Lessons from a Sage

Imagine you had the opportunity to sit down with a famous choreographer, maybe over a cup or two of tea, and casually talk about how she got started, how she likes to work with others, the pros and cons of collaboration, and some of the famous people she's worked with  . . . and you'll have the flavor of this book, Twyla Tharp's The Collaborative Habit: Life Lessons for Working Together.

Any one of these topics would be fascinating and having them all together, liberally sprinkled with stories about famous musicians and dancers, is a feast for the reader. What does Tharp require from her assistants? (Practically everything; she herself says she is demanding.) How does she get to know her dancers during the early rehearsals? (Have them bring in some of their favorite Latin dance music.) What's her "secret weapon" in collaborations, including with Elvis Costello and Jerome Robbins? (Being able to make them laugh.)

All this in Tharp's distinctive voice. She translates very well to the page; her writing style mirrors her speaking style and although the subject matter is often serious -- we're talking about major art being made here -- her words are precise, generous, and chatty. Her wisdom applies in any arena, not just on the stage. It's like being at her elbow, learning from the master, so you can apply it yourself to whatever you want to be good at.

Excerpt:

Movement was a great communication zone for us. I spoke no Russian. [Baryshnikov's] English was minimal. We mostly communicated through movement. If I needed to talk to explain a point, his language circuits would shut down and he'd go . . .  inside. We needed a translator but there was none.

A language barrier? Not really. We had a common language -- we were dancers with similar work habits. We were both used to technique class in the morning and then rehearsal following that. Daily. Annually. That is ultimately what allowed us to work together.    

See more about their collaboration (including some of the dancing) here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utk6lA-caqM     

Note: This book counts toward the Color Coded Reading Challenge and the Mount TBR Reading Challenge.