The Deerfield Scroll: April 3, 2012
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Vol. LXXXVII, No. 0.5 DEERFIELD ACADEMY, DEERFIELD, MA 01342 April 3, 2012 Dancers of Ailey II use every muscle, angle, and facial expression to show their passion for the art. By TARA MURTY Staff Writer Arms and legs intertwine as each dancer’s movement portrays the vivid emotion of the African-American experience. Passion pulses through each gospel melody, pointed toe, and heart-pounding rhythm. There is a story in each dance and a life in each motion. The world-renowned dance company Ailey II will perform next Monday night, April 9, in the spring Academy Event and lead residency activities for the academic dance classes. The performance will include a range of pieces by Alvin Ailey, the founder of the dance company, and emerging contemporary choreographers. Academy Events Coordinator David Howell said, “There will be a wonderful cross-section between some historical works with great significance and choreography, and some exciting new ideas that will inspire our students.” The juxtaposed harmony between pieces choreographed by Alvin Ailey and those by contemporary dancers will forge a stage bearing the uniqueness of African-American heritage and the modernity of contemporary dance. Most notably among the historical dances, the company will perform Ailey’s signature piece, Revelations. Ailey described it as “a suite of spirituals in three sections.” The first section, Pilgrim of Sorrow, depicts the faith to transcend the heaviness of life’s burden. Take Me to the Water, the second section, recounts Ailey’s own baptismal. The third section, Move Members Move, is set on a Sunday morning in a country church and emphasizes the great faith and joy of the people. Mr. Howell said that, “Revelations contains messages of hope, inspiration, jubilation [and] happiness in the midst of sorrow [where] most of the choreography is steeped in African American tradition.” Around the Table with Gina Apostol By STEFANI KUO Book Reviewer ABBY INGRASSIA Book Reviewer Filled with the complexities of memory and acceptance, English teacher Gina Apostol’s new novel, Gun Dealers’ Daughter, follows Sol, a young woman from Manila in search of an identity. Intertwined with her past and future, Sol’s narration is filled with the history of Manila, her parents’ societal role and position, and her own beliefs and desire to rebel against her loved ones. The Scroll’s two book reviewers sat down with Ms. Apostol to talk with her about her novel, due to be published by W.W. Norton in July. Kuo: Congratulations on your book, Ms. Apostol! Apostol: Thank you, Stefani. Kuo: I really enjoyed reading it. Could you tell us about the writing process of the Gun Dealers’ Daughter? Google Images Ailey II for Academy Event DA Style Ashley So’s Unique Exemption Movie Review: The Artist These ascending dancers, close in age to Deerfield students, provide a lens through which we may see ourselves. The hearty melodies energize the dancers as they evoke the emotions and unparalleled cultural stories rooted in the symbiotic duet of music and dance. Fine Arts Department Chair and dance teacher Jennifer Whitcomb and Mr. Howell both applauded the professionalism, energy, and youthfulness of the company. Ms. Whitcomb added, “They don’t hold anything back because they are really climbing and clawing into major companies.” These ascending dancers, close in age to Deerfield students, provide a lens through which we may see ourselves. Mr. Howell said that the “same kind of drive that characterizes the vast majority of Deerfield students is possessed in these dancers.” He said “that energy, that pride, that joy of being a part of a very long tradition of [Ailey dance]” possessed by Ailey II dancers resonates with the feelings of students about Deerfield tradition. Nina Shevzov-Zebrun ’12 said, “Everyone can benefit from opening his or her mind to new forms of expression.” She added, “It will be interesting to observe the Ailey II dancers’ technique and style and to try to absorb as much as possible.” The Alvin Ailey dance style melds African-American culture and stories with modern dance technique in a form that activates each muscle with emotional energy—an energy that flows smoothly at times and strikes staccato at others. Ailey’s fused style is a product of both his dance background and heritage. Ailey began formal dance training after being exposed to dance when he attended performances of a ballet and the first African-American modern dance company. He trained with the founder of America’s first racially integrated dance company, Lester Horton. Ailey II utilizes Horton’s modern dance technique and welcomes dancers of all ethnicities. Ailey explained, “We are really celebrating human beings and we are trying to make an identification with the black past.” He added, “I am a choreographer. I am a black man whose roots are in the sun and the dirt of the South. My roots are in the gospel churches of the South [with their] anthems to the Ashley So Apostol: I got a fellowship to write a draft of this novel from Phillips Exeter Academy. They have a writer in residence for a year. I finished the first draft but didn’t do anything with it. When my daughter went off to college, I had nothing to do, so I spent every afternoon revising the novel. It took me years to figure out how to revise Gun Dealer. The first draft of the novel was chronological narration, which was very boring. I didn’t like the structure of the [first draft]. Ingrassia: So you wrote your first draft, left it and then came back to it. What did you do differently when you returned to it? Apostol: I got rid of the chronological. The early draft was around 300-400 pages, but I took out the backstories of a few characters and put in what would fit in terms of what [Sol] would actually think. Kuo: So was your first draft all in Sol’s perspective? Or was it a third-person narrative? Apostol: That’s a very good question. I started off in third person, but I really wanted to hear her voice. So, I moved out of the third-person voice. That ironically pushed me to be more disciplined about what I would include because if you have this kind of person, she can only have this kind of memory. That issue of limiting, narrowing, and creating constraints is really important in writing novels and in fiction. Ingrassia: The book also revolves a lot around memory and how “memory is deception.” How much of Sol’s memory recreates itself rather than portrays the truth? Apostol: I have an idea, but that is such a reader’s question. What do you guys think? Kuo: At first, I assumed she was a little distorted, but I didn’t think she was making up memories. Then I started doubting if she was remembering things for what they really were. Apostol: There’s something deceptive about recall, about memory, and the writing process is part of it. She’s writing everything out, and the deception is really an issue. Even the issue of being literary and how constraining that is when you have to figure out your words and still portray the truth: there is always a gap between writing to portray the truth and recognizing your construction is made up for fiction writers, for novelists. In a sense, that, too, is an interesting theme and a struggle for me as a writer: the paradoxical truth of language. Ingrassia: I was wondering how much of the story or the plot is based on your own experiences? Continued on the back Special Arts Issue
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Deerfield Academy’s Student Run Newspaper
Transcript of The Deerfield Scroll: April 3, 2012
Vol. LXXXVII, No. 0.5 DEERFIELD ACADEMY, DEERFIELD, MA 01342 April 3, 2012
Dancers of Ailey II use every muscle, angle, and facial expression to show their passion for the art.
By TARA MURTYStaff Writer
Arms and legs intertwineas each dancer’s movementportraysthevividemotionof theAfrican-American experience.Passion pulses through eachgospelmelody,pointed toe,andheart-poundingrhythm.Thereisastoryineachdanceandalifeineachmotion.The world-renowned dance
company Ailey II will performnext Monday night, April 9, inthe spring Academy Event andlead residency activities for theacademicdanceclasses.The performance will
include a range of pieces byAlvinAiley, the founder of thedance company, and emergingcontemporarychoreographers.AcademyEventsCoordinator
David Howell said, “There willbe a wonderful cross-sectionbetween some historical workswith great significance andchoreography,andsomeexcitingnew ideas that will inspire ourstudents.” The juxtaposedharmony between pieces
choreographedbyAlvinAileyandthose by contemporary dancerswill forge a stage bearing theuniquenessof African-Americanheritage and the modernity of contemporarydance.Most notably among the
historical dances, the companywill perform Ailey’s signaturepiece,Revelations.Aileydescribedit as “a suite of spirituals inthreesections.”Thefirstsection,Pilgrim of Sorrow,depictsthefaithto transcend the heaviness of life’sburden.Take Me to the Water,the second section, recountsAiley’sownbaptismal.Thethirdsection,Move Members Move, issetonaSundaymorninginacountrychurchandemphasizesthegreatfaithandjoyof thepeople.Mr. Howell said that,
“Revelations contains messagesof hope, inspiration, jubilation[and] happiness in the midstof sorrow [where] most of the choreography is steeped inAfricanAmericantradition.”
AroundtheTablewithGinaApostol
By STEFANI KUOBook Reviewer
ABBY INGRASSIABook Reviewer
Filled with the complexitiesof memory and acceptance,English teacher Gina Apostol’snewnovel,Gun Dealers’ Daughter,follows Sol, a young womanfrom Manila in search of anidentity. Intertwined with herpastandfuture,Sol’snarrationisfilledwiththehistoryof Manila,her parents’ societal role andposition, and her own beliefsand desire to rebel against herlovedones.TheScroll’stwobookreviewers sat down with Ms.Apostol to talk with her abouthernovel,duetobepublishedbyW.W.NortoninJuly.Kuo: Congratulations on yourbook,Ms.Apostol!Apostol:Thankyou,Stefani.Kuo: I really enjoyed readingit. Could you tell us about thewriting process of the Gun Dealers’ Daughter?
Google Images
AileyIIforAcademyEvent
DAStyleAshleySo’sUnique
Exemption
Movie Review:The Artist
These ascending dancers, close in age to Deerfield students,
provide a lens through which we may see ourselves.
Theheartymelodiesenergizethe dancers as they evoke theemotions and unparalleledcultural stories rooted in thesymbiotic duet of music anddance.Fine Arts Department Chair
and dance teacher JenniferWhitcombandMr.Howellbothapplauded the professionalism,energy, and youthfulness of thecompany.Ms.Whitcombadded,“They don’t hold anythingback because they are reallyclimbingandclawing intomajorcompanies.”These ascending dancers,
closeinagetoDeerfieldstudents,
providealensthroughwhichwemay see ourselves. Mr. Howellsaid that the “same kind of drive that characterizes the vastmajority of Deerfield studentsis possessed in these dancers.”Hesaid“thatenergy, thatpride,thatjoyof beingapartof averylong tradition of [Ailey dance]”possessed by Ailey II dancersresonates with the feelingsof students about Deerfieldtradition.Nina Shevzov-Zebrun ’12
said,“Everyonecanbenefitfromopeninghisorhermindtonewformsof expression.”Sheadded,“Itwillbeinterestingtoobservethe Ailey II dancers’ techniqueandstyleandtotrytoabsorbasmuchaspossible.”The Alvin Ailey dance style
melds African-American cultureand stories with modern dancetechniqueinaformthatactivateseach muscle with emotionalenergy—an energy that flowssmoothly at times and strikesstaccatoatothers.Ailey’sfusedstyleisaproduct
of both his dance backgroundandheritage.Ailey began formal dance
training after being exposedto dance when he attendedperformancesof aballetandthefirst African-American moderndance company. He trainedwith the founder of America’sfirst racially integrated dancecompany,LesterHorton.AileyIIutilizes Horton’s modern dancetechniqueandwelcomesdancersof allethnicities.Ailey explained, “We are
really celebrating human beingsand we are trying to make anidentification with the blackpast.” He added, “I am achoreographer.Iamablackmanwhose roots are in the sun andthe dirt of the South.My rootsareinthegospelchurchesof theSouth[withtheir]anthemstothe
Ashley SoApostol: I got a fellowship towrite adraftof thisnovel fromPhillips Exeter Academy. Theyhave a writer in residence for ayear.Ifinishedthefirstdraftbutdidn’tdoanythingwithit.Whenmydaughterwentoff tocollege,I had nothing to do, so I spentevery afternoon revising thenovel.Ittookmeyearstofigureout how to revise Gun Dealer.Thefirstdraftof thenovelwaschronological narration, whichwasveryboring.Ididn’tlikethestructureof the[firstdraft].
Ingrassia: So you wrote yourfirst draft, left it and then cameback to it. What did you dodifferentlywhenyoureturnedtoit?Apostol: I got rid of thechronological. The early draftwasaround300-400pages,butItookoutthebackstoriesof afewcharactersandputinwhatwouldfit intermsof what [Sol]wouldactuallythink.Kuo: Sowas yourfirst draft allinSol’sperspective?Orwas it athird-personnarrative?Apostol: That’s a very goodquestion. I started off in thirdperson, but I really wanted tohearher voice. So, Imovedoutof the third-person voice. Thatironicallypushedmetobemoredisciplined about what I wouldincludebecause if youhave thiskind of person, she can onlyhave thiskindof memory.Thatissue of limiting, narrowing,and creating constraints is reallyimportant in writing novels andinfiction.Ingrassia: The book alsorevolves a lot aroundmemory and how “memoryis deception.” How much of Sol’s memory recreates itself rather than portrays the truth?Apostol:Ihaveanidea,butthatissuchareader’squestion.Whatdoyouguysthink?Kuo:Atfirst,Iassumedshewasalittledistorted,butIdidn’tthinkshe was making up memories.Then I started doubting if shewasrememberingthingsforwhattheyreallywere.Apostol: There’s somethingdeceptive about recall, aboutmemory, and the writingprocess is part of it. She’swriting everything out, and thedeceptionisreallyanissue.Eventhe issue of being literary andhow constraining that is whenyouhavetofigureoutyourwordsandstillportraythetruth:thereisalways a gapbetweenwriting toportraythetruthandrecognizingyourconstructionismadeupforfictionwriters,fornovelists.Inasense, that, too, isan interestingtheme and a struggle forme asawriter:theparadoxicaltruthof language.Ingrassia:Iwaswonderinghowmuchof thestoryortheplotisbasedonyourownexperiences?Continued on the back
Special Arts Issue
2 The Deerfield Scroll SPECIALARTSISSUE April 3, 2012
VOL.LXXXVII,NO.0.5 APRIL3,2012
Editor-in-ChiefKRISTY HONG
Front PageCASEY BUTLER
Opinion/EditorialSAMMY HIRSHLAND
Arts & EntertainmentMIRANDA MCEVOY
FeaturesCAROLINE KJORLIEN
AdvisorsSUZANNE HANNAY & JOHN PALMER
The Deerfield Scroll, established in 1925, is the official student newspaper of Deerfield Academy. The Scroll encourages informed discussion of pertinent issues that concern the Academy and the world. Signed letters to the editor that express legitimate opinions are welcomed. We hold the right to edit for brevity. The Scroll is published eight times yearly. Advertising rates provided upon request.
SportsSARAH SUTPHIN
PhotographyASHLEY SO
GraphicsTATUM MCINERNEY
OnlineJOHN LEE
DearReader:Weareprivilegedtowelcome
Ailey II for Monday’s AcademyEvent and to experience theunbridled expression, emotion,and devotion of the dancers.Rarely do we encounter suchintricate,evocativeartinourfast-pacedandcomplicatedlives.Though some of us are
hesitant to attend a requiredevent,Ihopethatourconnectiontotheperformanceisasmovingas thedancers’ interpretationof themusicandculturalthemesineach piece. Artistic expressiontakes courage, and we, theaudience,arefortunatetoreceivethemessagesof thedancerswhosowillinglyexpressthemselvesindaringways.This broadsheet hopes to
recognize the arts on and off campus, as well as to recognizetheir importance as a unifyingforceinthecommunity.My thanks to our fearless
Arts and Entertainment EditorMiranda McEvoy and GraphicsEditorTatumMcInerney. KristyHong Editor-in-Chief
Letter from theEditor__________
The Artist:ASilentSuccessByCHARLOTTE
POSEVERMovie Reviewer
Whatif thewholeworldwereblack and white? Do you everwonderwhat itwouldbe like if youcouldturnoff theclamorof yourdailyroutine?Now you can.The Artist is a
silent film released in January2012, starring French actorsBéréniceBejoandJeanDujardin.The filmwon fiveOscars (BestPicture, Best Actor, Best Score,BestDirector,andBestCostumeDesign).Itwasthesecondsilentfilmtoreceivesuchacclaimsincethe beginning of the awardsceremonyin1929.Thefilmisarefreshingreturn
to the glory and simplicity of old Hollywood. Though a newfilm, it has all the authenticityof the silent movies popular inthe1920s.Thescreenisreducedto a square insteadof theusualrectangle;thecreditsareshownattheopening;and,of course,theblack-and-white cinematographytransports viewers back to thecinemaof theRoaring20s.The story follows an actor’s
experience during the transitionfrom silent movies of the early20th century to the fresh appealof the “talkies,” which we nowrefertojustas“movies.”GeorgeValentin(Dujardin)is
asilentmoviestarshuntedasideas new talent arises in the formof dancer and actress PeppyMiller (Bejo). Valentin loses hisjobandattemptstomakemoviesof his own. He fails, however,and wallows in misery whileMiller succeeds with the helpof her voice, a phenomenonnew to cinemagoersback then.Romance kindles between thetwo,anditisastrugglebetweentheoldand thenewasValentincomestotermswiththechangingof times.A movie about making
movies, The Artist has manyunexpected surprises andinstancesof humorthatmakeitenjoyable for all audiences. Thefilmisawonderfulreturntotheclassicsof oldHollywoodandanamazing contrast to the moviesof today.
MoreThanJustaFace
ByANNA PETTEEStaff Writer
We live in a community of overeighthundredpeople,whereitisdifficulttoknoweverybody’sname. Over time, it becomeseasier to recognize the faces of not just teachers and students,but staff as well. Through herwinter exemption, Ashley So’13 has worked to put namesandstories to somefaces in theDeerfieldcrowd.At the beginning of the
winter term, So petitioned fora co-curricular exemption tophotograph,interview,andwriteaboutDAstaff members.“I’m compiling a book. I’m
interviewingdifferentpeopleoncampus—groundscrew,physicalplant, dining hall, even theHistoric Deerfield tourguides—andgettingtoknowtheirstories,”Soexplained.So’sexemptionisnotsimplyan
outlet to hone her photography
Continued from the front page...
Apostol:Well,myparentsaren’tgun dealers, so no.One of theproblems I had with this novelis with this person who wantstobelong.Whatisitabout[Sol]that makes her stray from herupper-class friends? It takes along time, maybe five years, towriteanovel.Youhavetothinkalongtimeaboutit,gothroughthe characters, and researchon the time period. I also hadto figure out my connections;what I could put into herpsychology that would beinteresting. [Sol] is a compositeof a lot of people I knew.Ingrassia: So, as you’re leavingat the end of the year, do youhave any plans concerningyour writing? Are youhoping to write more books?Apostol: Yes, the one I amworking on right now is acombination of the modernandtherevolutionary.I’mgoingbacktoamassacrein1901,whenFilipinos killed 33 Americans,and Americans killed severalthousands of Filipinos. I’vealready startedwriting that, andit is connected tomovie-writingandmystery.Kuo: After leaving Deerfield,are you focusing on writingand your next novel?Apostol: It will depend onwhether I get a job that’sinteresting that I’ll take. I’dlove to focus on my novel,which would be fun. I haveone question for you guys. Isthis a book that is assignableto high school students?Kuo:Yes,inourEnglishclasswewerereadingBeloved,whichwasalotaboutmemory,andIthinkthiswassimilarinthatsense.Ithoughtit connected with our class.Apostol:Inwhatwaywouldthisplotberelevanttoakidyourage?Ingrassia: The coming-of-age theme is what every highschoolstudentisgoingthrough.No one has really foundthemselvesyetbecauseeveryoneis trying to find their voice.Apostol: Yes, in fact, I calledone of my drafts Catcher in the Rye novel. If you were thisteenager trying to find herself in the Philippines, what wouldyou do? You would becomea Maoist rebel, instead of walking with drugs on FifthAvenue. I thought there wassomethingaboutthecoming-of-age thatwas interesting forme.Kuo: Well, thank youso much for your time!Apostol: Thankyou!
and reporting skills; it is a wayfor students and faculty to gettoknowthosewhoplayintegralrolesincampuslife.“I feel that we stress
community andhow thepeopleherearesoimportant,butIthinkwe are forgetting an importantaspect of the community,” shesaid.“Wearesobusy.Weconnect
with students, teachers, andpeople in the dorm, but not asmuchwith thosewhowork ‘forus’,”Sosaid.Though we may say “thank
you” toaDiningHallemployeeor offer a “good morning” toa grounds crew member, werarelyconnect.“Iguess I’m justproviding that angle thatpeopledon’t see everyday. We comefromallovertheworld,and[thestaff members] also have theirown stories abouthow theygottoDeerfield,”Soexplained.And every story is different.
Hoping to get unique materialfrom each interviewee, Sodeliberately did not ask pre-formed questions in herinterviews.“Whatever I find out about
them, whatever they feel isimportant,Itrytomakeitintoa
story.Thisprojectwasdefinitelymore work than I thought itwouldbe,”Sosaidwithasmile.So’s hard work has paid off.
Withthestartof thespringterm,her project will enter its finalstage—printinganddistribution.
Ashley So poses with her camera. Pick up a copy of So’s book in mid-April and renew your appreciation for DA’s unsung heroes.
Amanda Schroeder
AP artwork by Emlyn Van Eps ’12 (top left), Brad Hakes ’12 (top right), and Lilah Lutes ’14 (bottom).
