International Exchange in Dance Annual of Contemporary Dance Double Issue 3.50 1963 • 1964
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7 INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE IN DANCE ANNUAL OF CONTEMPORARY DANCE DOUBLE ISSUE 3.50 1963 • 1964 • • WW * Copyright 1963 by Impulse Publications, Inc. l^yyKA' \s<s y Inde x S. I. Hayakawa THE UNACKNOWLEDGED LEGISLATORS 5 Rhoda Kellogg THE BIOLOGY OF ESTHETICS 9 Adele Wenig "IMPORTS AND EXPORTS" —1700-1940 16 Walter Sorell SOL THE MAGNIFICENT 29 Arthur Todd DANCE AS UNITED STATES CULTURAL AMBASSADOR 33 Walter Sorell A FAREWELL AND WELCOME 44 RECENT "EXPORTS" 46 as told to Rhoda Slanger Jean Erdman Meg Gordeau Paul Taylor as told to Joanna Gewertz Merce Cunningham Ann Halprin Jerry Mander THE UNKNOWN GUEST 56 Isadora Bennett SECOND THOUGHTS 63 Letter from Thomas R. Skelton STAGING ETHNIC DANCE 64 Thomas R. Skelton BALLET FOLKLORICO 71 Antonio Truyol NOTES FROM THE ARGENTINE 73 Ester Timbancaya DANCE IN THE PHILIPPINES^ 76 Joanna Gewertz THE BACCHAE 80 Ann Hutchinson NOTATION — A Means of International Communication 82 in Movement and Dance QLA Margaret Erlanger DANCE JOURNEYS 84 SPONSORSHIP AND SUPPORT 88 t> Editor: Marian Van Tuyl Editorial Board: Doris Dennison, Eleanor Lauer, Dorothy Harroun, Ann Glashagel, Joanna Gewertz; Elizabeth Harris Greenbie, Rhoda Kellogg, David Lauer, Bernice Peterson, Judy Foster, Adele Wenig, Rhoda Slanger, Ann Halprin, Dorrill Shadwell, Rebecca Fuller. Production Supervision: Lilly Weil Jaffe ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Cover design by David Lauer Photographs by courtesy of: San Francisco Chronicle 15 Harvard Theatre Collection 18, 19, 22, 23 Dance Collection: New York Public Library 21, 25, 26 Hurok Attractions, New York 29, 30, 31 Studio Roger Bedard, Quebec 31 Fay Foto Service, Inc., Boston 32 U.S. Information Service, Press Section, Photo Laboratory, Saigon, Vietnam 33 U.S. Information Service 34 John Lindquist, Boston 35 Peter Brunswick, El Al News Service, New York 36 El Al Airlines 37 Bob Larkin, New York 38 Martha Swope, New York 39 Bahechar Abdelkebir, Morocco 40 Hurok Concerts, Inc., New York 41 Asia Society Performing Arts Program 56, 58, 60, 61 Ballet Folkl6rico, Mexico, D.F. 71, 72 Annenarie Heinrich, Buenos Aires 73, 74, 75 Philippines Travel Information Office, San Francisco 77 Unless otherwise noted, photographs, charts and drawings are included by courtesy of the authors. Published by Impulse Publications, Inc., 160 Palo Alto Avenue, San Francisco 14, California. $3.50 per copy (mail orders, add 20C postage and handling; California orders also add 14? state tax per copy), checks payable to Impulse Publications, Inc. No part of the material herein may be reproduced without the consent of Impulse Publications, Inc., with the exception of short quotations used for reviews. Pref ace IMPULSE 1963-64, a double issue, is concerned are two assumptions. The first, presented by S. I. with international, intercultural communication. Hayakawa, who begins his essay with a quotation In the spring of 1962 when we started planning this from Shelly, "Poets are the unacknowledged legis issue, we went to Gertrude Macy, the Director of lators of the world," is translated by us to include the International Cultural Exchange Services of dancers and, particularly, choreographers. Time The American National Theatre and Academy, with and again, this non -verbal for m of communication — the suggestion that IMPULSE present the story dance—transcends national, cultural and language of ANTA sending American dancers and dance barriers to establish immediate person-to-person companies abroad under the auspices of the United contact in many parts of the world. An officer in the States State Department's Cultural Exchange Pro United States Information Service reports that dance gram from 1954 to the present time. Miss Macy is second only to jazz in importance and acceptance agreed that it was an important aspect of dance in the State Department Intercultural Program. history to be presented to our subscribers, and suggested that Arthur Todd would be an excellent The second assumption is based upon the work of person to undertake this assignment, which he has Rhoda Kellogg presented in her article, "The done in his article, "Dance as United States Cultural Biology of Esthetics," a result of 20 years work Ambassador." in child art, in which she shows conclusively that early drawings of children all over the world are This issue of IMPULSE did not "grow like Topsy," similar. Only later, when the individual culture into but, rather, itwas a "Sorcerer's Apprentice" situ which the child is born influences the child, do we ation. Such a wealth of material became available find the distinctive cultural differences which are that it was decided to publish a double issue. Since apparent in art production. People must be taught each article serves a particular purpose in the to be different. whole, it was impossible to divide it into two vol umes. It is difficult to make a cut-off point with Although such an extensive study of movement and so many exciting and controversial developments dance has not yet been undertaken, it would appear taking place. So, perhaps more than ever before, that there is a similar substratum of movement we must reiterate that we date our material, and common to all human beings no matter into what exhort our readers to realize that statements made geographical location they are born. Communi reflect opinions, attitudes, and available facts cation in dance, a non-verbal art, is therefore presented by qualified persons in dance and related possible in spite of cultural differences. For the fields. sophisticated individual in any of the arts these very differences account for excitement and pleasure in Essays range from theoretical considerations to his experience as audience. The mathematician historical surveys and "current events"; from Sylvester made the formulation that it is important reference listings for students of dance history to "to see the differences in the similarities and the practical suggestions for individuals desiring in similarities in the differences." Walter Sorell, in formation concerning possibilities for study abroad; his essay, "A Farewell and Welcome," indicates from reports of avant-garde dance theatre in some of these contrasts. They are implicit in the Europe to study and teaching under Fulbright sub various "Notes from Abroad." sidy. We include "Imports" as well as "Exports" in IMPULSE this year, so that our "Notes from One important factor in the whole subject of in Abroad" are an integral and important section of ternational, intercultural exchange, which is not the book. explicitly dealt with in this issue of IMPULSE, is the question of the deterioration of art under culture Underlying the varied constituent parts of this issue contact. We can bemoan the loss of the "pure 630508 forms " and set up museums to preserve them. This, performing company true to the culture it repre of course, is most difficult in dance, somewhat less sents. The article "Dance in the Philippines" by so in music. But the contacts must come. Barbara Ester Timbancaya, shows varied cultural strands Morgan, sensitive and perceptive photographer and and influences, historically and in the contemporary painter, has said that the world is now a "Waring sense. Ann Hutchinson sees Labanotation as a Blendor." Change is the only certainty, and we may means of international communication. Indeed, it as well accept it —indeed, even welcome it. Rather adds another dimension, in that, potentially at least, than weakening the forms of art, these contacts will dance can become one of the "time-binding" arts, eventually lead to a "hybrid vigor." Throughout the at last. Dances can be passed on from one genera history of art, as the forms become attenuated new tion to the next in "written" form, as wellas across life was instilled into them by "going back to the soil" language barriers at any given time. and infusing folk materials into the "fine arts." An example of such change is in the evolution of the Dancers are, as a rule, so dedicated to dancing Sarabande coming to Spain from the West Indies that economic considerations take a very second as a lascivious solo dance for women which was place. This attitude is a source of fascination to banned by the Church, to become, in time, the "hard-headed" businessmen. The question which solemn and sometimes almost reverant section of must be answered now is how the costs of the ex the Pre-Classic Suite. change program should be met—how much private subsidy and how much government support? This Rabindrinath Tagore, speaking about dance, said, is a controversial subject which is given considera "We must never shut it within the bounds of stagnant tion in this issue, both by direct discussion and ideal, nor define it as either Indian or oriental or by implication. occidental, for such finality only robs it of life's privilege, which is freedom." Intercultural con By now it is apparent that this year IMPULSE is tacts are evident inthe performances of the Ballet concerned with a wide range of the complicated Folklo'rico of Mexico, where Anna Sokolow, Jose factors in the lively area of international, inter Limon, Tom Skelton and other artists from the cultural exchange in dance. IMPULSE 1963-64 is United States have worked. Tom Skelton, in his prepared and published as a source book in dance essay, "Staging Ethnic Dance," displays a cultural at this date. MVT sensitivity, and describes methods for building a NOTE: Each year IMPULSE has been published as a source book of ideas, attitudes, and facts presented by qualified individuals invited to contribute to this Annual of Contemporary Dance. In this issue we have continued this policy. IMPULSE cannot hope to be an encyclopedia. We are aware that we do not list all the dance companies or individual dancers that have gone abroad in recent years. The ANTA listing is complete in itself. "Recent Exports" presents only a few individuals describing personal experiences.