Dance final exam

How ballet started

Ballet came from the courts of France, and it developed from the top to the middle class.

How Kabuki started

Kabuki came from the street, and it developed as street art and moved upward to the middle and upper classes in 1603

ballet movements

often jump away from ground, seeks to be light, effortless, soundless

kabuki movements

physically on ground, weighted, stillness, effort is not hidden, sounded, no attempt is made to minimize the physical nature of the performers art

who is okuni

creator of kabuki

what is onnagata

male performers playing the role of a female

trap door, revolving stage, special lighting

used in kabuki theater to help transform the performance

what is ballet barre for

designed to warm up, stretch and loosen muscles, make joints more flexible and prepare body for the work that follows

la fille mal gardee

the first ballet to tell a story about ordinary people

what its like being a ballet dancer

hard work in ballet lots of competition. need to be in good shape, hardworking, and clever when you are in ballet. most ballerinas retire in 40s

what its like being a kabuki dancer

born into or adopted into kabuki family and expected to keep passing the dance down through generation. performers expect their skills to with age and most dancers continue into their 70s

marie camargo

18th century ballerina who shortened skirts

when were ballet tights introduced

1810 tights were introduced

when did the reinforced point shoe begin to appear

1860s first reinforced pointe shoe began to appear

who is isadora duncan

introduced the idea that dance is art and can be used as a self expression through movement, symbol of new womanhood, created first modern dance language, mother of modern dance

anna povlova said this about isadora duncan

She attributes freedom being brought to russian dancers because of isadora duncan

ruth st. dennis

inspired by egyptian orientalism, helped create denishawn school and educated dancers such as doris humphrey, charles weidman, and martha graham

ted shawn

1st male dance pioneer, founded jacobs pillow, also helped create denishawn school

martha graham

contraction and release technique, a contraction is using the back of a breath, do not deny the weight of the body and gravity

what is lamentation

a modern dance solo choreographed by martha graham that expresses grief and sorrow

vaslav nijinsky

the rite of spring, put ballet into the front lines of avant garde, new costumes and new sets challenged the existing order and caused a riot within the audience

george balanchine

neo-classical/ school of american ballet, added hard edges and deleted gentleness from ballet, see him and his understanding of life in his choreography

katherine dunham

matriarch and queen of black dance, articulated the torso in dancing

merce cunningham

stripped dance of meaning, movement for movements sake, post-modern movement, “martha graham inspire him to come to new york”

twyla tharp

cross-over ballet, started choreographing cause no one else could tolerate her, unified modern and ballet dancers

difference between dance today and 100 years ago

choreographers weren’t about pushing boundaries but rather keeping order 100 years ago

what is post modernism

did away with formal techniques and focused on the basics running, walking, skipping, hopping

alwin nicholas

post modern choreographer was concerned with motion not emotion

paul taylor

post modern choreographer was concerned with using basic pedestrian movements and untraditional sound scores

butoh dance

stylized for of japanese dance theater, dance of darkness- avant garde of the 1960s a period when japan struggled with loss from WW2 and atomic bomb