Performance | santafenewmexican.com: Shira Greenberg’s joke is that Keshet Dance Company and Center for the Arts in Albuquerque, which she founded 26 years ago, has almost reached the point of achieving her vision. Good things take time.
The word Keshet means “rainbow” in Hebrew.
5 comments:
I think it is great to read about someone creating their own opportunity when one wasn't available. The lack of adult classes did not deter Greenberg, only ignited a new mission for her. I have often wished that dance was more accessible so the fact that accessibility was at the forefront of this company’s creation is encouraging. She sounds like a remarkable person and artist and it is pretty amazing to hear about her work with people in the juvenile justice system along with her work with hospitals. I think it is important to note the way these programs employed dancers; yet another form of arts expansion and accessibility. Hevel sounds like a gorgeous work and I would love to be able to see it. Based on her work to expand access and the way she cares for all types of people I would love to work with an artist like this.
Dance is such an important practice and method of expression. As a dancer myself, it's something that is very important to me and I fight to be able to fit dance intp my busy schedule. Using your body to create art is unlike anything else. In my opinion, it’s very unlike other sports. You get to know every inch of your own body and how you can use it, it’s quite spiritual and grounding. It makes me so happy that programs like this are being offered to incarcerated youth. Greenberg's work is beyond impactful. Hevel is such a beautiful name for a dance piece, and the story behind the name is even more beautiful. It’s concepts like that that can only be portrayed through art and dance. Dance and social justice are, in my opinion, already intertwined, so for Greenburg to put so much work into using dance to bring about social change is really what dance is all about.
There is a lot of value in arts education. Learning a new skill, specifically one that allows for self-expression can be very beneficial to a lot of people. Programs like these greatly benefit the community as a whole, even going beyond the people participating in these classes. I do wish “formal” institutions like schools saw the positive impact in funding the arts. Though I do agree that these programs should exist and should be utilized, why does the responsibility have to fall on other people? The dedication for carrying this program afloat is admirable. As someone who danced for many years I recognize the skill and patience needed to teach others; it can be a very insightful thing to do even if it’s not “technically correct”. I also like how that is an aspect explored here. There is no right or wrong here, just people creating art together trying to make sense of their surroundings.
I absolutely love what Shira Greenberg has done with Keshet Dance Company and Center for the Arts in Albuquerque. She has shown the true future of what performance and art can look like with social justice. She’s not just talking about themes of justice or telling stories about marginalized people, she is taking tangible action to actually make dance accessible to those marginalized people. One of the most exciting things about her work to me is the programs with incarcerated folks. Incarcerated folks are so often forgotten about and ignored in social justice spheres, and even more within performance and art. Sometimes, there will be stories about incarceration, but even less often will incarcerated folks actually be involved. To defy those arbitrary limitations and stereotypes is so exciting to see and long overdue. I also really appreciate her perspective of change and transformation - she particularly notes that she is just now achieving her goals with the company and acknowledging that efforts like these take time and you can’t rush them.
Dance is and always has been a huge part of my life and will continue to be for as long as I’ll be able to. When I found out that there was only a single ballet and contemporary dance group at Carnegie Mellon, I was honestly kind of shocked and disappointed. Since there were only a few spots in each group and I didn’t make either of them, I felt lost, like there was really nowhere for me to express myself through my body. Luckily, getting to design lights for productions involving dance is still one of my favorite things to do, so I still get to keep it in my life that way, but part of my always wishes I could be up on stage with them. Getting to watch people fall in love with dance has also been one of my favorite things to do. Honestly, getting into dance funks is definitely a real thing, and watching someone get to break through one with a combination or even just a little bit of improvisation.
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