Creating collaboration @ Green Street

Went to this last night:

July 17: Creating Collaboration, with Karole Armitage, John Jasperse, and Zeena Parkins, moderated by Louisa McCall of the LEF Foundation. Panel discussion at 8 pm, Green Street Studios, 185 Green Street, Cambridge.

(Peter Speliopoulos, who does costume design for Armitage, was also on the panel).

which was put on by Summer Stages Dance


All of this talk about collaboration seems a little strange to me. People have started talking about collaboration in the arts as if it is some rare, new thing. Especially in an art form where your medium is other people, it is almost impossible not to collaborate to produce art. Every dancer brings something new to a work, even if a choreographer does their best to remove a dancer’s voice and individuality. And, to quote that over-quoted phrase, “You can’t make art in a vacuum”. Of course, there are choreographers whose dialogue with other artists drive their creation, but to treat collaboration as if it is some radical idea seems unnecessary.

That’s my little rant.

There were some interesting things that came out about the artists’ process.
-Louisa brought up the idea of having control in your art and losing it or thinking about losing it when you work with other people. All of these artists really get off on exploring with other people, so the idea of control doesn’t really make sense. Jasperse related the experience to having a dinner party where there is one more interesting guest.
-It is hard and scary to go into a studio and try to make work by yourself.

-There was more, and maybe I’ll get more down later.