CONTRA 2: Connect and Disconnect

CONTRA is a series of articles that attempts to look at aspects of the performing arts that seem to be on opposing ends of the spectrum but in fact are related to each other more closely than we assume. Since we attempt to look at mostly intangible aspects of the performing arts in this series, with emphasis on dance, the subjective nature of such articles throws open a lot of questions for deliberation. We hope that these questions will ignite thought and discussion with our readers. We welcome your opinions, experiences and notes to share.

The act of creating a piece can happen in silos or through collaboration. It can happen in solitude or in the buzzing milieu of crowds. It can happen within four bare walls or amidst the blinding colours of a flowery valley. It can happen with complete logistical support or with bare minimum essentials in place. It can happen during times of war or peace. This is not a debate or a pick-and-chose between these methods or circumstances of creation. This article intends to shed light from a learner/student's perspective, on how artistes connect or disconnect, in all of these methods and times.  'Connect with what?!' you may wonder. Read on.

Connecting with Vocabulary - the springboard

The one thing students of dance are constantly reminded of is to dive deeper into learnt vocabulary if they would like to create. And every student realises the weight of these reminders when indeed a deeper dive provides a fresh perspective. That being a given, does vocabulary become malleable at any point in the learning curve? When does one intuitively know the places in the vocabulary that one could depart from? In other words, when, where and how does one truly connect with learnt vocabulary and learn to depart from it, if ever?

The answer to this may seem either elusive or only too obvious (another moment of contradiction perhaps!) Many a time, the intention to go beyond learnt vocabulary becomes so strong that we forget to see the expanse and capability of what we have learnt. It then becomes a case of deviating for the sake of it. On the contrary, if we create exercises of deep engagement with the vocabulary itself, departures may reveal themselves at some point. If they don't, it is best to assume that at this point of the learning curve, a departure is not necessary. If they do appear, it can be a point in the creative journey that could lead to exciting adventures. 

Task: To understand this possibility, here is an experiment. Pick a piece of information that is current/contemporary. Read about it, research about it, mull over it. And then let it be. Now, indulge in a practice session that focusses on the abstract/pure dance aspect. Let it be. A few hours after the practice, do a quick mental flash card of the information you researched and the dance you practiced. Is there an overlap? (this can take a few attempts to get comfortable with; but could be a worthwhile exercise for students to understand the depth of learnt vocabulary).

Connecting to the Self 

In a collaboration between two or more people, is it always possible to find conviction in what is being created? Yes, if it is a collaboration between similar sensibilities and small egos. No, if power equations override creative sense. Let us remain in a happy place and consider a collaboration that is conducive to much creative exploration- for all involved. A collaboration can not only help you see another person's perspective, it can help sharpen you own sense of self and conviction. For any student of art, to be able to constantly assess and acknowledge their convictions is paramount to pursuing the arts with a sense of fulfilment. And so connecting with another person or style can provide one with a sense of renewed connect with one's own ideas and evolving mind/body. 

Is there a time when one would want to disconnect from one's own reality? Irrespective of whether we 'want' to disconnect or not; it can be a way to understanding connect. By pushing yourself beyond your comfortable definition of self, exploring content or a method that you would consider as disconnected from you can open yet another window to peek into your convictions with objectivity. 

Task: Learn a piece/excerpt that has been choreographed in a style different from yours. Stay with this piece even as you continue to practice other pieces in your own style of preference. After a fortnight of this practice, journal what you felt embodying* another style. (*embodying is used here in a simplistic definition)

Connecting with Society

Art and society are connected so integrally that this might seem as a no-brainer. 'Of course, one must connect with society when one creates.' But this is a statement that takes on so many different connotations- and that is where the student's dilemma begins. In the current scope of art negotiating with society at large, one is faced with several assumptions. 'Art Reflecting society' is most often misconstrued as 'showcasing the dreary negative'. It is important that we understand the difference between 'showing' and 'reflecting'. When we reflect, we take in all that is happening around us in objectivity, understand it from as many perspectives as possible and create out of a space that has been informed by multiple means. The resultant piece may be a 'happy' or 'disturbing' one. It could speak of a fantasy far removed from reality, and yet connect with society in the truest sense. 

There are also those who have found profound meaning to their journey in the arts through experiences and exercises of great withdrawal from society. Does this then qualify as a disconnect from society? or do they withdraw in order to come out to renew a relationship with society? Both are possibilities, depending on what intention evolves into. This is probably a disconnect that would be a worthwhile exercise for anyone pursuing the performing arts to attain clarity of intent and engagement, given the noise that can sometimes drown our own voices. 

'The creative mind is often termed 'whimsical'; taking leaps, sudden turns and twists, dives and more at the most unpredictable points in the creative journey. But this quality is what creative minds hold on to - almost as if it were their rightful possession. Funny how an intangible aspect of art can be construed by artistes as if it were tangible.'

Published in Ananya Kalasinchana November 2020. Do not reprint without permission of Editor.