Jill and Kevin's Wedding

I have mixed feelings about the hubbub focused around Jill and Kevin's wedding dance (see below). It strikes me, watching the video, that these guys are really enjoying themselves. I relate to their ecstatic expressions as they troop down the aisle. This pleasure from movement is essentially why I dance, so, in a very real way, we are practicing the same tradition. My genre is different from theirs, but I recognize the passion and celebrate their work. Well done!

I was astonished, however, when Sarah Kaufman of the Washington Post reviewed the clip. Reviews of live dance are harder and harder to find, even in the bigger papers. Discussion of our artform is clearly getting squeezed in traditional media. As traditional media becomes less and less read, coverage of live performance becomes less and less included. This is a shame because it is one of the few things that traditional media does well: offer an authentic response to artwork that is realized in the moment and is never quite the same again, even if performed by the same cast. I don't always agree with the reviews I read, but such opinions invariably open dialogue. Luckily, online reviews have great promise to fill this gap.

That being said, with so little copy space given to dance, should we be spending it on wedding dances, however boisterous?

I know that my view will always be colored by my experience. I make art dances. I am a contemporary choreographer. There is a part of me that even finds--blasphemy coming!--story ballets to be overhyped. I applaud Kaufman's choice, however. Dance has many styles and all should be welcome (in print or online). The only real trouble here is that so little dance receives acknowledgement at all.