Response to Sandra Aberkalns' and Ann Hutchinson Guest's Comments [Natural Movement]

Submitted by Ray Cook - March 13, 2000

Pedestrian equals "unschooled."

I agree with Sandra's March 2 comments concerning folk dancing. I would like to add that although not learned in a studio, folk dancing is consciously passed on from one person to another and therefore may be considered "schooled."

I think that just as a Balanchine work looks different when danced by the Royal Ballet, so will pedestrian movement look different depending on the nationality of the mover. We do not expect the Royal Ballet to give an impersonation of the New York City Ballet. Therefore, we should not expect an impersonation of pedestrian movement as done by a New Yorker.

For example, in "Legacy" choreographed in Teipai, dancers perform in the "Graham" style. The dance ends and the men begin to horse around - pushing and pulling one another - tossing the groom into the air. This is done as an unschooled, pedestrian section - no turnout, no pull up, etc. If New York dancers were doing the dance, they would push and pull each other as New Yorkers; they would not try to impersonate the dancers from Teipai. In other words, the key I am suggesting says to do whatever seems "natural" to you, regardless of your cultural back round or movement training.

On Feb 10 Ann wrote that my idea for a new key (Ex. 1 here, RC1f in Ann's posting) "ties the idea to directions, the place symbol has its own in-built meaning of the vertical line, hence not open enough." I had the same feeling about her symbol for "traveling," which is shown in Ex. 2 here (example A4 in Ann's Feb 10 posting for the Bulletin Board traveling discussion.)