"Either a great deal, or very little," I said, "depending on a number of things. What we saw this evening is art, it is certainly performance, and because of the composer, the musicians, the conductor of the orchestra, and especially because of the outstanding performances by the dancers, I think this is art of the highest calibre."
"Well said David, but would you also call this 'performance
art," asked Donatello. “What, exactly, is performance art?”
"I suppose I would call this ballet both performance
and art, but not performance art. Defining that is difficult, for me at least.”
Michelangelo’s face seemed to be changing hue by the second,
blossoming now from crimson to violet. Restraint was simply too much to ask of him.
“What a lot of crap. Donato is simply far too kind and polite to call a spade a
spade. This dance tonight was certainly beautiful, clearly the descendant of
the Italian dances that Catherine de Medici took with her from Italy when she
married the frog king.” The others squirmed and nervously returned to the
prosecco, hoping that Michelangelo could be encouraged to lower his volume.
Undaunted and oblivious, the great man continued.
“Yes, this ballet is high art. But the rest? These video
things and studious prancings and posturings by over-educated, over-privileged
young poseurs who know nothing of real life? Performance art? Pah!” And with
that he drained his glass and signaled to the waiter for more wine.
“Calma, per favore, Michelangelo,” pleaded Donatello.
“Relax, my young friend. More than most, you should be able to sympathize with
artistic innovation. Both of us have made revolutionary changes in sculpture,
and you have changed painting forever. Then too, there is your poetry. Surely
you can summon the patience to listen a little, and perhaps learn something
about this performance art. Have another drink, and be quiet.” He smiled
affectionately at Michelangelo. “Please go on, David.”
Martha Graham, ca. 1930
“Modern dance and performance can be confusing, especially
when they are performed by a well known ballet company. The lines blur; the
definitions get fuzzy. I think we should start by agreeing that there is always
good art and bad art. In the case of performance art, some decisions have been
made as to which pieces are good and which are bad; but with newer
performances, the jury may still be out. Maybe it would be a good idea to talk
a little about the history of this sort of thing. But you mustn't hold me too
firmly to what I can tell you, because you'll be listening to the ramblings of
a very amateur art historian.
"Classical ballet is a kind of fixed discipline, with
Italian origins, as Michelangelo correctly pointed out. It is one that has
managed to adapt to the introduction of new material over the years, but also
retains the fairly rigid core of defined steps, jumps and movements that
continue to be recognized all over the world. My partner, for example, makes a
point of taking a professional class in each major city she visits, if she might
be away from home long enough to miss one of her regular classes there.
Everywhere she goes, regardless of the language spoken locally, the classes are
presented in French, the traditional language of ballet, and with only minor
differences – how may jumps, for example – the classes are the same everywhere,
based on the defined steps and movements that every ballet dancer must master,
and continually practice."
Trattoria La Matriciana has a long and distinguished reputation, in this same location.
It's doors first opened here in 1870.
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