Sept 07, 2010
Anne-Marie Talmadge
The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles
Anne-Marie Talmadge recently returned from Bridge: Choreographic Dialogues, a cultural exchange program for dance students and university faculty that’s part of Federation’s Tel Aviv/Los Angeles Partnership. This year, Bridge was held in Tel Aviv and coincided with the city’s Summer Dance Festival. Anne-Marie reflects on her experience below.
Two deaf men sat at a bus stop in Tel Aviv waiting. I stood there silently, waiting as well, until one man pointed to my eyes and gestured “BEAUTIFUL.” Having learned some sign language in 4th grade I gestured “THANK YOU.” This surprised and excited him very much. For the next hour we used movement as our common language. All three of us were ecstatic that we could communicate with each other. This memory demonstrates the power of movement and the fundamental desire to understand one another, themes that were repeated throughout my time in Israel.
I was blessed to be invited to dance at Bridge: Choreographic Dialogues in Tel Aviv as a representative of Los Angeles and California Institute of the Arts. I left home eager to explore dance and choreography in a country that I’ve always wanted to visit. Little did I know, my time abroad would prove to be much more of an experience than a visit.
The second day of the program, my neighbor (who’s also a friend) said to me, “You don’t know nothin’ about nothin’.” And he was right. My time was not only about dance, it was about politics, religion, race, and the human condition. It was important for me to let go of my American perceptions of Israel and the Middle East to be able to listen and step into the shoes of the people that actually live there. The program offered everyone involved the freedom to use their differences as a way of sharing and teaching, rather then something impeding us from connecting.
In the creation of art, we can take our differences and use them as tools to grow as a positive and united force. Fixed ideas make us stagnant. Fixed ideas leave no room for growth or change. When we think we know everything, we learn nothing. When we know that we know only a little, our capacity to learn and find deeper meanings from our experiences grows exponentially. When you “don’t know nothin’ about nothin'” you’re in the best place you can be. You’re open to learning.
Bridge: Choreographic Dialogues involved an eclectic group of individuals from all over the world working together to forge a new community. The impeccably detailed hand gestures of Bridge Director Barak Marshall’s choreography challenged us mentally, while the dynamic leaps from the floor to a partners shoulder in Bruno Bouche’s direction of The Right of Spring, challenged us physically. Each choreographer and teacher in this program challenged us. We were pushed and pulled into becoming better artists, movers, and thinkers. We left our ideas about our differences at the door of the studio and instead found beauty in our diversity.
I’ll never forget how connected I felt to an Israeli dancer when we bonded through movement. He spoke Hebrew and I, English. Without words, we helped each other grow in our understanding of a phrase (a string of movements) created by choreographer Damien Jalet. We pushed and pulled each other like taffy until together we sculpted our understanding of the phrase. Movement was our means to achieve common ground.
For me, dance is all about connection and growth. Whether it’s in the way I tell a story with the movement of my body, or the people I meet in dance class; dance communicates. I now have new friends from all over the world, who also speak the language of dance.
I want to thank the Choreographic Exchange, and all those involved, for providing me such an amazing opportunity to learn. At the end of the day, we are all just people waiting for the bus. We are eager to communicate and connect. It’s just a matter of finding the means to do so.
Cal Arts dancers who participated in Bridge. Anne-Marie is on the right.
Photos by: Avi Evan
Source: www.jewishla.org/blog/entry/dance-israel-you-dont-know-nothin-about-nothin/
