A friend of mine, also a dancer asked me that question the other day after seeing Project Agora at Dance Mission. “do you know anyone in the show?” I did know several people, none very well, but just from the dance scene in the Bay Area. I was taken aback by my friend’s question. Did she mean that the main reason for seeing a show is to see friend’s dancing? Which seems to be the main reason for many dancers to go to see work in the Bay Area. Either go see your friends dance or the famous company of the week, Bill T., Taylor, Morris, Brown. Then the occasional company from Africa at Yerba Buena.
But what about professional curiosity? Aren`t people curious about what other artists in the same field are doing? Once I was talking to a well established choreographer in the Bay Area about going to see work. He said that after seeing all his friend’s shows he did not have much desire to see other people’s work. Maybe he has a lot of friends and so he sees a wide range of work.
I think as working artists it is our duty to inform ourselves and see as much as possible.