Making it with the dancers

The dancer/choreographer relationship I grew up with- there are a few notable exceptions - exists on the vertical plane. The choreographer sits on top and the dancers toil beneath him/her. Movement vocabulary is created by the choreographer, then learned by the dancer, and then molded by the originator, much like a piece of malleable clay. The clay, depending on temperature, its constituent properties, its relative humidity and any number of other properties, has something to say about the final product, but not much, and certainly not in any original and personal way. The creation model that excites me the most these days places the choreographer and dancer on the same horizontal plane. Ideas, responses, vocabulary, dynamics, intuitions, impulses...any and all of these are valued as potential sites for making the form and content of a dance from nothing. Anne Bogart talks about this in her Viewpoints work. This 'lead collaboration' invites multiple voices into the room. The participants, given space to engage in numerous ways, find ownership in the final product. This translates to authentic performances more readily accessible to the viewer. Communication is immediate and profound.
Some days I loose track of these insights and flip back to the vertical plane. I can't help it. Many factors come into play: the pressure of multiple deadlines, self-doubt, fatigue, ill-preparedness, grumpiness, a sore toe, not enough lunch. The sensitive and ever-vigilant dancers take note of my tangential wanderings and gently bring me back. Just do the work.