Compare and Contrast Choreographer Nina Martin and Barbara Dilley
Nina Martin and Barbara Dilley are among the renowned choreographers in the dancing fraternity. The contribution of the two has introduced and strengthened dancing techniques in performing art. What makes the two unique in the performing art sector is that they both contributed to the development of certain distinct choreographing styles. Unlike other choreographers, Nina and Dilley focus on introducing some unique aspects in their respective dancing styles. However, the significant aspect to consider between these two artists is that while Nina represents the contemporary world, Dilley is a classical choreographer. Although they are both choreographers, their approach to dancing is affected by the issue of contemporary and classical settings; however, what conjoins them is that they tried to connect dancing with mental health.
Contemporary Choreography and Post-modernism
Contemporary choreography supports creativity while post-modernism enhances tradition. Nina practices Ensemble Dancing which is part of Collaborative Art-making. Mackrell in the article “Teamwork: The Power of The Dance Ensemble” defines Ensemble Dancing as the capacity of a dancer to invent or adapt to new dancing styles while on stage. What this means is that despite the dancing techniques that a person understands, he or she should be ready to embrace new ones while on stage. Considerably, Nina supports a case where the dancer is supposed to be open-mindedness. With Nina, a dancer is supposed to be prepared to learn any new movements while on stage. As such, it calls for creativity on the part of the dancer and this reason most of the research considers Nina's choreography style to be supportive of cultural diversity. When someone is in a position to embrace other dancing styles while on stage, it implies that such a person can respond to the dancing techniques of any community. On the other part, Dilley dwells on contemplative dancing where a dancer is supposed to maintain certain dancing techniques. Considerably, what postmodernism focuses on is a situation where a dancer corresponds to a certain tradition concerning dancing style (Mullaly n.p). What this means is that the dancer is supposed to stick to a certain dancing style.
Significance of Dancing to Mental Health
Both Dilley and Nina recognize the significance of dancing to mental health. Nina's Ensemble dancing involves what is considered as Rewire. The Rewire is a concept that recognizes the role of dancing in maintaining mental health standards of the dancers (Martin 27). On the other hand, Dilley in his contemplative choreography indicates that dancing is an approach that people can use for mental training. Evidently, this is an aspect that Moore reveals in her article “Contemplative Psychology and Karuna Training” when she indicates that many physical activities have a connection with the brain. What the two authors accept is that besides dancing being a physical activity the mind benefits a lot. In Nina's approach, it is suggested that dancing gives people the opportunity to refresh their minds. Similarly, Dilley perceives dancing as an opportunity that people use to condition their mind positively. In this case, both post-modernism and contemporary choreography recognize the significance of dancing to mental health.
Dancing as a Contextual Activity
Research on Dilley and Nina provides insights on how dancing is contextual and its significance to mental status of a person. In most cases, people perceive dancing as an activity that denotes enjoyment. However, when one understands that dancing could be associated with situations such as post-modernism and contemporary, then this means that dancing is an integral element in human life. Also, information about the role of dancing in mental health offers a vital approach that people can use to handle matters of people with mental cases.
Works Cited
Mackrell, Judith. "Teamwork: The Power of The Dance Ensemble". The Guardian, 2013, https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/sep/17/movetube-dutch-national-ballet-dance-ensemble. Accessed 28 June 2018.
Martin, Nina. "Spontaneous Dancemaking With Beginning Improvisers: Foundational Practices In Presence, Stillness, And Problem Solving". Journal Of Dance Education, vol 17, no. 1, 2017, pp. 27-30. Informa UK Limited, doi:10.1080/15290824.2016.1228107.
Moore, Melissa. "Contemplative Psychology And Karuna Training By Melissa Moore, Phd". Karuna Training North America, 2014, http://www.karunatraining.com/contemplative-psychology-karuna-training/. Accessed 28 June 2018.
Mullaly, Unna. "State Of The Union: The Woman Keeping Postmodern Dance On Its Toes". The Irish Times, 2018, https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/stage/state-of-the-union-the-woman-keeping-postmodern-dance-on-its-toes-1.3480467. Accessed 28 June 2018.
