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.