Introduction

This review is based on the documentary “Breath Made Visible” made by Ruedi Gerber and Anna Halprin’s biography and her perception of dance in general.

Summary

This essay will review Anna Halprin’s biography and some of her work. And also, will contain my personal opinions on what makes Halprin special and different from many artists who dedicated their lives to dance. 

Background of the Artist: 

Anna Halprin (was born in 1920, Illinois) was an American choreographer and dancer. She helped redefine dance in postwar America and pioneer the experimental art form known as postmodern dance and referred to herself as a breaker of the rules of modern dance.Defying traditional notions of dance, Anna has extended its boundaries to address social issues, build community, foster both physical and emotional healing, and connect people to nature.With her husband, the landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, Anna developed methods of generating collective creativity. During the late 1960s and early 70s, they led a series of workshops called “Experiments in the Environment,” bringing dancers, architects, and other artists together and exploring group creativity in relation to awareness of the environment, in both rural and urban settings.

Personal Review

Watching the Breath Made Visible felt much more exciting when I compare it to my earlier research for other artists. Maybe it’s because she is so genuine  and looks like a sweet and welcoming aunt or grandma. What is even more important, is the way she approaches dancing.  I don’t know maybe I misjudged the earlier artists but, as I see, for Paxton and Forsythe dance is the purpose itself. When they perform a choreography they are fulfilling themselves. They are dancing, creating choreographies to produce art. However, even though, she saw dancing as the only way to express herself, she approached dancing as a tool most of time with the aim of accomplishing more significant things. 

“Dance is the breath made visible, and that covers everything. Cause once you stop breathing, and breath is no longer visible, you stop moving” she said. She saw dancing as crucial as breathing. And to her, your dance ends only when you close your eyes for good. She believed  that and dedicated her life to it. She also said: “Dance is what you see, what you hear and smell. It is how you bring your consciousness and awareness to your experience”. She most oftenly turned to nature as her source of creativity while she dances. And said. “even everyday movement can take on the awareness”. 

On the other hand she oftenly used dance to build more significant things. For instance, in response to the racial unrest of the 1960s, she brought together a group of all-black and a group of all-white dancers in a collaborative performance, Ceremony of Us. What is more radical is that she performed “Planetary Dance” for both Palestinian and  Israeli people who have been enemies and fighting each other for centuries. Dance took part as a bridge to bring people from different groups together in these acts. 

Furthermore, she used dance as a meditation or a treatment method for people who were diagnosed with Aids and cancer as she never stopped dancing when she was fighting cancer herself.

In conclusion, it’s not my argument that artists have to use their artwork to serve humanity or even nature. I mean this debate has been going on since the first samples of artwork, since the wall drawing from the dark ages. But there is no use in denying the idea that art forms maybe  the best way to do our parts as human beings.