Arts that go "BAM" in the Night

A couple of weeks ago, I went to see my first dance performance in New York City. New York has a plethora of dance companies and spaces. Dance is an integral part of the arts scene. Generally, I enjoy dance as a participant more than a spectator, but I was excited about the evening. A small group of us accompanied my friend to BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) to see Pina Bausch's Vollmond (Full Moon). My friend worked at BAM for several years, so I was also excited to see her old stomping grounds.

After a quick bite to eat, we arrived to the theatre right before show time. BAM is located the heart of Fort Green in a trendy area of Brooklyn. The outside of the building is unassuming grey concrete, not unlike a high school. Once you step out of the elevator and into the theater however, the imposing beauty hits you like a wave. The walls of bright gold and deep red are lined with the delicate, intricate detail of 100-year-old craftsmanship.

We were in the upper balcony in a packed house on opening night. From our vantage point, we were able to absorb this beautiful theatre in all its glory. The lights dimmed and the dance began with two muscular men running frantically around the circumference of the stage. A high pitched synthesizer pumped through the theatre. In the center of the stage was a large, fake rock that stood two stories high and was a deep, charcoal grey. As the show went on, it started to rain on stage. The downpour fell among the dancers, creating a slow moving river that flowed under the giant rock. The 16 dancers cascaded through the water with their overblown, sweeping movements. They leapt, convulsed, and sashayed around the stage as their costumes grew wetter and clung to their taut bodies.

A female dancer dressed all in white commanded the stage for seven minutes in an impressive solo.

A man leapt from the top of the rock into the river below. Women swam in the water on their bellies as their long dressed flowed gracefully around them.

An older lady with hair of bright frizz periodically took center stage and yelled in her scratch of a voice about the joys of booze and men.

The show ran 2 ½ hours and while the dancers were athletic and energetic, throwing themselves into the piece with abandon–overall, the show was a little disjointed and confusing.


And long.


It was very long.


Afterwards, we discussed the art scene in New York City. There are so many performances and productions going on at any given night, the sheer quantity of artistic outpouring can be overwhelming. Because this outpouring shows no sign of diminishing, one has to assume that there’s an audience in this city to support it. But you have to wonder how many of these patrons are sitting in these dark auditoriums because they want to be there and how many are there because they feel like they should be. How many use the theatre to create his or her self-identity?

Everyone says they love to travel, but most people, when they travel, go to a secluded beach, lie in the sun and sand and read novels while sipping boozy candy cocktails. So really, they love to relax – they don’t necessarily love to travel.

Everyone claims to love the indie music scene, but how often are you at a show on a Wednesday night, standing in a dark room with other hipsters, waiting for the show to start, and longing to be in the comforts of your home?

When people visit large cities, museums are often the first thing on their list. They simply must go to the Louvre, the Prado, the Met….but museums are often overwhelming. And boring. Museums are often too big. You end up glazing over the art and worrying more about your sore feet than the artistic expression hanging on the walls.

So maybe the arts are (at times) more about reputation and less about experience. But, I’m still glad that there’s a demand to support this artistic supply.

New York is a city built on commerce. Making money efficiently is in the roots of this town, from the flow of the harbor to the structure of the streets. It’s been this way since the days of the Dutch and continues to thrive on Wall Street. Without the arts to soften the edges of this tangled concrete, it would be a very difficult place to live indeed. The arts provide the creativity, the frivolity, the humanity of New York – and whatever their motivation, I’m glad people continue to frequent the arts as much as they do. I will certainly continue to be one of them.