Exploring Authoritarianism and Democracy in the Choreographic Processes of Martha Graham and Anna Halprin
Alternative Title
Abstract
Choreographers have their own approaches to researching movement and generating choreography. My research considers the creative processes and choreographic outcome of two modern dance icons: Martha Graham and Anna Halprin. These two choreographers changed the field of dance through their diverse approaches to leadership. Graham ruled with an authoritarian fist while Halprin’s body of work aimed to democratize the choreography and dance performance. I used historical artifacts, interviews, and surveys to work towards
creating my own piece and the outcomes. Through the choreographic methodologies carved out by these two choreographers, I formulated my own rehearsal schedule. I began with my
rehearsal being very democratic and ended in a more authoritarian approach. This research design produced a dance titled, The Marionette. This piece contributed to understanding the result of how a change in leadership could change the care towards the dancers, and the movement that is produced. The goal of this research was to understand democratic backslide on a much smaller scale, and the impacts that the backslide has on citizens. While the results are still being finalized there appears to be a variety in the dancer’s survey answers. Some claiming that there was a change in care and others claiming that there was not. On the other hand, the movement distinction was strikingly different with the democratic methodology leading to a quality of slow and controlled with gestural movement, and the authoritarian method leading towards quicker and reactive quality with more elevated movements.