Time was in metro Grand Rapids that "dance" meant something you went to with sweaty palms in high school, something you took your kids to with tap shoes, or something you got in the form of a gift certificate to the Arthur Murray dance studio.
But times have changed.
If dance is made up of a vocabulary of movements, then West Michigan has learned quite a few new languages.
The metro area has a growing number of dance troupes and venues that are exposing the public to contemporary dance, most recently with the acclaimed performance of "Touching Peace" at ArtPrize.
To get a sense of the new steps West Michigan has learned, just check out the participants in Nosh Night at 7 to 10 p.m. tonight at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, 41 Sheldon Blvd SE. Nosh Nights are occasional celebrations held in Grand Rapids where creatives from several disciplines have a chance to share each other's work in a playful atmosphere.
Grand Valley State University assistant professor of dance Shawn Bible is curating contemporary pieces by stbdance, author Austin Bunn, Dance Dimensions, Momentum, Marley Cook-Parrott & Dancers, Dance in the Annex (DITA) and Miss Audacious.
But it wasn't always this way.
Filling In
Back in 2001, when contemporary dancer Amy Wilson relocated to Grand Rapids, the local dance scene consisted almost entirely of dance studios and the Grand Rapids Ballet Company.
"There was not much in between," says Wilson, 36.
By definition contemporary dance is everything in between.
"In modern dance, personalities create techniques," says Bible, 34. He specializes in choreographing dance for technology, describing his style as "momentum based and fast paced" -- perfect for the camera.
On the other hand, local contemporary dancer Carolina Pava draws on a completely different set of influences: Pilates, aikido, and ashtanga yoga.
She says contemporary choreographers can build extensive vocabularies to express abstract concepts and emotions in a much different form than the more traditional ballet.
"You have all these vocabularies of movement from which you pick and choose," says Pava, 37. "You are always trying to find the movements that will best express what you are trying to say."
Just like students of spoken languages, contemporary dancers need guided practice and immersion to retain what they already know and to continue building their movement vocabularies.
When Wilson and jazz dancer Angie Yetzke, 37, founded DITA couple of years ago, there were few places in metro Grand Rapids for professional modern dancers to expand their experiences.
Nearly a decade after they met, Wilson and Yetzke randomly reconnected in 2008 via email "over something to do with our kids". They joined forces soon after to alleviate their mutual frustration: neither was getting her modern dance fix.
Wilson enjoyed taking Grand Rapids Ballet school classes, but they did little to sate her appetite for advanced contemporary dance training. Yetzke craved expert instruction close to home.
"We both wanted to take class," says Yetzke, a jazz teacher at Hope College. "But if you go to a studio, you're taking it with kids and teenagers, or adults, who are taking it for fun. We could drive to Kalamazoo, but that's a long way, and we both had young families."
Invitation to Dance
Then inspiration hit.
"I thought: Wouldn't it be great if we could just take class once a month? We could bring in volunteers, and no one would have to commit to anything regular."
Wilson agreed. The two women quickly selected the Wealthy Theatre Annex, DITA's namesake, to house their new venture. The site was already equipped with two dance studios, built in 2003 for the now defunct Wealthy Theatre Ballet Company, a group that offered ballet classes for inner city children.
Wilson and Yetzke began inviting contemporary artists they wanted to learn from to teach monthly "master classes" for career-oriented dancers, age 16 and over. The response from guest artists was very positive, Yetzke recalls, but…
"The first class was a flop. There were only four people in addition to Amy and me."
Over time, though, demand for classes increased, attracting students from local university dance programs, and studio instructors looking to "refresh" their skills.
"There are pockets of them," says Yetzke, referring to local modern dancers. "With DITA we're kind of pulling them out of the woodwork."
The Issue of Audience
It's one thing to find modern dancers, quite another to find modern dance audiences.
Despite the fact that we all dance at one time or another, only about 14 percent of us in Michigan actually attend dance performances, reports Michigan's Department of History, Arts, and Libraries. And when we do, we usually go to the ballet.
"There's definitely an audience issue with dance in this community," says Bible, founder of stbcompany, a traveling modern dance group. "Most of the dancers in Grand Rapids are not ballet dancers," yet the performance-going public still thinks ballet is their only option.
"Grand Rapids is in the baby steps of getting to know modern and contemporary dance," says Pava. "We are just trying to open doors, trying to educate people about the value of dance."
Pava adds that in the last five years, she has seen progress.
"As the diversity grows, more people are interested," she says. "There are more opportunities to show people different kinds of dance."
ArtPrize has been the best opportunity for the dancers so far.
Seven dancers, including Wilson and Yetzke, performed "Touching Peace", two or three times daily, for seven days, for up to 100 people at a time--their greatest exposure to date.
The only contemporary dance entry in ArtPrize, "Touching Peace" explores choreographer Catherine Herrman's personal journey from chaos to peace during her brother's battle with cancer.
The dancers were taken aback by the audience's response.
"I literally saw people crying, and I had strangers hugging me after the performance and telling me how much it meant to them," says Wilson.
After performances people thanked the dancers, Yetzke adds. "They were amazed at what a healing process it was."
One of the reasons people shy away from modern dance is because they're afraid they won't "get it." But according to Yetzke, logical understanding is not as important as just being open.
"You can watch contemporary dance and be moved and not really know why, but know that you are changed by it," says Yetzke. "Once people let go of the fear and try something new, their lives are changed."
The Power of Dance
Pava takes this a step further. She believes that dance is a powerful, yet often overlooked, tool that can be used to effectively counter social problems like violence. She experienced community reconciliation through dance firsthand while studying in Europe and working in Colombia, her home country.
"I worked in Colombia outside of Bogota to create peace," Pava says. "Communities found a language with which to communicate in peace, by making the costumes and dancing together."
Though Grand Rapids may yet be a few years away from using dance for reconciliation, DITA is playing an increasingly pivotal role in uniting artists from all disciplines and strengthening community collaborations.
Last August, DITA dancers took part in Salmagundi, an interdisciplinary event at Wealthy Theatre.
"Salmagundi is a word that means a dish of many ingredients," says Erin Wilson, director of Wealthy Theatre and Amy Wilson's husband. "We tried to have it be a showcase for performers who use the theater."
Members of the Symphony played complex music, and DITA dancers choreographed original work to go with it.
Erin and Amy Wilson are both looking forward to participating in "Trip the Light" at Wealthy Theatre on April 14. The event will benefit ArtPeers, whose mission is to build a community culture that values local artists. Proceeds from the event will help defray the costs of 501(c)(3) application for ArtPeers.
"There are some echoes of Salmagundi in that we are having original music and dance," says Erin Wilson about "Trip the Light". "Local bands have written something specifically for this, or submitted something they've written and performed." Dancers were given the music a month ago and are already rehearsing the original pieces they have choreographed to go with it.
For Amy Wilson, the public's reception to modern dance at ArtPrize and Salmagundi proves that Grand Rapids isn't far behind cities like New York or Chicago in its appreciation of art. She says that as people grow more aware of what's out there, they will start to want "a more expansive experience" with modern dance.
"You grow. It's really beautiful," Wilson says. "The human form has so many possibilities to emote, to capture an idea. Add music, lighting, costuming and wow! The possibilities are endless."
Ruth Terry is a freelance writer living in the East Hills neighborhood. She also works as a grant writer for an international nonprofit organization.
Photos:
Dancers of DITA rehearse at the Annex, (right to left) Carolina Pava, Sara Schneider, Amy Wilson
Amy Wilson, Co-founder of DITA (3)
Sara Schneider, DITA dancer
Carolina Pava, DITA dancer
Photographs by Josh Tyron -All Rights Reserved