Jaye Allison has been working independently in the world of performing arts for over 40 years. In 2015 she wrote her first book, Chronicles of Carols in Color: The Storybook. Now, she’s created the short film, which brings the book to life: Be the Rhythm. In the film, we see several performances from Jaye and her troop, both on the stage and in the studio. Jaye is a master of various styles, including tap, and she’s also a much sought after choreographer But after many years of dancing, she also opened her own dance studio in Philadelphia.
Apart from the dance performances, the most fascinating part of the film is the central one in which we watch Jaye dancing in her studio. As she dances, we also hear her delivering a monologue that mixes discussions of the nature of art, her own biography and social commentary. All of these themes are woven together to give us a snapshot of what Jaye believes the role of an artist is today and of her own role. The monologue is quite poetic and is in itself an impressive piece of performance art.
One of the main themes of her monologue is the notion that art can reach places that words simply cannot. Art, and perhaps especially dance, is difficult to explain or articulate. Jaye is aware of this conundrum and wonders aloud, “Are we supposed to understand the things we see?” The answer, not surprisingly, is difficult. Art is a form of communication beyond language and reaches parts of the soul that we can’t very well explain or even understand. And her chosen medium, dance, holds a special place in that non-verbal communication. She quotes someone as saying, “When words fail, dance speaks.”
So why do we dance? According to Jaye, dance is what first socialized human beings. That’s not an easy claim to verify and I’m certainly not an anthropologist. But the notion that what connected early humans was dance does make some sense.
A fundamental part of dance is rhythm. Many would argue that it’s more important that melody or harmony. A classic example of the importance of rhythm is the opening of the Pink Floyd track, Money. Usually, the sound of coins dropping into a cash register would not be considered music. But when it’s done rhythmically, in a repeated grove, it is undeniably music.
In most traditional dances, rhythm is at the heart. And it is hard not to imagine the earliest human communities coming together in the evening by a fire and dancing. When we watch someone dancing, we empathize on a deep level, even in the audience, we can feel a part of ourselves moving alongside the dancer. This inevitably leads to a feeling of togetherness. And so perhaps the claim of dance’s historical role in socialization makes sense.
This theory also fits with that of the Swiss philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who believed that our first language was poetry and that people first started dancing because they wanted to be seen and to distinguish themselves. Jaye also mentions that one of the attractions of being an artist is that others want to be you. For Rousseau, this desire for distinguishing oneself is largely about attracting a sexual mate. There is no doubt a sexual element to dance, but I think Jaye is correct in claiming that dance is a way of bringing people together on a deep, communal level.
Jaye also brings up the idea that art, and dance, is somehow both a form of entertainment, and therefore something fleeting and not too serious, while also being of the utmost importance and seriousness. The craft of dance is difficult, and the product of that craft can be profoundly inspiring to those watching it.
She speaks of her own journey of coming from a broken home and pursuing a career as an artist in the face of sexism and every other kind of obstacle you can imagine. she lost her dance partner of 17 years to AIDS, and struggled with being what she calls, ‘visibly invisible.’ But an artist has to pursue being an artist no matter what the cost or consequences, and Jaye’s career is a testament to what one determined individual can achieve.
© 2021. UniversalCinema Mag.