. A dancer carrying another dancer on his
back, both in a variety of dance positions, is also a point of
exploration for the choreographer.

A culturally interesting feature that I observed in the works
presented in Jakarta was an impression that Paul Taylor allows a
sufficient amount of liberty to his dancers to perform with their
respective inclinations for style and bearing. This was mostly
observable when a group danced in unison. The impression was
something akin to seeing bedhaya, a Javanese group dance.

Composition of movements was fluid, yet innovative with
occasional surprises. What adds very much to the delight of a
very moving dance perfectly performed by first class dancers, is
the stage set and lighting. Arden Court began with a black
spotted floor (achieved with soft blocks of light) and backdrop.
The dancers' costumes were also dotted with pastel on white
flowerlike designs. Eventide had an impressive scenic back screen
depicting a silhouette of trees, with nuances ranging between
bright yellow and misty brown, while the floor for this piece was
especially changed into an all-white stage.

The costumes for the male and female dancers was dainty and
romantic, and the dance itself exposed the different mood and
type of relations between each male-female pair.

The last dance, Piazzolla Caldera, had a Spanish flavor, both
in movements and costume. The performers' clapping of their
thighs was a distinguishing feature. Eleven low-hanging covered
light bulbs sometimes moved, following the dance's progression.

For an Indonesian audience though, the bare hips and upper
thighs of the female dancers apparent in various movements, may
have been occasionally cause for embarrassment.

Despite this small reservation, congratulations to the U.S.
Embassy in Jakarta, the Jakarta Arts Foundation and Taman Ismail
Marzuki for being able to present a classy performance.