DNBlog: News and Moves from the Dance Notation Bureau

GREAT NEWS!

2011-03-22T15:29:00.003-04:00

The DNB is announcing a June 2011 course in Elementary Labanotation AND Advanced Labanotation! This is exciting news for us to be able to offer these two important courses here in New York. The Elementary course is June 13 through June 24, the Advanced course is June 13 through June 25. For more information, please contact Alice Helpern, alicehelpern@dancenotation.org

BIG NEWS!

2010-04-01T14:55:00.007-04:00

After a number of years of planning and hard work, the long anticipated online Notated Theatrical Dances (NTD) Catalog is available for your use! Now you may view and search our scores for educational, research, and performance purposes. It covers extensive information on notation, casting, production, music, media, archival, and permission and fees. We think this will become an important tool and will shorten your search time!

Also a reminder that the new Library News and DNBulletin are both available for reading on our web-site!

Theory Bulletin Board

2010-02-17T14:42:00.002-05:00

IMPORTANT NEWS!

In order to make more space on the ever growing DNB Web site, we have moved the Theory Bulletin Board to a new blog

http://dnbtheorybb.blogspot.com

All of the previous postings have been transferred to this new location, in threads listed alphabetically in the sidebar.

Please feel free to make comments directly on the blog. For contributions that come with notation symbols or graphics, there is a guideline "How to Make a New Posting" in the sidebar as well.

You can now subscribe to the DNB Theory Bulletin Board as a reader. Whenever there is a new posting on the blog, you will automatically receive the notification.

Hope this will allow all of us to stay connected with notation!

GOOD NEWS!

2009-10-06T13:02:00.002-04:00

The 9th Edition of our Notation Theatrical Dances Catalog is now available. This edition includes new acquisitions, their permission status and fees, plus information about the DNB Library, what constitutes a public performance, Library fees, additional services of the DNB, etc. This is FREE to download online. For anyone interested in getting a hard copy, the price is $15 plus handling charges and postage. An invaluable research tool!!

Sandra Aberkalns' Letter to the Editor

2009-08-04T14:54:00.004-04:00

Several weeks ago one of our notators, Sandra Aberkalns responsed to Terry Teachout's article in the Wall Street Journal on "Why Dances Disappear". Her Letter to the Editor is a good answer supporting Labanotation!

"It's the Dance That's Complex, Not the Notation System
Terry Teachout's comment, "Dance notation is so complex and inexact," in his article "Why Dances Disappear: Can Merce Cunningham save his work by killing his company?" (Leisure & Arts, June 27) arises from two misconceptions about notation that continue to linger in the dance community. Notation is not complex -- dance is! As a Labanotator of nearly 40 works -- representing some of the most respected choreographers of our time -- I know each score is unique with, yes, various levels of "complexity" depending on the work, not on the notation. As to being "inexact," as a notator, I am as aware as the dancers, if not more so at times, of what must happen physically, motivationally and emotionally so that the choreographer's intentions are preserved in a manuscript that will inform dancers for generations to come.
Unlike Kenneth MacMillan, Antony Tudor, the Martha Graham Dance Company, and Paul Taylor, among others, Mr. Cunningham chose not to have a notator document his works (other than "Totem Ancestor"). I feel that is a tragedy, as his legacy is now dependent on the whims of technology and changing memories -- both of which are fickle mistresses at best.
Sandra Aberkalns
Labanotator
Dance Notation Bureau
New York"
.
Here is the link to view the original article written by Mr. Teachout:
http://online.wsj.com/public/page/letters.html
--

Article in Dance Chronicle Magazine

2009-07-30T14:28:00.003-04:00

Mei-Chen Lu, our Director of Library Services, has written a very informative article for Dance Chronicle about the DNB, Resources and Riches, The Dance Notation Bureau. I think you would find this very interesting and will make an effort to secure a copy to read! ENJOY! There were a couple of corrections for the record from Lucy Venable, "I was a volunteer not a part-time staff member in 1952. I was a member of the Limon Company from 1957-63, Not a member in 1952." Thank you, Lucy.

DNB Library is Temporary Closed

2009-01-19T19:38:00.003-05:00

The Dance Notation Bureau Library is preparing for the DNB's move to its new home and will be temporarily closed from January 19 to February 13. As of February 1, 2009, the DNB's new address will be:

Dance Notation Bureau
111 John Street, Suite 704
New York, NY 10038

I remember unpacking some boxes at the DNB's soon-to-be-old home ten years ago. Good luck to all those who will be unpacking boxes this time!

Just in Time for the Holidays: Books and Cards from the DNB

2008-12-07T22:20:00.007-05:00

In this economy, there's nothing quite as nice as 60% off. And that's what the DNB is offering: 60% on books sold through the DNB -- see the list of offerings here.

Also, if you plan to send holiday cards this year, why not make them Note-8-Cards? They are all designed by DNB staff and friends, and each design incorporates notation symbols in a creative and delightful way. Note-8-Cards come in packets of (surprise!) eight, and you can specify which eight you'd like (all the same, all different, whatever).

Choose your favorite eight from the Note-8-Card Gallery.

On this very cold day in NYC, Snowtation Man is the card that's most speaking to me:

Another Hello at the DNB, Part 2

2008-10-20T23:21:00.003-04:00

Just a PS...

Have you looked at the DNB's staff listing lately?

Go to the DNB's About the DNB page and then click "Board and Staff."

Look at the staff listing.

That's a lot of people.

With a whole lot of credentials.

And a ton of energy.

And an insane amount of talent.

Just one more metric by which the DNB is doing really well. Not just surviving. Nope. Thriving.

Hooray!

Another Hello at the DNB

2008-10-20T23:03:00.003-04:00

Another new face at the DNB!

The Dance Notation Bureau is very pleased to announce that Oona Haaranen has joined our staff as Director of Education. Oona is a choreographer, educator, and writer -- and she has a BFA from Juilliard, an MA from City College of New York, and is currently pursuing her PhD in dance. We are excited about working with Oona and look forward to a productive future.

Actually, Oona's not really a new face. She's been involved with the DNB for many years, and she's been writing the DNBulletin for a couple of years. But this is a new position for her -- and for the DNB. It will be exciting to see what happens at the DNB now that there's a Director of Education!

Starting on the Queue of Things I've Been Meaning to Post

2008-10-01T22:55:00.004-04:00

A few days ago, Leonard Lopate interviewed Suzanne Farrell on WNYC. Most of the interview concerned Suzanne's reconstruction of the Balanchine ballet Pithoprakta, a "lost" Balanchine ballet from 1968. The recreation of this ballet was especially challenging because Suzanne only had an incomplete film and fuzzy memories to rely on. And the film wasn't just incomplete, it was seriously incomplete: it was shot one day when Arthur Mitchell was out, so it's missing all of the male lead's parts!

Yet again, the perils of recording dances on film only!

Suzanne also said fascinating things about the music, but I was making lunch while I listened, and the sink and the stove drowned out some of the details. I should listen to it again. And you should listen too!

Click here to listen.

Farewell to Nancy, Hello to Kristin

2008-10-01T22:37:00.007-04:00

A major announcement from the DNB:

As of September 1, 2008, Nancy Allison, our Director of Programs, has departed from the DNB staff to pursue personal projects . We thank Nancy for her outstanding contributions and energetic presence and wish her well. Kristin Jackson is the new Director of Programs. Ms. Jackson is a former member of Laura Dean's Dance Company and has staged Dean's works (including one piece that was notated). She has taught ballet, modern, choreography and kinesiology and has connections to university dance departments in the US and Asia. She earned a M.F.A. in Dance from New York University. We welcome her addition to our staff.

Good luck to Nancy! And welcome to Kristin!

And a big old scolding to Jill, who has not been keeping up with the blog. I have a long mental queue of things to post, but I've just been so busybusybusybusybusy. Workworkwork, eateateat, sleepsleepsleep. But I really need to blogblogblog.

Soon, I hope!

A Break from Laban, A Bit about Eshkol-Wachman

2008-09-02T23:15:00.002-04:00

Curious about other forms of movement notation?

Learn a little about Eshkol-Wachman Movement Notation from Deborah Friedes' recent Winger post.

Learn quite a lot more from her interview with Michal Shoshani, who worked closely with Noa Eshkol (yes, as in Eshkol-Wachman).

Both of the above show you what Eshkol-Wachman Movement Notation looks like. Very different from Laban!

August Additions to the Theory Bulletin Board

2008-09-02T23:01:00.002-04:00

In August, there were two great additions to the DNB's Theory Bulletin Board. (The title of this post could be "August August Additions to the Theory Bulletin Board.")

The first is a response by Janos Fugedi to the Motif Theory Discussion on June 8. Janos carefully analyzes "passing touches" and "spring point."
The second actually predates the first: it's the minutes for the January 2008 open theory meeting. The meeting attendees discussed "far" relationships and African dance.

I feel magically smarter having read them. Maybe you will too!

New(ish) Theory Meeting Minutes

2008-07-27T17:45:00.002-04:00

Two more sets of minutes from DNB theory meetings went on the Theory Bulletin Board in July:

The November Open Theory meeting covered Dance Forms software and several possible ways that the DNB and notators in general could use it, as well as possible ways to notate not just nearness but degrees of nearness.
The June Motif Theory meeting covered numerous Motif topics, including phrasing bows, indications of "the same" and "different," and diagonal paths.

No point trying to summarize here. The really interesting stuff is in the minutes!

Two More Tidbits

2008-07-05T01:08:00.003-04:00

Tidbit #1: The DNB just made a major sale of books to Singapore. There are still some great finds left -- and still 50% off -- check the book sale list to see if there's anything to tempt you!

Tidbit #2: Congratulations to Gwendolyn Arbaugh of Elverson, PA, who just completed and passed her Intermediate Correspondence Course in Labanotation. Not an easy feat!

Farewell, Patricia Nanon and Georgette Weisz Amowitz Gorchoff

2008-07-05T00:48:00.004-04:00

The Dance Notation Bureau mourns the recent deaths of two dear friends and steadfast supporters: Patricia Nanon, who passed away in February, and Georgette Weisz Amowitz Gorchoff, who passed away in May. We are also deeply grateful that they continued to think of the DNB with monetary gifts at their passing. We shall miss them.

Here's more about Patricia Nanon's amazing life and accomplishments, from the New York Times.

And here's more about Georgette Amowitz Gorchoff's remarkable life and achievements, from the Lynchburg News Advance.

CMAs Look at Presidential Candidates

2008-07-04T15:19:00.004-04:00

The New Yorker recently published a short article about the body language and movement styles of presidential candidates as observed by people who really know what they're observing: Certified Movement Analysts.

Be sure to read to the end, where there's a nice surprise about Chelsea Clinton's aptitude for movement analysis!

We Had a Bit of a Blog Break, But We're Back...With an Article from Dance Teacher Magazine

2008-07-04T15:08:00.004-04:00

There's a nice article about the Tudor Centennial Celebration on the Dance Teacher Magazine website. By Elizabeth McPherson, author of the Martha Hill book I mentioned in my last post, the article includes Labanotation for two Tudor class combinations, tendus for barre and grands battements for center. The notation is paired with word descriptions of the combinations, so they're good practice for beginning Labanotation students and a good introduction for Labanotation newbies.

Martha Hill Book - How to Get More Than 60% Off

2008-05-26T10:58:00.005-04:00

It's true -- deeeeeeep discounts are available for The Contributions of Martha Hill to American Dance and Dance Education, 1900-1995 by Elizabeth McPherson.

Here's how to get the book for $39.95 instead of $109.95 (more than 60% off!):

Email the author, Elizabeth McPherson, at emm2072000[at]yahoo[dot]com. (Format the email address in the usual way, of course; just trying to prevent spam.) She can give discount flyers to individuals (not institutions, though).

Great deal!

Martha Hill - Important Woman, Important Book

2008-05-26T00:20:00.002-04:00

Martha Hill, 1900-1995, was a major figure in dance education and a major supporter of dance notation. Here are just two of her accomplishments, just to give you a sense of her impact: in 1932 she created the first bachelor of arts program in dance (at Bennington), and in 1951 she became the first director Juilliard's dance division. Pretty impressive, huh? Now think about this: she remained director of Juilliard's dance division for 34 years, until 1985.

In a word: wow.

Want to know a little bit more about Martha Hill?
Read her obituary from Dance Magazine.

Want to know more than just a little bit more about her? Read this new book:
The Contributions of Martha Hill to American Dance and Dance Education, 1900-1995 by Elizabeth McPherson

Here is the book's table of contents. It's amazing how the life of Martha Hill is essentially the history of dance education in America (NYU, Bennington, Connecticut College, Juilliard, scores of students who taught scores more students):

An Overview of the History of Dance in Higher Education in the United States
Hill’s Youth and Early Career: Growing Up in the Bible Belt (1900-30)
Establishing a Dance Program in the School of Education at New York University (1930-51)
Establishing a Place for Dance in a Liberal Arts Setting at Bennington College (1932-51)
Moving Dance into Mainstream American Thought at The Bennington School of the Dance and The Connecticut College School of the Dance/American Dance Festival (1934-52)
Creating and Nurturing a Conservatory Program in Dance at Juilliard (1951-95)
Through the Eyes of Hill’s Students
Hill’s Legacy

The list price is $109.95, but I'm told that it's available at a deep discount. Elizabeth, if you see this, could you possibly leave a comment telling people how to get the discount? I'll then repost the information in its own blog post...thanks!

Another Staging...

2008-05-25T23:33:00.004-04:00

I don't know much about this staging, so I don't have much to say about it, but I like to share news of stagings around the world. So many dances, so many choreographers, so many dancers, so many stagers, so many companies, so many countries! It may still be the case that most people haven't heard of Labanotation, but that doesn't mean Labanotation isn't in active use all over the place!

So, today I write to report that Marion Bastien recently staged Lotte Goslar's Clapping on Comité Departmental Meuse Danse in Paris, France.

(A great line from Lotte Goslar's NYTimes obituary: "A short, roly-poly woman with a round, expressive face, Miss Goslar as a performer brought bugs, flowers and mushrooms vividly to life.")

Read about Staging Folksay, Hear about Staging Folksay

2008-05-25T23:23:00.003-04:00

The D.C. based CityDance Ensemble is currently staging Sophie Maslow's Folksay, and they have two great blog postings about the staging process.

If you'd rather read about it, read the Reflections on Reconstructing a 60 Year Old Dance post.

If you'd rather hear about it, watch the video of Greg Halloran talking about it.

I did both -- and recommend both!

50% Off Books from DNB!

2008-05-12T22:14:00.003-04:00

Dear DNBlog, has it really been a month since my last post? I'm afraid it has. (I do hope that next month will have more posts and pics than last month. Just a wee bit busy these days.)

Today I write with news of a sale. And who doesn't like a sale? More specifically, who doesn't like 50% off!

That's right: 50% off all books listed on the DNB's Book Sale page. I am assured that this includes the rare and fine books on the list! The sale is effective immediately and will run through June 30, 2008. Plenty of time to make your selections!

Scanning the list, I see popular titles such as Toni Bentley's Winter Season, sure-to-be-fascinating older titles such as Dancing from 1895, serials from many decades...lots to choose from!

Tribute to Tudor

2008-04-11T17:54:00.004-04:00

As I've mentioned several times before, this year is Antony Tudor's centenary. Here's another newspaper tribute to Tudor, partially focusing on a two-day conference about Tudor and mourning the absence from the conference of Airi Hynninen, notator and former assistant to Tudor:

http://www.nysun.com/arts/tribute-tudor