vulnerability, I should mention that I started college at the beginning of the pandemic, and have been juggling even more changes. To have rehears- als and performances canceled last minute and to see companies making the difficult decision to shut down was so disheartening. Yet, at the same time, I still enjoy the new adven- tures this unprecedented crisis brings into my life. Most recently, I flew to Ashland, Oregon from Seoul, South Korea to make a show. I worked on it for a month and then had to accept the fact that the five-day sold out show was being canceled for safety reasons. However, the private show- ing that was presented to just a hand- ful of special guests felt so intimate and precious that I couldn’t wish for anything better. Similarly, the actors that I interviewed two years ago for my research on pandemic theater told me that while they were grieving
make as much noise as they want, or even just directors and chore- ographers who fully trust the per- formers and their impulses. I still believe preparation allows impro- visation to flourish. If we are not ready to be responsible and atten- tive, the exchange “with” others can easily become exploitative. But the willingness and vulnerability of the efforts within this commitment is what I will always celebrate. And performance makers who are eager to constantly be impacted by oth- ers and thus choose to stay open and curious feel the closest to my hometown of anthropology. HALEY BAEK is a junior at Yonsei University, South Korea, studying cultural anthropology and performance. Particularly interested in themes such as care, mental health, trauma, loss and queer theory, Haley explores how art and anthropological research can inform and inspire each other.
the closure of theaters, they were also finding joy in exploring online meeting platforms as possible stages for their new play. Anthropologist Tim Ingold writes, “To study anthropology is to study with people, not to make studies of them.” The simple sentence implies dif- ferent things; anthropologists need to build relationships and not extract; they need to pay attention and actu- ally listen to what people say; they should take responsibility for the sto- ries that are shared. But at the crux of the argument is the idea that peo- ple are not static objects of investiga- tion, but rather, are unique, complex, and shifting individuals. The kinds of theater work that I’m drawn to are mostly the ones that actively create “with” people, welcoming unexpected encounters. Productions that invite community members into the creative team, or shows that allow children to
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FALL 2022 in dance 49
In Dance | May 2014 | dancersgroup.org
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