自由舞者:一个需要被重视的存在

Freelance Dancer:An Existence Needed to Be Valued

当下的"自由舞者"大多是来自各个城市的"80后"和"90后"舞者。在社会学意义上,他们不受体制的约束,游离于专业演艺团体与业余培训机构之间;他们是过去时代意义上"北漂"的一部分,现在被冠名为"自由舞者"。在他们的舞蹈中,有许多"梦想",但更多的是对于改变生存现状的种种努力。那么,"自由舞者"到底是怎样一个文化群体?他们来自哪里?他们的存在对我们理解当下中国舞蹈有何意义?这是本文探讨的问题。

The term 'freelance dancer' refers exclusively to professional dancers who work outside the party system.In recent years,freelance dancers emerged,often being in the spotlight and the objects that the media has scrambled and consumed for in both international professional dance competitions and local dance TV shows.It triggers people to contemplate this group of dancers.As a special group,'freelance dancers' have many recognizable cultural features.In terms of the sociological background,most of them were born in the 1980 s and 1990 s and are dance graduates of professional dance colleges or general higher education institutions.They are normally from 'one-child policy' family with privileged background.Compared with their parents,they are more independent and self-challenging.Graduating from school and without family support,they work in the professional dance companies,training agencies,and performing arts groups.Together with other 'Beijing drifters,' they 'dwell in a narrow space,' or even becomes a member of 'ant tribe' in our time.'Freelance dancers' is an invisible group owning to the light of urban consumerism.They do not work for a fixed company,nor have a permanent job;they work for wherever needs them.Due to different talents,personal interests,and division oflabor,they have become actors and actresses,choreographers,or even wore different hats such as a planner for entertaining platform of new media.They have been trying to be part of the mainstream culture,which is yet far-reaching for them.With the rapid rise of the new media in recent years,they are often the darlings of talent shows: Their 'adventuring' and 'fighting' stories are often 'exaggerated' by the media and become the 'consumed texts.'As a freelance dancer,each of them has a dream and all of them believe that their dreams will come true.Thus,they have worked hard to build a successful image of their own ideals.As the rapid circulation of modern information,the 'models' of the constructed ideal images can be found in real life,for example,JIN Xing,Gaoyan Jinzi,and WANG Yuan-yuan,who are successful 'freelance dancers.' These successful freelance dancers came from professional dance companies,later became freelance choreographers and dancers,and then have their own dance company or studio.Their success is the result of the consistent pursuit of their dreams.They have freedom in career and independent personality.We call them 'independent artists.' Sociologically,they belong to the 'other layer' of the society: their life experience and artistic pursuit have left them with higher artistic literacy and cultural awareness;their uniqueness is from their independent personality.In terms of artistic creation,freelance dancers are not restrained by the party system.They prefer to create arts independently and tend to individualize artistic works.Their alternative creativity is gradually resonating among the audience.Their works come from the selfunderstanding oflife,and the creative themes often are their experiences.From creation and performance,we can see their various demands on life through their works.This model breaks the long-held way of artistic judgment,creating an opportunity for the neglected group of dancers to be seen by the world.At the same time,the works of this group break the exclusion and monopoly of artistic creation and performance,using different ways and perspectives toward artistic diversity.In this sense,theyare the pioneers of contemporary dance art.Nowadays,the 'freelance dancers' group is growing.The more space they have been given as social attitude is more open,the more roles they can play.Especially those,who stick to their dreams with independent spirit and finally are successful,and their achievements make this group have a growing social impact.In the new historical period,there are a few topics that need to be studied.For them,how to construct their own personality through realizing their artistic pursuit? How to use their independent spirit as the independent artists and their innovative artistic products to form an interactive and complementary relationship with the mainstream culture? And how will the related governmental culture administration attach importance to the existence of this group and creates the conditions for them,facilitating their development as a new force of cultural diversity? These topics concern not only the individual’s survival but also the future of Chinese dance.