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Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Edna Vida Froilan: CCP Wi Fi Body Dance Festival 3: Review, Part 1

Edna Vida Froilan: CCP Wi Fi Body Dance Festival 3: Review, Part 1

CCP Wi Fi Body Dance Festival 3: Review, Part 1

Wi Fi Body Dance Festival 3

Cultural Center of the Philippines

June 12-15, 2008

Kudos to Myra Beltran and Paul Morales for their successful Wi Fi Dance Festival 3 held at the CCP last June 12-15. There is an abundance of creative talent in the Philippines and the two tirelessly supply the niche for many young choreographers. They are, themselves, choreographers of note and it is generous of them to give the limelight to the youth, supporting and encouraging them every step of the way. Thank you, Myra and Paul for your bighearted endeavor. Bravo, too, to the CCP for hosting the exhilarating dance event and the next two coming events: Labfest for theater and Cinemalaya for film. These, I will write about in my coming blogs.

I went to see the Wi Fi competition to peek at the latest pool of smarts in dance. Yes, I enjoyed myself immensely and went home pleased that the future of dance in our country is secure. A nagging thought bothered me, though. Artists need not only support but a straightforward evaluation as well. There are a few dance critics here and one of them, Steve Villaruz, happened to be a Wi Fi judge. Uh-oh.

Although I’ve reviewed dance works in the past, this is not one of my favorite tasks. I escape it with fervor, as a matter of fact. I was a dancer. I choreograph. I know how hard it is to be there and do that. It can be annoying to have a critic sniff and scoff at something you practically killed yourself to do – they pan you in one blow, tsk tsk, cough cough – and leave the building not knowing they’ve exterminated your career for life. Most exasperating are critics who don’t know what they’re talking about and judge works for the sake of having an opinion.

But, after some praises and compliments, I remember having to face the hard facts as a young artist. I took destructive and constructive criticism blow for blow, fell, got wounded, cursed but essentially GREW. Fearing the worst critique in every project, I learned to labor for excellence. It had to be that or nothing. Of course, failure also provides a good dosage of artistic vitamins but at least one must fail trying. The daunting critics in my early career were my sisters, Alice Reyes and Denisa Reyes, and National Artist for Design, Salvador (Badong) Bernal. Boy, they don’t mince words. Now, thanks to them, I am the worst critic of myself. Meaning, I can’t even fool me.

So I have decided to put on the hat of Simon Cowell; nitpick, analyze, find fault, fuss, appraise, be frank and, most importantly, be honest. I’ve noticed that many young choreographers hear nothing but the bravos of their friends and supporters in the audience and it saddens me that they actually believe they are always fantastic. We used to shiver in fright as we waited for reviews after a show – but that was when the critics actually wrote reviews. Hardly anyone does today for dance. So, sorry guys but you need this and it’s so not gonna be easy for me.

Hence, I begin with a lecture. Someone once told a choreographer that if her audience didn’t understand her work … it didn’t work. This was when she was forced to write something about her piece in the program because the audience couldn’t quite get it. I kept that in mind. In my creative movement workshops, I tell the participants to ask themselves two questions: Who am I? and What do I want to say? Then, say it well in a complete, finished and interesting work of art. ‘Interesting’ means not masturbatory nor self-indulgent.

This became rather clear to me when I watched a solo performance of a female dancer in a festival abroad. Movement after movement took place – beautiful and unique as they were – then more movement after movement after movement. We sat for an hour frying in a pan that offered nothing but self-indulgence. I went home very angry that night I think because it reminded me of my earlier works. So I researched on craft and makeup.

The Wi Fi’s New Choreographers Competition had fourteen participants do a seven to ten-minute number each. In such competitions, these minutes had better be good. Be striking. Be memorable. Be unique. As I said, the bane of dancer/choreographers is their mass supply of movement. Like an overdone feast, no matter how beautiful the movements are, they end up boring. When push comes to shove, a good concept and structure will always save the piece.

Another observation of mine is too many dance works today border on anguish and torment. This is my plea to all contemporary choreographers. The audience knows distress all too well – err, especially Filipino audiences. Contemporary dance can also be funny, beautiful, pure abstract, pleasant and have those good old beautiful lines. Give us a break from REALITY. If I’m full of angst, do I want to see someone else’s? Ain’t going through that traffic to CCP to be reminded of my problems. I’d rather watch my daughter on television in MYX.

Now, a final dodging of possible hurt feelings. I told a singer that I had to coach not long ago, “Can I be frank with you like I am with my children when I want them to be better?” He said yes and tutoring him was a breeze. Now brace yourselves and tomorrow I shall submit Part 2 of this review. I will analyze each choreography and give my two cents worth. Think of it as a mother’s opinion.