Here is an aria from Mozart’s Magic Flute, performed live by Lily Pons in 1936. No one like her…

If you like Pons, she did a couple of golden-age Hollywood movies, including one in which she starred across from a young Henry Fonda, and in which Lucille Ball has a walk-on… Thanks to Michael for turning me on to the Pons’ movies.

There is a huge difference between entertainment value, cultural value, and artistic value.

Entertainment value is surely sealable by popularity, and sales.

Artistic value can really only assessed over the long-term. J.S. Bach wasn’t even considered in the top-20 living composers of his lifetime (so to speak.)

Cultural value is connected to both entertainment and artistic value, but relates to inherent qualities independent of those.

I thought about this just now because Sydney Skybetter tweeted an article about The Crisis in Modern Dance, which concludes with a quote from New York based choreographer Tatyana Tenenbaum saying about dance that,

“It is a sequestered high art. There is not much of a market for it.”

Her quote really struck a cord with me. I think the sequestration of high art – including dance – is contributing to our financial crisis.

The Americans for the Arts National Arts Index Summary (2009) reports that, “nonprofit arts organizations are losing their ‘market share’ of philanthropy to other charitable areas… Between 1998 and 2007, the percentage of foundation funding directed to the arts decreased from 14.8 to 10.6 percent. The corporate giving share to the arts decreased from 10.3 to 4.6 percent during the same period.”

Somehow, we are losing our value to funders. It may be entirely related to the economy. In this down time funders are prioritizing feeding people over providing arts opportunities. But in my mind that doesn’t fully answer it. I think that the sequestration of dance is actually self-sequestration, and related to decreasing cultural value. That’s both individual product and aggregate impact.

I see how positive and entertaining dance being produced today is, and I think that the artistic value today is as high as it’s ever been. In terms of compositional innovation I’m certain our problems (in dance) aren’t dis-similar from those of classical music.

Image in this post ripped from the Guardian story.

—Thucydides, 5th century BC

That the folks in the room didn’t assume my humor really does speak to the hyperbole that regularly occurs in these kinds of conversations. I am confident in my leadership of the DC Advocates for the Arts.  But I do still regularly question it, and have it questioned for me, and I don’t think that’s a weakness. I almost wish I was like a Luddite, or Randian protagonist, interested only in my own success, but in fact, I am not.  I hope that my leadership is a part of something larger than myself, and if it is, my leadership is replaceable. To me that is not in conflict with my confidence, professionalism, commitment, or leadership, but it does temper my self-promotion.

This one is titled: Gill Asking the Dancers for More Attitude. On the court that means “push your bosom together.”

This one is titled: Gill Mentoring the Dancers. Having been in a few auditions I’m sure the dancers were feeling the mentorship.

This one is titled Gill Showing the Dancers Some New Moves, which could also be subtitled “Gill explaining how the Knick’s City Dancers flip off their opponents.”

To see the entire slideshow, click here. All respect to Gill, and the dancers, who are just making a living, and even to the PR folks who – let’s face it – got me to blog about this.

ALL PHOTOS CREDIT: Chris Batka and MSG