Art & Ethics Live Blog
My dance class is so smart people have no idea. We joke, we kid, “I am a dancer I can count to 8, that’s all I need.” Hah, be prepared for some anecdotal discussion of arts and their relationship to social justice. Somewhat live-blogged – consider yourself forewarned. (My thoughts in parenthesis.)
8:37AM – Thank you for coffee (tall Americano, high ceiling … the nectar of life): The performing arts allow oppressed individuals to examine their lives and work toward revolution through self-expression and discovery.
8:42AM – Is social Justice inherently self-discovery and performance? … Almost, but not entirely, it helps get you there, but there must be further political action. Being able to participate in the arts, theatre is a mirror that is a reflection of society: the public must see their reflection in the mirror.
8:45AM – The arts bring awareness, their ambiguity does not bring action, but arouses emotion. Artists are permanent recreators of their realities.
8:48AM – Not every performance is going to aim to change the world, some may some may not, it depends on the motivations of the performers. It depends on its relationship to the context of the moment.
8:53AM – Some dance is inherently social justice. The restorative power of an oppressed people comes through the arts. I.e. Tap dance (any and all Africanist dance for that matter): you will take my drum I will keep the rhythm with my feet. (mmm coffee)
8:56AM – “American market mentality” – who wants to pay to be upset (GOD I LOVE AMERICAN LIBERALISM). We avoid conflict, reality, confrontation; we strip ourselves of context and remain ignorant. We must bring out a broader consciousness and awareness. Understanding the context allows it to operate on an entirely different level.
9:01AM – If theatre does not intend to have political actions, but if they are exploring the identity are they inherently participating in an act of social justice? The identity of the oppressed may be leveled and identified. The arts will represent their society in all contexts, critical, praise, political, etc. They are a barometer of social development.
9:05AM – In the US. We are afforded the freedom to add context, in a sense we must exercise the option or imagine the capacity to access the deeper meanings of arts, we are in an unconscious state of dependence.
9:11AM – Theatre is catered to the wealthier side of the spectrum stateside. As we cater to the elitist crowd, the quality of the audience declines (they have you get the Rolls or the Jag-You-Are – Fr. Drance) I paid for it ;; Freedom. Should the artists refuse to go on stage because the tickets are so high? Does the artists conscience prevent them from fully experiencing the audience.
9:17AM – The performing arts is of service to social justice when a person educates, advises, and entertains the public with truth and reality. If drama does not provoke it is a deodorant to sanitize society.
9:22AM – The artist to entertain? Entertainment rests the soul – Augustine. (No I will not be your monkey, I will not dance for you so you will be entertained, unless that is my aim. What about dance that is simply to play to enjoy, to relish in the movement? To do so may be liberating. But what about the business man who needs to see jazz hands once a month – it is his Prozac, if I can help him with that is it not an act of social justice?) Entertainment provides rest, and may allow a message to enter their consciousness. Issue: with “entertainment in social justice, in order for this to be effective must it be entertaining as well.”
9:28AM – Entertainment: to take into consideration to have in view, to maintain in theory in thoughts and feelings – OED. From middle French, entre + tenir, among + to hold. We support the audience; we empower others and ourselves.
9:29AM – The idea is not to let the audience off the hook, but it is to compel them to action. The revolutionary leader will engage and entertain the leader.
9:38AM – What Izzie said should not be put here, it would do it grave injustice.
9:45AM – Dance is so capable of articulating what cannot be said. In Graham’s lamentations the dancer is capable of dancing supreme sorrow and suffering, these actions are incapable to be articulated in any other way. Movement language is culturally imbibed in such a way that movement transcends because it is not dependent on universal experience.
9:51AM – Students look to established artists for guidance. It is not up to the artists to tell you what to do, but to push you to act. Oppression is a necessary thing for movements to survive.
10:12AM – (Fierce discussion, firebombs were thrown, good times were had). Oppressed art must come within the oppressed community, an organic movement. Culture is going to influence Africans when they were brought to America. Ailey – Revolutions was a ballet, but it spoke to a certain community. You no longer have exclusive rights to the language of ballet – a huge act of social rebellion.
10:35AM – (Back from break, more coffee and more food) Re-discussion of African-Americans and the stripping of identity of the identity (Ed note: full disclosure I am white and by no means am I going to Bork myself on this discussion … yes I am my own editor, get over it). Identify that we have come from Africa, but we are who we are now. We must acknowledge where we are from but there is immediate context presently that must be recognized.
Let me just say that my class is so incredibly inspiring, you are all geniouses, and I love you all.
8:37AM – Thank you for coffee (tall Americano, high ceiling … the nectar of life): The performing arts allow oppressed individuals to examine their lives and work toward revolution through self-expression and discovery.
8:42AM – Is social Justice inherently self-discovery and performance? … Almost, but not entirely, it helps get you there, but there must be further political action. Being able to participate in the arts, theatre is a mirror that is a reflection of society: the public must see their reflection in the mirror.
8:45AM – The arts bring awareness, their ambiguity does not bring action, but arouses emotion. Artists are permanent recreators of their realities.
8:48AM – Not every performance is going to aim to change the world, some may some may not, it depends on the motivations of the performers. It depends on its relationship to the context of the moment.
8:53AM – Some dance is inherently social justice. The restorative power of an oppressed people comes through the arts. I.e. Tap dance (any and all Africanist dance for that matter): you will take my drum I will keep the rhythm with my feet. (mmm coffee)
8:56AM – “American market mentality” – who wants to pay to be upset (GOD I LOVE AMERICAN LIBERALISM). We avoid conflict, reality, confrontation; we strip ourselves of context and remain ignorant. We must bring out a broader consciousness and awareness. Understanding the context allows it to operate on an entirely different level.
9:01AM – If theatre does not intend to have political actions, but if they are exploring the identity are they inherently participating in an act of social justice? The identity of the oppressed may be leveled and identified. The arts will represent their society in all contexts, critical, praise, political, etc. They are a barometer of social development.
9:05AM – In the US. We are afforded the freedom to add context, in a sense we must exercise the option or imagine the capacity to access the deeper meanings of arts, we are in an unconscious state of dependence.
9:11AM – Theatre is catered to the wealthier side of the spectrum stateside. As we cater to the elitist crowd, the quality of the audience declines (they have you get the Rolls or the Jag-You-Are – Fr. Drance) I paid for it ;; Freedom. Should the artists refuse to go on stage because the tickets are so high? Does the artists conscience prevent them from fully experiencing the audience.
9:17AM – The performing arts is of service to social justice when a person educates, advises, and entertains the public with truth and reality. If drama does not provoke it is a deodorant to sanitize society.
9:22AM – The artist to entertain? Entertainment rests the soul – Augustine. (No I will not be your monkey, I will not dance for you so you will be entertained, unless that is my aim. What about dance that is simply to play to enjoy, to relish in the movement? To do so may be liberating. But what about the business man who needs to see jazz hands once a month – it is his Prozac, if I can help him with that is it not an act of social justice?) Entertainment provides rest, and may allow a message to enter their consciousness. Issue: with “entertainment in social justice, in order for this to be effective must it be entertaining as well.”
9:28AM – Entertainment: to take into consideration to have in view, to maintain in theory in thoughts and feelings – OED. From middle French, entre + tenir, among + to hold. We support the audience; we empower others and ourselves.
9:29AM – The idea is not to let the audience off the hook, but it is to compel them to action. The revolutionary leader will engage and entertain the leader.
9:38AM – What Izzie said should not be put here, it would do it grave injustice.
9:45AM – Dance is so capable of articulating what cannot be said. In Graham’s lamentations the dancer is capable of dancing supreme sorrow and suffering, these actions are incapable to be articulated in any other way. Movement language is culturally imbibed in such a way that movement transcends because it is not dependent on universal experience.
9:51AM – Students look to established artists for guidance. It is not up to the artists to tell you what to do, but to push you to act. Oppression is a necessary thing for movements to survive.
10:12AM – (Fierce discussion, firebombs were thrown, good times were had). Oppressed art must come within the oppressed community, an organic movement. Culture is going to influence Africans when they were brought to America. Ailey – Revolutions was a ballet, but it spoke to a certain community. You no longer have exclusive rights to the language of ballet – a huge act of social rebellion.
10:35AM – (Back from break, more coffee and more food) Re-discussion of African-Americans and the stripping of identity of the identity (Ed note: full disclosure I am white and by no means am I going to Bork myself on this discussion … yes I am my own editor, get over it). Identify that we have come from Africa, but we are who we are now. We must acknowledge where we are from but there is immediate context presently that must be recognized.
Let me just say that my class is so incredibly inspiring, you are all geniouses, and I love you all.
posted by Godot at 5:54 PM
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