The Arts Are Essential

Dear Boo and Bubble,

I am distressed today with all the talk about diminishing the funding for the National Endowment of the Arts. This isn’t the first time that the endowment has been threatened since periodically it becomes a political piñata cast as promoting moral decay and unnecessary frivolity.  But, I do believe the threat is very real this time.  The constant, simplistic argument put forward for its demise is that it is non-essential in a time when our consolidated contributions to the functions of our government should only be focused on the essential and, therefore, its infinitesimal portion of the country’s expense should be expunged as a prudent measure.  I wholeheartedly disagree.  I think the arts are a most essential element of any society as a tool to move us towards universal peace and understanding - two concepts which require some form of common denominator if we are ever to achieve them. Let me proffer my argument.

There are two forces operating in the world that have the capacity to bring us together - sports and the arts. Every four years, all nations come together to participate in The Olympics. Athletes who cannot even say "hello" to each other because of language barriers nonetheless are able to "communicate" through their common sport whether it be on the field, court, rink, track, pool or gymnasium. Even though they are playing for their country, they can appreciate the talent of their opponents and this recognition by and large fosters good will.  

The very same is true for the arts. An audience can gather in an auditorium with no commonality of culture, but when the symphony plays or the ballet begins, they "communicate" through their common enjoyment and appreciation for what they are witnessing. 

Years ago, your Aunt Bee was cast as the Dew Drop Fairy in the Columbia City Ballet's production of The Nutcracker. She was only ten years old and it was quite a coup because that role had always been danced by one of the senior company members. The artistic director conceived the notion that a dew drop on a flower was diminutive and thus it made sense for such a tiny person to dance the role among the older corps de ballet members dancing the flowers.   Many questioned the decision – that she was too young and would buckle under the pressure, but the director held her ground and rehearsals began.  The choreography was not altered for Aunt Bee in any way.  She was required to execute many difficult steps, including multiple triple pirouettes.

For the role of the Nutcracker Prince, CCB hired a world-renowned danseur from Russia – Stanislav Issaev. This was quite a big deal because of his talent and stature within the dance community.  He arrived, along with a translator, the week before the production opened as the rehearsals moved from the ballet studio to the Township Auditorium.

I will never forget, sitting in the auditorium with other mothers and several dancers, working on costumes and other necessities for the show as the rehearsal progressed on the stage. The time came for the Waltz of the Flowers and when the music started, everyone put down what they were doing and watched in rapt attention. Aunt Bee came out on stage, such a little pixie among the other dancers.  She began her choreography and when she came to the first pirouette, she fell off center and spun in a wobble like a top running out of steam ……and again on the second….and again on the third.  A buzz circulated among the people watching, a verbal referendum, if you will, on the artistic director’s decision to cast her in this role. I was, of course, apoplectic.

When the rehearsal concluded, one of her teachers came up to me and told me to keep her out of the school the next day and bring her to the studio around 10:00. I did this and when we arrived at the studio, only the teacher and Stanislav were there. The teacher told me to leave and come back in an hour. 

What transpired during that time should prove my point. Stanislav, a grown Russian man, and Aunt Bee, a ten-year old American, went into the classroom alone together - neither one being able to speak the other's language - and proceeded to "communicate" through their common understanding of ballet. He demonstrated to her what she was doing wrong - throwing her arm too hard in the turn which took her off center. Within minutes, she was able to correct what she was doing and, after that, never missed another turn.  She performed the role confidently and with much acclamation by all who saw it.

In this world where so much is misunderstood simply because people do not have things in common, why, oh why, would we want to eliminate funding for one of the most meaningful ways to connect?  There is no lack of support for sports (and trust me, I am among the supporters) but, it should be exactly the same for the arts….because they are both essential in bringing people together.