"I became a dancer because of the pure joy and spirit of dance. I remained in the field ever since because such pioneers as Anna Sokolow showed me the deep commitment and intense humanism that dance is capable of expressing. Her indomitable spirit, her courage, her uncompromising truths are beacons not only for the dance world but for all humankind."
-Gerald Arpino, artistic director of the Joffrey Ballet from 1995 to 2007.
Anna Sokolow passed away on March 29, 2000 at the age of 90. Her rebellious, non-conformist view on modern dance has opened opportunities for many artists to explore new ideas and create pure, beautiful art.
"My works never have real endings; they just stop and fade out, because I don't believe there is any final solution to the problems we have today. All I can do is provoke the audience into an awareness of them."
I appreciate Sokolow's expression of life's problems through dance. I agree with her that daily problems don't habitually have solutions, and why should dance fabricate this? Sokolow is dancing and performing to enlighten, to perk up ears and alert eyes. She dances to provoke change through artistic education. Life and society are impacted through her works and she explores those areas in order to provide breathtaking views on the two. I wish I could experience her approach firsthand, because I believe it would be a simplistic and impactful experience for me. I would see her purpose and relate or learn. Two options are present, but a third could also be to negate or decline. Her continuation in choreography and exploration through her life must be a tribute to her reactions to the three possible reflections that audience members can take away from her works.
ReplyDeleteI feel Sokolow's work will live on for generations to come. She was an artist who's work will speak for years even as she is gone now. Her power to bring the awareness of the human conditions were pwoerful and her ways of striking and touching her audiences were amazing. I feel she is an extaordinary artist that gave much to the world of dance. Thank you very much for your study of Sokolow and sharing of your findings.
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