Artist's Statement

by Jane Peck

I see dance as a tool for learning about life today and the lives of our ancestors in past cultures. Dance and movement have an uncanny way of pulling out the essence of a subject or a time period in a memorable way. As a teacher I lead students of all ages and their teachers (or teachers-in-training) towards comfort in using the powerful tools of dance and movement to learn other subjects. As a dance historian I stage performances that help audiences connect personally with our community heritage.

I continue to find so many seldom-told true stories that are fascinating and worth telling in a dance and movement format. Often they reflect an unpopular view at the time of the event or a less powerful group of people. How many people had heard of the Métis (French-Indian) vision for an inclusive multi-cultural America, born here in the Upper Midwest, until my performances brought it to light?

To portray a story of the past in moving, three-dimensional pictures puts it closer to popular culture. It is no longer a formal, academic experience but once again a living culture. Each era in time is a culture. The daily movement, dance, and physical theater of a culture tell us far more than an article or a picture. Often a newcomer's introduction to a culture is through folkdance or daily movement, such as Japanese bows or sweeping Italian gestures. These movements provide a view of the culture's values in a concentrated form. Sadly, the dance and daily gestures are not often available for those exploring past cultures or history. I offer audiences and students an introduction to an era's daily life from the inside, the muscle view. For example, once we witness the enormous differences between upper and lower class dances and gestures in Renaissance Europe, we begin to understand what it might be like in world without a middle class.

Many of us are aware of the music of different eras and the vast differences between the styles. Imagine that same music in three dimensions. That is what dance history can offer us. Dance can embody that music, making it larger than life and making the spirit of the music more clear. Music and dance are each evocative ways to experience cultures present and past. When used together they are even more powerful. With the addition of true stories of life in those past worlds along with the daily gestures and clothing, dance and live music performance can pull us into an era and offer us some of the wisdom and inspiration that has been hidden for ages.