New Orleans: Dancers Stay Tough in the Big Easy
When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, every industry took a hit, especially dance and the performing arts. Studios went out of business, theaters folded, and performers moved out of town. Nonetheless, the remaining dancers pulled together and managed to somehow stay afloat in a city that was submerged in water. And perhaps most importantly, they were able to salvage and revive the city’s effervescent spirit.
There is a reason New Orleans is often referred to as the “most unique” city in America. From traveling street musicians in the French Quarter to Mardi Gras parades along St. Charles Avenue, the Big Easy has some of the most eclectic entertainment out there. It’s not just the subtropical climate that makes New Orleans the perfect place for dancing in the streets. The city is built upon a unique synthesis of cultures— French, Irish, German, Cajun, Caribbean and Indian—which has helped form a rich and diverse artistic identity with music and dance at the center.
New Orleans has never been the place for traditional concert dance, even before Katrina. And according to Blake Coheley, director of dance at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), a state funded conservatory-based program for high school students, it became even scarcer after the storm. “Dance opportunities are limited right now because of venues that have been hit hard by Hurricane Katrina,” he says. “We only have one up-and-running professional performance space, Mahalia Jackson Performing Arts Center, and it just opened at the beginning of this year.”
According to Coheley, life in the Big Easy is difficult for dancers due to lack of consistent work. “Mardi Gras Balls hire trained dancers for their tableaus and presentations, but it is only seasonal work,” he explains. “There is a large convention circuit that hires professional dancers… but again, the work is not consistent.” Recently, dancers in New Orleans have had the best luck scoring gigs in musical theater. Coheley says that although the Broadway South Initiative is still in development, there are some producers who are casting six/eight month contracts.
Teachers in New Orleans are having some difficulties as well due to the economic downturn. “There are a couple of strong ballet training programs still surviving since the storm, but struggling with the economy right now,” explains Coheley. “They are Giacobbe Dance, Hysell Ballet [and] Myra Mier Ballet.” For professional ballet opportunities, there are two companies—New Orleans Ballet Association and New Orleans Ballet Theatre. Smaller, private dance schools offering all disciplines have managed to stay afloat, but enrollment has been shaky.
While times remain tough for concert dance performers and studio teachers, there is plenty of action in more alternative dance circles. Ethnic dance, for example, has always thrived in New Orleans, thanks to the city’s diverse cultural populations. One of the most popular ethnic dance forms is Cajun. According to Grace Wilson of the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, Cajun dancers perform all over the city in restaurants and music halls. “Every evening you can find Cajun dancers at Mulate’s in the Art’s District, close to downtown,” says Wilson. She also adds, “Every Thursday Rock-N-Bowl has a Cajun/Zydeco band, so you can find many dancers on the floor ready and willing to teach newbies.”
The city’s premier Cajun dance troupe, Cajun Dance Company, was founded in 1988 and can be seen performing at events and festivals around town. The company, which helps preserve Cajun culture and values, consists of 20 dancers (10 couples), all of whom teach at various institutions around southern Louisiana, including Tulane University. Cajun Dance Company often performs to music from a variety of genres such as New Cajun, Zydeco, Swamp Pop, Blues, Dixieland and Jazz.
Another such company is Komenka Ethnic Dance and Music Ensemble, a troupe that was established in 1979 to portray international folk cultures through dance and music. The 30-member ensemble, which received the 2007 Big Easy Award for Best New Choreography, has performed in over 50 different locations worldwide. Komenka is active throughout the New Orleans area, participating in various events such as National Dance Week.
Dancers and teachers, either based in New Orleans or just visiting, can benefit greatly from exposure to ethnic dance forms. That is why Tulane University hosts the annual New Orleans Dance Festival (NODF), which brings together internationally renowned guest artists from all over the world. This past July, NODF introduced artists from Brazil, Cuba, the Congo and Haiti, as well New York artist Camille A. Brown and the New Orleans Heritage Artists. NODF is all about education, providing participants with contemporary dance technique and repertory classes, as well as performance opportunities. On July 28, NODF teamed up with New Orleans Heritage Artists in Congo Square to celebrate the unique dance and music traditions of New Orleans.
Ethnic dance is not the only non-traditional genre thriving in New Orleans. Circus dance, including aerial, harness and trapeze work has gained popularity in recent years. The Whirly Bones Circus Arts Collective, created by aerial expert Raven Hinojosa, is a group of New Orleans artists who “train, play, and occasionally perform together.” Whirly Bones members perform everywhere, from professional conventions to informal street showcases. “When we don’t do that, we are spending every hour and every dime practicing and teaching and practicing some more,” says Hinojosa. “Drawing from new and old circus, physical theater, and the lost tradition of American vaudeville, we pursue the unusual, the hilarious and the amazing.”
The place where all these alternative forms of dance come together is the New Orleans Theater Fringe Festival, a forum for both emerging and established performing artists to present their work. “Dance was a huge part of the inaugural Fringe Festival in 2008, and we are so dedicated to presenting Fringe dance,” says Festival executive director Kristen Evans. “We worked hard to have beautiful venues for dance performances with the correct Marley floors and lighting, and half of the jurors on our selection panel are dancers.”
Last year’s Festival had a wide range of dance performances, from site-specific to aerial to ethic to multi-media. “[It] is an out-of-the-box performance mecca that encompasses all kinds of arts and dance,” says Coheley. “I happened to take in several performances last fall and was pleasantly surprised by a few…” According to Evans, one of last year’s most memorable performances was “and/or” by Chard Gonzalez. “It was a brilliant site-specific piece performed in a warehouse of huge sculptures,” she explains. Another was “Green Garden,” performed by Morella & The Wheels Of If and Tsunami Dance Company, a multimedia live music dance that guides young lovers through a world of lucid dreaming.
Whether they are twirling in the streets or hanging upside down from ropes, dancers in New Orleans are fearless. Perhaps it’s because they’ve endured one of the worst storms our world has ever seen, or maybe it’s something inherent in the warm, humid air. Whatever the reason may be, the Big Easy is chock-full of optimistic dancers who have stayed tough during the toughest of times. And that’s something we can all learn from.
Resources:
New Orleans Center for Creative Arts
nocca.com
New Orleans Dance Festival
nodancefestival.org
New Orleans Fringe Theater Festival
nofringe.org
New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation
neworleansonline.com