Dance & Comedy: Sisters, Not Twins

Imagine a world where originality not only means “something new”, but really “something different every time”. Art evovles as society evolves, but it seems to hold on to a few fundamental principles. We can take an existing movement, genre, dialogue, or combination of those things and change them in some way. Sometimes, that means we innovate on it by adding or changing something. Other times, it means imitating the source material with a new cast or a new environment. In all the possible overlaps between visual and performing arts, dance and comedy overlap very well in the genre of imrpovisation.

Improv in the comedy world is widely taught based on games for children, encouraging playfulness and world-building. Improv in the dance world is generally approached as a lighthearted game of risk, sometimes asking for a lot of physical trust in an ensemble. Though the opportunity and skill of improvisation exists in other arts, dance and comedy take a similar and harmonious approach, inviting performers to act on instinct rather than premeditation, while also requiring them to play with the rest of the stage.

As more artistic material comes out, it can be harder to feel original or feel like originality is valued. The intellectual property horse is not only beaten well beyond its years, but the ground around it is cracking too. Digital creators and influencers compete with seas of others to beat the algorithm(s). Live performance and multidisciplinary formats can sound daunting, but improv is the glue that binds them. Dancers and comics in improv environments can be highly original while flexing their quickness and their tenacity. I see a present and a future where the likes of Merce Cunningham and Viola Spolin can exist together, giving us a rich movement vocabulary, colorful dreamscape of dialogues and characters, and joy in both the performers and the audience.

Come see what we do with this idea in the future, I invite you to love it.