Why a nobody in the arts world started a blog about dance
What does it mean to appreciate dance? And who gets to do that appreciating?
Those are two of the questions I seek to answer over the course of the year in this blog, “Adult Beginner.”
Who am I? Definitely not a professional arts critic or a trained dancer. I’m an amateur dance enthusiast who has loved the art form since reading “Angelina Ballerina” as a kindergartener.
As a kid, I pored over the “Ballet” entry in the World Book, checked out picture book versions of Coppelia, Giselle and other great ballets, and rewatched “The Nutcracker” on PBS over and over again. Yet I never had the chance to learn any form of dance myself until I could afford to pay for classes, well into my adult years — thus the title of this series, “Adult Beginner.” (They’re the only kind of dance classes I’ve taken — and I’m usually one of the worst students in my classes!)
When I moved to New York from Seoul in 2013, one of the things I looked forward to most was the wealth of accessible, diverse culture in The Greatest City in the World. I joined the Brooklyn Academy of Music within my first months here, began snagging the New York City Ballet’s 30-for-$30 tickets, and discovered the joys of the cheapest seats at The Joyce Theater. I’ve seen a lot of excellent dance in different forms in just a few years.
But in that short time, I’ve found my memories of many performances have become somewhat jumbled. It’s hard for me to distinguish some companies I’ve seen from others, or articulate why I enjoyed the work of certain choreographers or composers. Starting with this year’s performances, I’ll log who I see, and what I think of them. It’ll be a fun writing exercise that might teach me a thing or two, not to mention inform my choices for future ticket purchases. Maybe it’ll help you, too.
Let’s boogie. 💃🏻
