Manifesting Fulbright's aspirations between New Zealand and the USA

Titling my post before I write helps me focus the chaos of ideas and approaches that often intimidate me from actually writing a post.

J. William Fulbright's aspirational "mission" is often stated as promoting peace through educational international exchange. There is nothing to replace getting to know how different or similar the life and perspectives of a foreign culture might be, than to experience it in person. I think that the educational component of Fulbright implies that the scholars being supported are looking to effect change through mutual understanding, example, and sharing.

2023 Studio portrait of me by Fabrice Herrault

To promote peace does imply a pre-existing atmosphere of conflict, whether between nations or within the culture of a country, and we should remember that Fulbright brought his program together in the immediate aftermath of World War II. Sadly, international conflicts continue to abound around the world, though I might argue that I don't believe there are more of them than a hundred years ago, only that global communications have made them more immediately felt and technological advances more deadly.

However, it is not my intent to debate conflict here, but to promote how my efforts to share exceptional works of Art between countries is my way of building mutual understanding. Performance Art has a unique quality of needing to be executed by artists and seen by audiences. Art distinguishes itself by both its creator's intent, and its ability to appeal. Music and dance have the added benefit of being able to bypass language barriers, as well as many political barriers. When a dance company performs the work of a dance created for a different ensemble, it gives the dance itself a new life by both the culture of the performers and the perspectives of its audience. Resultantly, when an American-made dance by Paul Taylor is performed by New Zealand dancers for New Zealand audiences the success of the exchange is in whether all concerned are somehow changed from the experience. 

There is something identifiable, if indefinable about how people from different cultural backgrounds move. In Taylor's oeuvre, dancers are meant to be individuals, and how they come together within a specific work speaks of the culture in which they live as well as from whence they came. New Zealand audiences will subconsciously identify with their own, and hopefully celebrate the nuances of expression that come with choreography generated in a foreign land. Throughout history, the creative Arts and artists of many different countries have been celebrated in lands not of their origin. So when cultural (national or organizational) natives get to perform great works of foreign (countries or companies) origin, both performers and audiences are exposed to an experience that can transcend words in mutual understanding.

As a regisseur (staging director), I have set dances by Paul Taylor in foreign countries such as Australia, Austria, China, England, and India. These projects have all resonated well beyond their performances, whether it was audiences that believed they had a better understanding of an American approach to dance, or dancers who persevere at seeking perspectives beyond their own training and native cultures.

2023 bowing with dancers of the Wiener Staatsballett. Photo: Ashley Taylor

A critical aspect of social interaction is based on non-verbal cueing, which includes things like being able to identify a loved one before you can make out their features, just by the way they walk; or whether you feel uncomfortable with how close another person is to you; or by smelling smoke and looking for a fire, and even how the inflection or accent of how someone speaks can trigger an unconscious bias. These cues are essential to building emotional attachments and empathy, and when we can feel for others, it drives us to understand how to at least live with our differences if not overcome them. 

This is my perspective of how critical it was in driving forward a mission of mutual understanding, when Fulbright expanded its purview to include cultural institutions as well as research non-profits amongst their eligible organizations that might qualify to host an international exchange.

This blog (FNZdance25.blogspot.com) is not an official site of the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State. The views expressed on this site are entirely those of its author (Richard Chen See) and do not necessarily represent the views of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State, or any of its partner organizations.