Is There a Future for Notation?

Submitted by Lucy J. Clenton - January 31, 2000

I am a third year dance student at the university of Wolverhampton in the Midlands (England).

I am just about to start my dissertation and am therefore keen to get lots of opinions on my chosen subject. I have chosen to research the topic of dance notation and whether there is a future for it. I feel quite strongly about it is as it has been studied for five centuries and should not just disappear into oblivion. However with changing technology, it is becoming a less important subject area as there are many people who prefer to use videos and such items. I shall be writing to many well-known companies for their views on notation and how important it is to them. I know that George Balanchine felt strongly about it and I hope there are many others. Could you please put a notice on the bulletin board asking people their views on the usefulness of notation and how they rate the importance of the subject for the future.