sitting in an evening of ztb Berlin (contemporary dance association Berlin), talking about mode05. it just got clear to me that mode05 took place at a point in dance history after the term and practice of choreography has been exploding over the past 10 or 15 years. we all know that. now we are at a point that this practice is extremely open and difficult to define. or even moreso, we are unwilling to define it. so we are floating. and we want to float.
in a way, mode05 was a kind of anti-inventory. what does this mean for education? a practice that has expanded and is difficult to define, is hard to impart. there is not a beginning at which we can pick up students and show them the way. there are only "middles" left. so, unlike irit rogoff who says „you can always start in the middle“, i would say „you HAVE to start in the middle“, there is no other way, when practicing choreography. in this situation, a "teacher" cannot impart knowledge, she cannot even share information. he can only supply resources of knowledge (and may it be her knowledge and example of how to do a plié), and maybe she can share experiences of learning, maybemaybe instigate them. but only maybe.
education explodes just as choreography has and dance will do soon.
ps: more on beijing soon.
