Motives
Motives refer to inner impulses that cause somebody to act in a particular way, according to Oxford English Dictionary. In book Dramaturgy in Motion, Katherine Profeta describes motives as “including what assumptions are being made about what the other members of the collaboration represent within the conversation” (189). It is the reason why people choose a certain way of creating and practicing dance, especially in a multicultural context.
In the book, Profeta talks about the conflict between a desire to preserve the traditional, the orthodox, and the need to present the evolved and more contemporary version of dance. She speaks about an error called “The Curator’s Exhibitionism” (190). It implies an intention to place a performer or a piece of performance into some certain anthropological position that existed in the past and has remained static ever since. This tendency of showing what people from other cultures conceive this culture’s “authentic” art to be reveals dramaturgs’ and theatre workers’ motive to please the audience. However, oversimplification disrespects and distorts the natural growth of culture and art, and it leaves a false impression on the spectators.
I find this discussion of motives meaningful because it echoes with what Aakash shared with us today about his choreographic style. He has leant the very old school feminine and masculine Kathak dance. However, in order to create more expressive energies and to satisfy his personal aesthetics, he has stepped away from the very gendered rules. His motive to bring Kathak alive to himself and a broader audience invites challenges, but it is a way to let movement carry meaning.
OED Online Oxford University Press, 1 Jun 2017. Web. 8 Jan 2018.
Hi Julie,
I read Yaozhong’s post first and totally recalled the same issue that Aakash spoke about. You are absolutely right that people get very upset when they believe that the hybrid form means a loss of the former (and thought to be purer) form. Here is what I wrote:
Hi Yaozhong,
“This is a great meditation on the function of hybridity and I want to point out a clear instance in the class when we were told of it’s risks. Remember when Aakash told us how many people were offended because he didn’t do “proper” kathak but instead mixed modern choreography with the traditional form? People often feel violated when “pure” forms are corrupted and hybrids proliferate. It offends their sense of order and history. But Aakash is a contemporary dancer who studied kathak, and he’s certainly earned the right to create hybrid forms. But hybrids imply that there is some “loss” of a former form or identity. Sometimes that is thrilling, as hybrids are often stronger and are symbols of cultures entering and affecting one another. But there is a downside to blurring, for it’s hard to retain earlier forms too, unless they are appreciated and can co-exist with the hybrid. When there is hybridity in cultural forms, social organizations too struggle with the loss of a previous identity.”
Y