Dance
When I was 8 years old, I saw Jose Greco perform on TV. I said to my parents, “I can do that,” and to their surprise, I did. About two weeks later, I found myself in dance class, and loved it. I danced on my first television show at age nine, and up until my late 30′s, I danced. I also choreographed, and later became Director Of Dance for a Southern California Community College. I also helped establish the Weekend Conservatory of the Performing Arts for the Los Angeles City Schools District. I, along with my colleagues, were responsible for the criteria used by the State to classify students gifted or talented. I’m very proud of the impact I’ve had as dancer, choreographer, and educator.
At age 11 I created my first dance to this entire scenario based around the jazz tune Night Train and from them on, I was interested in staging dances. I must say, from the popular dance form, I was very lucky to have known two people who helped, and gave me a wealth of knowledge, these two folks were Fred Astaire, and Hermes Pan. With Hermes and I would talk about the art of filming dances, and I’ll never forget our conversations. Fred, on the other hand, only talked about music, but, this taught me how important is was to choose the correct type of music, to use rhythm as a choreographic force much like a musical counterpoint and to let my creativity take control.
Later, I wanted to create dances containing more substance with a wider range of thought. Since my training was more jazz oriented, I decided to use the technique I understood, but still create movement to music I found stimulating, this led me to the formation of a Jazz based choreography which applied itself to large based works. When people see it, they think its modern, but in fact, it’s totally based on contemporary jazz. Basically, it’s the reverse of Balanchine; where he would use classical ballet technique and incorporate this in his dances, I use jazz and do them to classical music or larger framed works revolving around the centered theme. Since there is no real name for what I create, I started to call it Compositional Jazz.
Spending almost 20 years in the world of the dance, and living a gypsy’s life, has many stories. I have contained these stories from many years as a journal writer, and shall share some of these tales. I had/have every intention of compiling them into a diary form and trying to get them published named, A Gypsy’s Life.
A gypsy is a dancer who moves from job to job which is different than a dancer who spend’s their career dancing as part of a dance company. Even as a choreographer I went from job to job sometimes staging a night club act, or a musical. In the case of my college teaching job, I formed a dance company where I was able to develop my concept of compsitional jazz.
Scattered between excerpts from my journal, I can share a few pictures along with what was going on in my life at that time. I have taken these excerpts from my draft of, A Gypsy’s Life.
May 8, 1980 – What did I write yesterday? I got a call from Toni Kaye, Miriam Nelson’s assistant for the T.V. special. I don’t know when I start work on it but I shall hear something soon. Getting this job is quite a boost! I love working in that medium and I could also learn more about the camera and choreography. I’d love to work behind the camera though. I think this is the area meant for me. My dancing is o.k. and quite good. Sure there are things I do well and also not well, but I do my stuff so much better.
February 26, 1981 – Yesterday at 2:45 I flew to San Francisco for the Ernie show. We stayed at the St. Francis; if anything that was a treat in and of itself. We were rushed as usual getting to the hotel late from the airport so it’s straight into rehearsal and doing so until seven. We finally got into our rooms for a bit, enough to shower and do the show. 
I have no idea why so much rehearsal for a show we could have phoned in. After the show took a cast member with me into Castro for dinner, and out for one drink, then back to hotel for a movie on TV. I was back home by 11:30 barely remembering where I’d been. One good thing came out of the experience; I spoke with Ernie’s manager Jim about the possibility of Ernie producing a musical about the back woods. He said, if I find a good story to send it to him, and they’ll take a look. When I got home I was asked by Ron if I would be interested in doing Mitzi’s act. After calling Wayne (the dance captain ), I should know soon what will happen by the beginning of next week. For, for the next two cities, I should be in the show.
March 11, 1981 [Phoenix] – The past 7 days of rehearsals are over and yes, the pat week has really helped my dance ego quite a bit. I was able to learn the show so well that the group pick-up rehearsal today was let out an hour early. Most of the stops were for the rest of the dancers, not me mainly because they have not thought about the show, and I’d been working on it all week. There is one thing I must do though, not loose concentration. Since the Act is new, I don’t think I will.
The rehearsal this afternoon in the theatre went quite well. Mitzi came in the auditorium and went up to me to say hello; she greeted me warmly. Despite a few bobbles in the first act, the s how went very well. At one point she introduced me as the new kid and when the audience applauded, she poked me in the stomach and said, “See, they love you.” After the show I remember having a feeling of great comfort and relaxation.
March 6, 1982 – Back from teaching class for Ron, but beyond that GREAT news!!!Tin
Pan Alley will be produced this summer! I’ll finally be able to mount the show, and hopefully get a video tape of a good production to use to then find a producer to give the show its due. But oh my God, have now got a lot of work to do. I have to write the vocal charts!!!! Also, I have to layout and do the medleys, so it’s safe to assume each time I have free will be taken over doing honest pre production work. She show goes up mid-July. I open my appointment book, and it shows Vanities playing this month, but the show never got off the ground, however, getting a chance to mount Tin Pan Alley is so much better, and worth the entire wait. I think I’ll give Frank a call, and we’ll do out and party this weekend.
January 25, 1984 – Back from Funny Girl rehearsal and it went very well. Since Rat-tat-tat-tat is a precision number, it’s taken me a while to get the entire vocal portion completed. In fact, I’ve still got ¾ of the production number to go. When it’s completed, it should really look good. I’m not sure, but creatively, it’s been quite a good new year. I’ve no idea where I get my inspiration, but it’s there most of the time and it’s very welcomed!
February 21, 1985 – Nothing much exciting to report, no great parties, or interesting anecdotes except that I came up a rather philosophical approach to the art of choreography while dancing with a nice young man at Rage last Monday night. When I told him I was a choreographer, he told me he was embraced. I told him to not feel uncomfortable and to go on with his wiggle. He laughed and thought it amusing that I used the word wiggle. I said a wiggle could be wonderful if it were placed at the correct moment. I said look at a cork, a plain ordinary cork. It’s this basic object, but when popped out of a champagne bottle it denotes a grand occasion, and the cork now has meaning as it held in the excitement of the moment. The same can be said for a
wiggle. Done at the correct moment it can be a great device which means something. He looked at me rather puzzled, and called me a philosopher-choreographer.
Now that I think about it, a few days later, a choreographer must have some of these qualities in their art. A choreographer’s life is spent in the realm of sound, patterns, motion and rhythm. In order to explain the process would be quite futile, but we can have a philosophy of movement. We can have definite values connected with our creative rights, and principles. I do, and can express them verbally. Since dance and the art of choreography are basically metaphoric, we can use analogies to explain it. Even music, which is a basic absolute in abstraction, can be explained in mathematical terms. Dance, on the other hand, is a true abstraction because we use music as a basis in creation, much like a painter uses a background, or a sense of color to portray an emotional response from the viewer. I feel a choreographer must treat the dancer as a moving work of sculptor, and at times, try to paint not only the music, but the form as well. This is truly metaphorical, in deed. Maybe in art, what one says, or how one says it which is important, maybe it’s the manner, and the approach to a work which will show substance in art. Without concept, dance would be a group of organized steps leading to obliteration. Choreography is, and can be much more. I feel giving a step to a dancer is not the art; knowing WHEN to give the step to the dancer to elicit the prime viewer response.
February 15, 1988 – At lunch J invites me to a Valentines brunch she’s decided to give and my goodness what a wonderful party it was. Peter Hunt, the Dano’s , Christopher, Dick, a few composers, actors, interesting folk and a marvelous afternoon! I was able to get one Coward quote (I always ask if someone has one at these events), and this time was told “Hollywood is a place where one lays face up on the sand, and looks at the stars, or visa versa.” Later Royal went into telling a lot of stories about the early days of television doing live dramas. It seems the actors were always at odds with directors, but when the red light went on, they would change the script to what they wanted in the first place as there was nothing which could be done. I failed to ask if this might cause an actor to not get hired again. Jeanie went all out for this brunch, too having each one of us wear a heart so that when we wanted a drink we just went to the bar. The food, which was Mexican, was quite nice with varied niceties and lots to eat. She had a special out door enclosed patio reserved for the occasion. As soon as I got home I quickly wrote a thank you note as she’s staying with Peter and I’ve no strong idea of how long she’ll be in town.
June 10, 1989 – It’s almost 2:00 am, but tonight was our first concert on the big stage and was, at least for me, a great triumph. All of the elements this group could muster came together, and all did a fine job! The audience was a good well balanced concert, and the dancers performed well, and to the best of their present capabilities. We gave the crowd a full evening of dance, and for the most part, it was an evening due to my own creativity.
It was not really that difficult being creative, at least at present, it’s always there to call upon, and when the music moves me, the steps flow so much so it’s difficult to choose which to use. Maybe if this institution allows me the opportunity to do this sort of concert, with me in control of content, and its formation, I might be able to put up with continued abuse. If motivation can continue, we might well have created one of the best secrets in the valley. Where some colleges offer “mush”, we go for inventiveness and enlightenment; let’s keep it that way.
And now it’s time to think about next year. I still would like to stage L’Histore with or without Henry Pollic, and something to Benny Goodman’s old recordings. I could begin the work with a clarinet solo, maybe a couple of minutes which would lead into the big band music. Then, if I can get it done, present the world premier of The Four Elements with music by Nick England. This could be a very good concert! I think it’s time for Citrus to grow up and demand intelligence from its audience. I’m of the strong conviction high art can also entertain and make one thing if it’s presented in a creative and showy manner.
April 30, 1990 – Good news, glad tidings….I’ve found the two male dancer’s for Histore but now I must move on to the most important part; finding my narrator! I’ve my first rehearsal with my soldier this Sunday. I hope he will be able to dance my stuff as I found him from a dance performance and it appears he can dance well enough, but he’s never done my work. I think he has a good sense of movement but one never knows until I start to paint the steps on him. My choreograph6 seems easy until they are asked to complete the rhythmical accents I request. I think he seems hungry to try other forms of movement, so this is good as he’s eager for something new.
I’ve always found it amusing people seeing my works for the dance theatre assume its modern dance but I’ve never in my life taken modern dance. Sometimes a person comes to me expecting the normal sense of movement. Then the music begins and I begin to move to the notes but also the rhythms and sometimes dance a counterpoint to the pulse along with the melody or the orchestration. They get confused, and try in vain to mimic my sense of rhythm but it takes them a while to enter into my creative expression. Eventually as we work together it happens, but at first it can be confusing. Seeing dance to a consistent tactus gets quite dull and bores me to tears. Of all the dancers I’ve seen he seems ready to understand and has a good grasp of the dramatic qualities I will need in a dancer.
There have been many times I have gone through rehearsals having the choreographer get through a certain group called counts of eight. Then I’ve heard the choreographer say something like, “I’ve done this and this…what have I not used?” I’ve never created in this fashion as I use Jazz as the basis for communication, and my expression as a form of art. If there is any parallel, that’s my art as a creative person who works in the medium of dance. This is quite different then merely thinking of movement as dance as itself. I use the technique I have, and the creativity I can mix to create what I’ve got for the audience. I also try and couple this with a sense of the showman to make an evening of dance a good one. My Art Must Communicate. What I love about using Jazz as the foundation for movement is it allows the freedom once only aligned with modern, but is now as locked into technique as Classical Ballet. Jazz give the performer a bit more freedom of expression mixed with solid choreography to allow the performance to breathe without dancing counts of eight beaten into a stone. Since I will create the movement, they are the ones who will eventually perform it so the works of art must be clean, honest and represent what I meant, but not to the point of overbearing theism.
Modern Dance has fallen victim to its own history. Its technique no longer is a rival, it is it’s own with its own dogma. Because of this it is now dead. Jazz, by its very essence, is supposed to be ephemeral because the artist is the dance. The creator plans the framework, and the creative artist-performer adds their own quality which can make it remembered. One could do the same steps as Fred Astaire, but it won’t actually dance like Fred Astaire. One can try and sing like Ella but only Ella can sing like Ella. One can repeat the notes of Charlie Parker, but only Parker can turn it into Birdman. Jazz is the amalgamation of the creator and the performer.
Is there technique? I would say without a doubt yes. Is it of lasting quality? This more than anything depends on the performer not so much the choreography. As with musical arrangements, the true Jazz choreographer must choreograph a good chart. A music chart leads the musician to what must be done to complete the idea, yet it may sound a bit different each time it’s played as it allows enough freedom for expression working within the confines of the overall chatted arrangement. So, I would say for lasting quality it would be hit and miss. This of course is a good thing as in time the good choreography might lead to some new movement not seen before and something which an audience might want to come and see much more frequently than the same stale story ballets which have fallen into cob webbed predictability. I stand firm in saying the use of Jazz as the foundation for new dance works IS the new Modern Dance.
Now my questions turn to myself. How do I get these dancers I’m about to meet to see my thoughts, and recognize what they are as much a part of this creation as I. How do I let them know that we are not to rehearse but to jam, and create a good work of dance art for both of us?
