On Monday night, we worked on our celebration in the final scene of "Whitehawk," the tale of an Indian boy who comes to realize his own strength. As we struggled to choreograph a dance for the final scene, we confronted one of the biggest artistic challenges in ReImagined - how to represent the cultural context of the folk tales, while maintaining a unified aesthetic. "Whitehawk" is of American Indian origin - should we make the dance reminiscent of American Indian celebratory dances? If so, in what way? To what degree? Should we sing an American Indian song? Or should we focus more on the archetypal significance of the piece, as a story about a man finding his own strength and coming to the aid of his people?
We debated and stomped and danced out the question. We are still in the process of wiggling it out.
ReImagined is striving to highlight the archetypal universality of folk tales, while preserving valuable cultural nuances. Now, it is all about finding the right balance.
-Rose duPont
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