Where does it all Start?
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KRISTIN SLOAN |
Me when I was little, getting shot by my dad.
So the other night I wrote a post, asking everyone what they find interesting or engaging about a dance performance, or what would draw them to see a dance performance that they wouldn’t otherwise have sought out.
But let’s go even further back…
What was your first introduction to the arts, or to dance - apart from just observing the world around you? (I’m keeping it loose here)
Was it in school? Were you taken to a performance by your school, did you play an instrument in school, did you study a musician, choreographer or other type of artist which then lead you to discover dance or another art form?
If you didn’t have such arts exposure in school, do you think that if you had it would have changed your interest or involvement in the arts?
Do you think there is a way to change the current tide in the US, and convince the government - or whoever it needs to be - to put more funding into arts education in school, not less?
If everyone shared their stories about how they were first introduced to art or dance (school, family, friends, or some other outside force) could it make a difference?
Here’s some ramblings from me as I sit here typing…
I remember adoring art class in school. I couldn’t get enough.
I remember going to art museums with my parents and on field trips as a little kid (I feel like those experiences still remain as some of my earliest vivid visual memories).
I remember loving music classes. I played the saxophone… Lugging around a saxophone case that was as big as I was in 3rd/4th grade. I played until 6th grade I think - I changed schools and went from a cool jazzy teacher who challenged us, to another teacher who didn’t.
I remember my dad bringing me on photo shoots (involved or just watching) or showing me how to make prints, and thinking it was so amazing to be able to create such beautiful things with subjects and light.
I remember my school going on a field trip to see The Nutcracker, and thinking it was neat that my classmates got excited about and had a better understanding of what I was already doing after school by that point.
I remember my mom playing classical music in the car, and while first thinking it was annoying, starting to develop a taste for styles that I enjoyed more than others (and beginning to feel that WGBH in Boston played it too safe!).
I remember my mom taking me to Boston Ballet performances back when they were still at the Wang Center. I loved seeing the orchestra members warming up before the show, and loved getting to see a lot of the same dancers each time we went.
On another note - I remember my 6th grade class having access to Macintosh computers. They blew my mind. I in turn begged my parents for something similar… my first computer was a Mac Classic, and spawned my (and my family’s) ongoing love for well-designed technology.
That’s just some of my random personal experiences. Everyone comes from a different situation, has different memories, different influences, and different things that got them excited about art and/or dance. The fact is that as a kid, school, family and friends are your entire life. What you are exposed to during that time can have a big effect.
What’s your story or experience?
Did school programs have much play in your exploration?
