BACK TO NATURE MOVEMENT

Tonight I went to a lecture by dance theorist Susan Foster called 'Choreographies of Hire' in Utrecht, Netherlands. I take an interest in contemporary dance because it reminds me of our humanity.

Susan presented research based on patterns she has seen emerging since 1987, the year I was born. It was a time when choreographers didn't have as much time with dancers and couldn't train them in a particular way of movement. It has meant dancers have become adaptive and generic, hence the hired body.

Issues of locality/identity VS universality/homogeneity emerged. She discussed the trend towards frontal orientation and importance placed on the silhouette of a dancer, no doubt the influence of having to communicate through 2D media, ie: TVs and computer screens, and exposure to a mass audience. ie: So you think you can dance. In this "industrial" context performance is based on a dancer's ability to communicate the essence of a particular genre whilst overlaying one's own interpretation. Its not something deep that reflects a way of thinking or being, its a mask they adopt.

This reminds me very much of Japanese architect Kengo Kuma's critic of architecture being reduced to a facade, a surface. He calls for a return to materiality, craft and substance.

In a similar way Catherin Bull, the head lecturer of landscape architecture at Melbourne University, denigrates the landscape architecture professions preoccupation with the Picturesque and calls for eidetic landscapes that engage the body, heart and mind.

This pattern is a rejection of the hyperactive and superficial state of capitalist consumerism. I have seen it manifest in friends from Australia, the Netherlands, Scotland, the USA, Ireland ... these people are suffering from a nature deficiency and find themselves craving something "real", something beyond the surface of their laptop or smartphone screen.

The recent film "Somewhere" with Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning (link) is a classic example of a guy who is grossly dissatisfied with the hollowness of his high-profile life, eventually finding meaning in family and nature.

In Japan there's a movement of young people shifting to the country to live the simple life, starting organic farms and escaping the chaos of Tokyo City. This has manifested in a "back to nature" aesthetic in products and clothes, as well as a return to hand-made craft.

Susan Foster cited indigenous Alutiiq performer Tanya Lukin Linklater (link) as an example of this counter culture, describing the way Tanya "weaves herself into her surrounds", becoming one with everything around her. Themes of ceremony, ritual, storytelling run through her work as she recognises and celebrates her connection with the earth. She also cites the Cloud Gate Theatre of Taiwan. (link)

Of course Bangarra dance company from Australia have become world-renowned for telling ancient indigenous stories through contemporary dance. The same can be said for Australia's many indigenous painters, including my favourite Emily Kame Kngwarreye.

Another more popular example is the Hollywood Blockbuster 'Avatar' and the portrayal of the Navi people as being connected with all forms of life in a network called Eywa.

NOMA restaurant in Copenhagen, who is redefining Nordic cuisine by using unexplored and under-utilised traditional produce, has just been voted the World's number one restaurant again. The idea is that the whole ecosystem where the ingredients originate can be visible on your plate.

This momentum shift is occurring in all aspects of our daily life, more and more people have had enough of the superficiality of consumerism and are actively seeking meaning in life by reconnecting with nature and family. BUT because this is a whole new paradigm, attitude and belief system, it is going to take time to evolve and infiltrate our current culture. Even still the signs are positive.