BETWEEN MODERN DANCE AND INTERCULTURAL PERFORMANCE: THE MULTIPLE TRUTHS OF THE BIRD BELLY PRINCESS Heather Strohschein A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF MUSIC August 2007 Committee: David Harnish, Advisor Steven Cornelius © 2007 Heather Strohschein All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT David Harnish, Advisor Cultural appropriation or “theft” is a point of contention among scholars and performers. When American performance artists use non-Western cultural elements— such as music, dance, or material items—questions of authenticity, identity, and entitlement are raised. Researchers, who often have the benefit of objective distance, tend to feel that appropriation is wrong, that a more essentialist approach is needed. Performers tend to take a “Romantic individualist’s” viewpoint, believing that the creative process and the contribution of their art to humanity as a whole should allow them to take inspiration from any source, regardless of the culture. This thesis is an examination of these stances on cultural appropriation in relation to modern dance, music, and intercultural performance. The focus of the examination is At Last, The Tale of the Bird Belly Princess, Tien-Savi-Tsuru-Chak, a production directed and choreographed by Professor Tammyan Starr, a dance instructor at Bowling Green State University, that incorporated elements of Korean and Balinese music and dance. I begin by situating this production within the history of modern dance and the ideology of intercultural performance. I then consider the continuum created by the Romantic individualist and essentialist poles. Ideas of authenticity, identity, and appropriation are examined in light of these two ideologies. A close analysis of the non-Western costuming, props, music and dance used in Bird Belly Princess provides the opportunity iv for the application of the aforementioned ideas to a specific work. Multiple perspectives on the purpose and perception of Bird Belly Princess are also taken into account. Through close examination of this production, I posit the necessity of examining a single work from many angles in order to understand the various “truths” that it expresses. I also consider the ethnomusicologist’s role in the study of dance; what the ethnomusicologist can learn by understanding dance as a cultural phenomenon. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This thesis could not have been completed without the love and support of many people. My thanks go to my family for their unwavering support and for pushing me when I needed it the most. To Sam Closz and Dan Schellhas, thank you for being my constant companions for the past two years. To Professor Tammy Starr, thank you for opening up a whole new world of possibilities, thank you for letting me play changgo for you, and thank you for never being too busy to explain something to me! My thanks also to Mary Jo Freshley and to all the members of the University Performing Dancers, past and present; it’s been a great ride. Last, but definitely not least, my thanks are due to the wonderful teachers I have had the privilege of studying with. Chris Williams, thank you for your constant support and encouragement. To Dr. David Harnish and Dr. Steven Cornelius: thank you for the past five years. Thank you for expecting so much of me. Dr. Harnish, it has been wonderful working with you on this thesis. Thank you for all your insight. Dr. Cornelius, thank you for all the laughter and all the tears; they are equally precious to me. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 1 How I Tell the Tale of the Bird Belly Princess……………………………………... 1 My Role in the Tale……………………………………………………………….. 5 My Field …………………………………………………………………………… 7 An Ethnomusicologist Looks at Dance……………………………………………. 8 Literature Review…………………………………………………………………... 10 CHAPTER I. MODERN DANCE AND INTERCULTURAL PERFORMANCE.............. 14 Modern Dance ........................................................................................................... 14 Intercultural Performance…………………………………………………………... 20 Perspectives………………………………………………………………………… 24 CHAPTER II. ISSUES OF CONTENTION ........................................................................ 31 Opposite Ends of a Continuum…………………………………………………….. 32 Authenticity…………………………………………………………………………. 33 Identity……………………………………………………………………………… 36 Appropriation……………………………………………………………………….. 41 CHAPTER III. DEVELOPMENT OF BIRD BELLY PRINCESS........................................ 46 Tammyan Starr: Director and Choreographer……………………………………… 46 The Story…………………………………………………………………………… 48 Characters………………………………………………………………………….. 49 vii Costumes and Props................................................................................................... 50 Music……………………………………………………………………………….. 59 Dance………………………………………………………………………………. 62 Bird Belly Princess: Modern Dance or Intercultural Performance?............................ 66 CHAPTER IV. THE “TRUTHS” OF BIRD BELLY PRINCESS ......................................... 70 Motivations, Inspirations, and Perspectives………………………………………... 70 (Mis)Interpretations ................................................................................................... 77 Complexities of Appropriation……………………………………………………… 82 CHAPTER V. “APOLOGY IS FUTILE:” PERSONAL INSIGHT AND PERSPECTIVES 86 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 90 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figures Page 1 Legong Dancer........................................................................................................... 51 2 Meghan Gillette in legong costume ........................................................................... 51 3 Narrator Princess in Puspanjali Costume.................................................................. 52 4 Meghan Gillette, Sarah Yachanin, and Spiders ......................................................... 53 5 Elise Hanson in Spider makeup ................................................................................. 54 6 Dannosuke, Kabuki Kumadori stage makeup............................................................ 54 7 Star Dancers in modified Sogochum costumes.......................................................... 55 8 Celebration Dancer in modified Sogochum costume................................................. 55 9 Gillette and Fish Dancers…………………………………………………………... 56 10 Gillette in Water Fan……………………………………………………………….. 57 11 Traditional performance of Buchaechum…………………………………………... 57 12 Star Dancers………………………………………………………………………… 64 13 Celebration Dance………………………………………………………………….. 66 ix GLOSSARY Hanbok – a traditional Korean costume consisting of a short jacket (jeogori), a pair of light pants (paji), an under-chima (slip), and a skirt (chima) Chima – skirt to a woman’s hanbok Sogo – Korean farmer’s dance Buchaechum – Korean fan dance Samul’nori – popular name for Korean dance/drumming ensemble Changgo – hourglass-shaped Korean drum Jing – medium sized Korean gong Puk – Korean double-headed frame drum Kwanggeri – small, Korean hand-held gong x SYNOPSIS OF BIRD BELLY PRINCESS As I will be referring to specific sections of the performance throughout this thesis, a brief synopsis of At Last, The Tale of the Bird Belly Princess, Tien-savi-tsuru-chak is in order. The story called for a total of fifteen performers: two Princesses (one narrating, one dancing), four Spiders, five Cranes, three Fish, and a Spider King. The Cranes and Fish also doubled as Stars, Lightning, and Thunder. In the script, the story was divided into six sections. These sections, however, were often renamed by Professor Starr and/or the dancers during rehearsals. Also, dances were added by Professor Starr that were not initially named in the script. For clarity’s sake, I provide a table showing: 1) the sections as divided in the script; 2) each dance performed in the sections; 3) the musical selections used for each dance; and 4) composers for each musical selection. Script Divisions Names of Dances Musical Selections Composer In the Night Sky Stars “Spiritual Creatures” Adam Zygmunt “Perbawa” I Made Arnawa Silenced by Thunder Thunderstorm; Korean drum UPD dancing; Spiders “Pomegranate Hwang House” Byungki Sticky Bargain Ambient jing and Strohschein puk; and Yoon Water Fan “Forest” Hwang Byungki Fish Chase Chase Scene taiko, bongos, and Strohschein, kwanggeri Yoon, Murphy The Fish’s Tale Crane Reenactment Gilak Music in Bali CD Rebellion/Name Name Chant; Kecak; UPD Saying Chant Celebration Dance “Akabanah” KODO Table 1: Breakdown of dances and musical selections in Bird Belly Princess. xi I hereafter refer to the dances by the names found in the second column; these are the familiar (and affectionate) names used by Professor Starr, the dancers, and musicians. “And now, at last, I can tell the tale of the Bird Belly Princess.” So begins the Narrator Princess, explaining to the audience who she is and why she was kidnapped by the Spider King: the Princess is a great storyteller and the Spider King wants her voice. So he steals her away to his home in the Night Sky, where she is kept prisoner and forced to regale him with stories. After the introduction of the Spider King and his four Spider minions (the Spidettes), the Dancing Princess and Stars enact the magical night when “a shooting star flashed through