Benesh Anniversary Party and Congress 2005 Guests braved London in the chaos caused by the July 21st attempted bombings to attend Benesh Movement Notation’s 50th Anniversary Party, some walking many miles and others making superhuman efforts to get into and across the city. In his welcome address Sir Peter Wright, President of the Benesh Institute and Vice President of the Royal Academy of Dance, paid tribute to Rudolf and Joan Benesh and to the vision, tireless efforts and dedication of the people who have brought Benesh notation from its first beginnings, as an idea on the back of a postcard, to its current position. In her usual visionary way, Dame Ninette de Valois immediately saw the huge potential the notation offered the dance world. She introduced it into the curriculum of the Royal Ballet School and employed the first professional company notator. Her influence and that of The Benesh Institute’s Presidents, Sir Frederick Ashton, Sir Kenneth MacMillan and now Sir Peter Wright helped to spread the use of notation to schools and companies elsewhere in the dance world. Its past Chairmen, Nicholas Dromgoole, Sir John Sainsbury and Roger Bramble, somehow steered The Institute through the financial rapids. Monica Parker (Director 1976 – 1990), whose efficiency in the studio and economy on paper continues to inspire generations of notators, served with prodigious energy and fierce intelligence to secure the Institute’s ethos following Rudolf Benesh’s untimely death. Andrew Ward (Director 1990 – 2000) was responsible for forging the merger with the Royal Academy of Dance and commissioning development of the Benesh Notation Editor software. Last but not least, a pioneering column of notators, beginning with Faith Worth, have demonstrated the notation’s practical value to dance companies worldwide. Their scores, which are used daily in the management of the dance repertoire, are helping to preserve forever our rich choreographic heritage. Sir Peter expressed his pleasure that the relationship between the Academy and the Benesh Institute is proving so fruitful; his delight at the recent graduation of six new notators; and thanked David Elliott (Chair of the Benesh Committee), Liz Cunliffe (Benesh Director), Luke Rittner and the Directors of the Academy for all they are doing to steer Benesh forward into its second half century. The anniversary party was followed by a two-day Benesh Congress. In her welcome address, Professor Joan White reflected on recent successes, particularly the production of the Benesh Notation Editor software; progress on the first comprehensive reference text on the system; and the Faculty’s two notator education programmes: the Certificate in Benesh Movement Notation and its sequel, the Diploma for Professional Benesh Movement Notators. She then challenged delegates to look to the future and address some of the issues that are critical to their future, namely: what should be the role of the Benesh Institute in promoting and safeguarding notation as a profession; and why dance, unlike the other arts, is so cavalier about its art objects – its dances. Why do choreographers devolve responsibility to others to record their work? Why do dancers rely on copying others rather than interpreting from source? Is the dearth of good choreographers partially due to the lack of study resources in tangible form? In the technical sessions that followed, Liz Cunliffe presented an overview of the reference text on Benesh Movement Notation, the first section of which, Orientation and Travel, will shortly go live on the web. She described the process of collating and reviewing all the relevant technical materials and drew delegates attention to some of the developments that had resulted from this, including a new range of signs for location on the thirds and new ways of recording site-specific location. Amanda Eyles led a session on Zoning and Surfacing, reiterating the changes that were introduced in the 2002 BenTech paper on the subject, and Violet Ashford presented a working paper on Hands and Feet. Using her clinical knowledge of anatomy to good effect, she helped delegates to explore the different systems used to identify parts of the extremities and their use in recording detailed function of the fingers and toes. In the non-technical sessions Francis Yeoh and Eliane Mirzabekiantz led discussions focusing on copyright and the notator’s responsibilities with respect to the integrity of the notation system. A wide variety of other presentations demonstrated the breath of opportunities that the notation can offer. These included Documenting Institutionalised African Dance, the subject of Eduard Greyling’s doctorate thesis, A Notational Approach to Dance History by Margaret Flemming, BMN and Semiotics by Vicki Watts, and Visual Benesh, the subject of Anders Ivarson’s BSc dissertation in which he created interactive computer software that realises (so far very simple) notation sequences written on the Benesh Notation Editor as an animated figure.Congress illustrated just how far BMN has come in its 50-year history. It is now an accepted means for documenting movement, a trusted source for revivals of choreographic works, and a wonderful resource for the study of movement and the repertoire. The challenge in the next 50 years is to ensure that the number of scores continues to grow, the number of notation literate dancers and teachers grows, the fields such as physiotherapy that could benefit from the use of notation grows, and that the notation continues to develop to meet the challenges they set it. August 2005 back to top close window