Dance Experience Final, DANCE EXPERIENCE FINAL

Dance is an essential part of this world culture. One of these world "subcultures" is dance as performance. Name four more reasons why people dance.

respecting and admiring other cultures, for fun, to work together, and to build relationships

Modern dance and Ballet are considered to be

concert dance

When participating in a new dance experience a checklist can help to approach any type of dance in any cultural context. The five stages of looking at cross-cultural dance are:

observation, description, explanation, interpretation, and evaluation

When cultures clash how can dance be a way to educate and combat this intolerance and hate?

Dancing can move across boundaries, it is something we all share.

Dance can be considered a "nutrient" for some as it feeds their soul.

true

What is the FIRST thing we can imagine each individual experienced as movement?

swishing around in mother's womb

The language/terminology spoken during a ballet class is uniform throughout the world.

true

a communication form (using the body in dance) that is in our bones, stronger than the content of words or meaning of words.

gesture

While Bhangra is now a celebration for everyone, who did it used to be danced by exclusively?

men

Bhangra is a folk dance in India danced by _____ to celebrate the _____

farmers, harvest

West Africa is at the crossroads of competing faiths. The Yoruba people dance for and some with their ____

gods

Dance in Christian worship has been very controversial.

true

The ___ ____ dance where dancers intertwine ribbons attached to a tall pole is a remnant of a pagan fertility rite.

may pole

When religious dances leave the church and continue to preserve one's heritage and traditions they become ____ dances.

folk

In the Yoruba tradition the physical is there to serve the spiritual.

true

The Egungun dancers of Nigeria's Yoruba people wear masks to represent their _______

ancestors

Osun is the protector of children. In the dance for Osun, what color do the dancers wear AND describe the qualities in their movements.

They wear white and their movements are slow and graceful.

Virgin girls are used in the serpent (or snake) dance in the Hindu religion of India. This dance is meant to

ward off evil

Religious dance forms can become a performance art as in Bharatanatyam and Khatakali. Which form is danced only by men and which is danced only by women?

Bharatanatyam: women

Khatakali: men

Athletes don't mind if something looks difficult while dancers seek to make the difficult look ____

easy

What steps must one go through in order to become a member of the Riverdance cast and what are some of the obstacles?

All Riverdance dancers are veterans of competitions growing up.

Some of the obstacles of being in Riverdance are shin splints and adapting to a new stage, city, and floor.

Capoeira: where it is from, a description of its technique/style, what performance dance styles might it show up in?

Capoeira is from Brazil.

Capoeira is an art and a martial art, and incorporates singing. Two students start at the opening of a circle playing with a row of instruments. Then, the two people do a swinging sway movement, and start to kick and escape.

Capoeira might show up in contemporary or hip hop.

where does the word "folklorico" come from?

Folklorico comes from the words "folk" which means people, and "lore" which means the life and history of the people.

Name at least 4 basic dance formations used in FOLK dances:

circle, semicircle, lines, and squares.

Name at least 4 basic steps used in FOLK dances:

walking, running, skipping, and galloping.

After watching excerpts from Act II of The Nutcracker and Swan Lake, choose one FOLK dance represented and write a short description of where and how you see "it" depicted in one of these classical ballets.

Polish folk dance is seen during the Mazurka in Swan Lake by the shoes, the often use or partnering, and I noticed they often straighten one foot out in front.

Name as many FOLK dance styles you can find represented in Michael Jackson's Black or White video.

There is African folk dance, Native American folk dance, Bharatanatyam, and Russian folk dance.

Brazil's national dance is _____

samba

When Africans came to Brazil the religious cultural traditions were so very different from their own yet their concepts of theater, dance and music survived on the boats they traveled on and as part of their daily work. The Afro-Brazilian religion _______ evolved out of religious practices of the Yoruba people of West Africa. They were able to hide these practices behind Catholicism.

candomble

African's drums were taken away by the slave owners because they were afraid Africans were using them to communicate with one another. What happened as a result of their drums being taken away?

They used their bodies, they clapped instead. They created new ways to worship.

A new way to worship, where rhythmic shuffling and stomping of feet combined with hand clapping performed in a circle, is called the ____ _____

ring shout

During the Harlem Renaissance the Savoy Ballroom became a place where everyone (including whites) wanted to go to dance. The "swing out" where dancers pulled away from their partners to do their own thing was a high energy dance created by African Americans called the _____ ___. The whites copied it in their own "jerkier" version called the Jitterbug.

lindy hop

During the civil rights movement the popular Buddy Dean show (which the show Hairspray was modeled after) sometimes had a special night when blacks could dance, what happened when they tried to integrate the show?

The station cancelled the show.

_____ started out as a pagan celebration as a Catholic festivity where no Africans were allowed and had no drums. Now African themes and racial pride dominate the bold expression of Brazil's multi-cultural heritage.

Carnival

_____ is the oldest form of Western theatrical dancing.

ballet

Describe the ballet de cour, or court ballet.

The court ballet was a series of danced episodes accompanied by spoken or sung text. Its participants were courtiers for whom dancing was a component of basic education.

The most important participant in court ballets was _____ ___ King of France.

Louis XIV

The King founded both the Royal Academy of Dancing as well as the Royal Academy of Music. After many changes in government it still exists today as the _____ _____ _____

Paris Opera Ballet

List a minimum of 3 reasons ballet has been criticized as elitist.

3 reasons are that training dancers requires eight years of study, which must be paid for, producing ballets has always been a costly undertaking, and ballet needs an audience (usually paying) to survive.

The first professional dancers were men as women's wide weighty skirts limited their movements. Around the same time the raised ________ stage was adopted differentiating the dancer and spectator.

proscenium

Name a minimum of 2 developments in technique that would separate the amateur from the professional.

Turn our and the five positions would separate the amateur from the professional.

Briefly summarize what Jean-Georges Noverre did with ballet d'action or dramatic ballet.

Jean-Georges Noverre combined mime and dance, so that words were not needed and ballet was not just the movement of the legs. He wanted to tell a story, and use the face and body to its' fullest potential.

Name a minimum of 2 changes/ developments that occurred during the Romantic age.

The audience in France was now mainly middle class, and the distance between audiences and performers was increased. (pointe shoes)

Long before there were video cameras, in the 1680's in France, a significant system of ______ ________was developed that could be used to reproduce dances.

dance notation

The Japanese dance form _______ is the oldest institutionalized dance form in the world.

Bugaku

Describe the costumes, props, stage setup, and movements used in Bugaku

Costumes - They have to wear masks. The dancers dress identically. They were exquisite, brightly colored silk brocade costumes. Originally, they performed in official uniform of the imperial court.

Props - Swords, oversized jewels, and branches are used in symbolic gestures.

Stage setup - A traditional stage is built of a square wooden platform elevated from the floor, with two dressing room tents set up on either side of the stage. The stage is covered by a heavy cloth and framed by a brightly painted, two-foot high rail.

Movements - The torso must be held perfectly straight. They move slowly, symmetrically, and forcefully in this ceremonial dance form.

The African Asante (Ashanti) dance as an expression of solidarity. They process in order of importance and the size of their umbrella reflects one's status in the courts.

true

In the 1600's the King of France was an eager dancer, performed eighty roles in forty major ballets during his lifetime, and frequently danced in court ballets during the early half of his reign. He was known as the ___ ___ _____and developed the original concepts of balletic "grandeur" that we continue to see today.

The Sun King

Both the African Asante (Ashanti) King and the King of France adorned themselves in ____

gold

The King of France adorned himself this way (question #16) because he portrayed himself as _____

Apollo

Briefly describe the movements of the Asante (Ashanti).

Asante has majestic movement with a dash of elegance. It is very deliberate and purposeful. You can not hurry it. The hands speak in elaborate sign language.

The Javanese court dance utilizes beautiful women to dance. Court dance in Java is a gift from the ____ The ultimate goal of the dancers is to achieve balance between _____ ___ ____

gods, bodies and soul

Discuss the differences between Kabuki and Ballet: where they come from, length of training and lifespan of the dancers within their individual disciplines.

Kabuki comes from the streets of Japan, and ballet comes from the ballroom of the 17th century French court. Kabuki dancers dance for much longer throughout their life compared to ballet dancers. Many Kabuki dancers are born into Kabuki families, and their fathers teach them from a very young age.

Discuss the similarities between Kabuki and Ballet: what goes on behind the scenes (preparation training etc.) as well as what happens on stage what types of stories are they telling as well as what type of stage do they use (relationship between audience and performers).

Both stories reflect the deep values of their society and a backstage where the illusion is prepared. There is a public space where the audience finds themselves transformed. Both deal with the internal conflict of bad vs good.

Explain the process of being admitted into the Imperial Ballet school.

It is highly competitive and exams are held in March. They pick 40/50 out of 600/700. They also measure their proportions and are checked by a medical examiner. They cannot be too short and have an "uninteresting face".

Previously we learned about the famous pairing of French choreographer Marius Petipa and Russian composer Peter Tchaikovsky as they worked together on Swan Lake and Nutcracker. What other ballet did they work on together that was presented in this video?

Sleeping Beauty

What is the tradition of Onagata in the Japanese Kabuki theater?

It is the tradition of men playing female roles.

Many famous ballet dancers came out of the Imperial Ballet School including Anna Pavlova, Mikhail Baryshnikov and George Balanchine. Before coming to America, Balanchine choreographed for Serge Diaghilev's Ballet Russes. Name at least 3 other artists (dancers, musicians and/or visual artists) that worked for Diaghilev as well.

3 other artists that worked for Serge Diaghilev are Igor Stravinsky, Serge Prokofiev, and Erik Satie.

Briefly describe what impact George Balanchine had on American ballet.

He took ballet technique and he extended and expanded it. He stretched the limits and was one of the greatest romantic choreographers.

Jerome Robbins is considered a "crossover" choreographer because he choreographed for both concert dance and commercial dance. What piece of work is he probably best known for and how would you describe his "style" of choreography?

He's best known for West Side Story and his choreography was a mix of theatrical dancing and ballet.

Name the 4 different ranks (in order) a dancer must go through in order to become what is considered to be the top position in the New York City Ballet.

What is the name of the ballet school from which they are chosen?

Where is it's home base? (name of performing arts center)

1. apprentices 2. corps 3. soloists 4. principal

School of American Ballet

Lincoln Center

Ring Shout

a spirtiual experience

dancers bless their lives as they move

Ralph Ellison called these dances America's first choreography

were able to move their knees and hips

Toilet Stool vs Milking the Cow

The dancer stays in the same position, but the hands do not milk the cow anymore instead they roll the toilet paper.

Black Bottom

named after a Nashville neighborhood

jump to the right, left, front, back

hit the ground 3 times then your own bottom

Denishawn School

school to train new

almost a cult-like atmosphere

owned by Ruth St. Dennis and Ted Shawn

Edna Guy

one of Ruth St. Dennis' biggest fans

wrote letters back and forth to Ruth St. Dennis

was rejected by dance schools and at auditions because she was black

never got a job dancing despite being one of the best dancers at many auditions

ends up working as an artists' model

finally admitted to Denishawn School in 1924 but gets asked to leave

main reason behind the all black dance concert

suffered 2 heart attacks that caused her to stop dancing

1920's Harlem

Black artists flourished, known as the Harlem Renaissance

Asadata Dafora

comes to America during Harlem Renaissance

merges African dance with Western dance, ostrich dance

African articulation of shoulders and pelvis = Isolation

All come out of the African tradition of dance

Without African tradition, we would not have American dance as we know it today

Katharine Dunham- The New Dance Group/merge of dance and anthropology/Dunham technique

formed her own company while also a college student

merges dance with anthropology

travels to the Caribbean to study dance in 1935

Haiti has the greatest impact

had to know the people of Haiti to know the dance

was reluctant to leave the Caribbean

teachers her company the "steps of the gods" and the spiritual connection

this becomes the foundations of Dunham technique

learned to move each part of your body separately

created the controversial barrel house blues

Dunham's company was faced with a lot of racism while touring

but Dunham uses her fame to combat this racism

1937 All Negro Dance Concert

aims to show the public that black people have contributed to the dance world

Dunham and her company have to drive through a snow storm and arrive at the last minute

a milestone, showcasing the best of black concert dance

well received by the media

highlight is a solo performed by Edna Guy

Stormy Weather

a film in the 1940s

Katharine Dunham was in it, she was groundbreaking

staring Bill Bojangles Robinson and Lena Horne

choreographed and danced the scene in the movie

Pearl Primus - civil rights activist/"Strange Fruit"/dance as weapon for social justice

stuns an audience with a solo about lynching

was widely embraced by the modern dance world

dances at the new dance group

not even a year after she debuted on the stage, she stops dancing to go to the south to learn more about black people

religious rituals have the biggest impact

she often performed at political events

most famous piece was the hard time blues

continued to dance despite being spat on and stoned

travels to africa to learn more about their dance traditions

Tally Beatty "Mourner's Bench"

one of Dunhams original company members

best dancer that she had

branched out on his own and made wonderful works

had power, excitement and intensity

created provocative choreography

creates The Mourners Bench in 1947

Donald McKayle - "Games"/storyteller/political/social - "Rainbow Round my Shoulder" what was "rainbow" representing?

turns streetplay into a dance style called Games

grew up in East Harlem

Games had no instrumental music

told stories about things that were happening in America

his choreography was more political and social

engages audiences while exploring issues in the world

rainbow represented the pickaxes that the workers used

rainbow round my shoulder was all about striking and hard labor, snapshots about McKayle's America

aspiration of freedom, showed by women

50's House of Flowers - mainly black musical

broadway musical that assembled black dancers from both coasts

very rare to have a show that was with mainly people of color, specifically black people

not many opportunities for black modern dancers, they took any opportunity they could get

Alvin Ailey - blood memories/dance dramas "Revelations" (fabric, arms, stools, fans) Africanist use of body/spirituality while incorporating technique of Modern, Jazz, and Ballet "expresses to humanity the common nature of ALL humanity!"

wanted to start a company because there were too many black modern dancers that didn't have a place to perform

his first ballet was based on his blood memories

to dance dramas you had to emote on stage while showing technique

fuses white modern dance tradition with previous black dance traditions

revelations is based on the spiritual music of Ailey's childhood

revelations got a huge reaction from the crowd

Civil Rights/drug addiction/Aids epidemic

many choreographers left the United States to find a more hospitable place for their work

civil rights activists organized a huge march in Washington

experimentation in dance is dealing with social issues

aids epidemic devastated the field of dance in New York

few companies are without at least one casualty because of aids

Aids took away many dance legends, including Alvin Ailey

Garth Fagan

his company is based outside of New York, but he is still inspired by the city.

collaborated on the Lion King on broadway

his dancers are his family

without the dancers, there is no choreography

Breakdance revolution/Pop Culture/Hip Hop

djs in the late 1970s lay the groundwork for breakdance

hip hop begins to define pop culture

another example of how black dance evolves by borrowing black traditions

Discuss how Gus Solomons Jr. & Lil Buck video clips are relatable to some of what you learned during "Free To Dance" videos.

Lil Buck's dancing contains a lot of isolation, which was mentioned. Also, his dance style started with underground rap music. Gus Summons Jr. describes the wide range of movements possible. He is able to transform into something completely different when he performs.

Define the notion of Catharsis found in chapter 1 Dance in Ancient Greece.

Catharsis is defined as "clarification, purification, purgation, and therapeutic cleansing.

Describe how Balanchine incorporates the concept of the Siren found in Greek mythology, in his ballet "The Prodigal Son."

The Siren is the villain in "The Prodigal Son", and lures the son into stealing all of his riches. She ended up causing the son's downfall by her beauty and dancing.

Why did Alvin Ailey choreograph the solo Cry on Judith Jamison?

Cry was a birthday present for Alvin Ailey's mother, but it was important for all black women.

Describe the journey that the solo dancer goes through in the ballet "Cry" by Alvin Ailey.

The dancer in "Cry" goes through the hardships of slavery, and then the sadness and suffering that comes with it, and then celebrates in the joy of living. I like to think in the last section, the dancer is free from all the pain she had to endure previously.

To emphasize the themes of sin and redemption how does the ballet version of The Prodigal Son end?

The father accepts the son back with love.

A philosophical term which translates into "things that are made, invented, or crafted," is called ______

mimesis

What were the desires and motivation of Modern dance, which was a new movement in dance in the early 20th century?

Modern dancers used modern dance to express themselves and allow themselves to be creative, unlike the strict rules of ballet. There was also the chance to speak about political issues through modern dance, and create something beautiful out of an ugly situation.

Isadora Duncan is considered the "Mother of Modern Dance!"

true

The pioneers of modern dance gathered together and combined their expertise to develop modern dance techniques and composition. Name the 2 different schools discussed (one in California and one in Vermont)

Bennington College and the Denishawn School

Modern dance choreographers such as Merce Cunningham and Garth Fagan often costumed their dancers in unitards to neutralize gender.

true

Describe the Japanese modern dance form called Butoh.

Butoh is considered Japan's most startling cultural export, and centers around creation and destruction. It is anti-tradition and seeks to erase the heavy imprint of Japan's strict society. It touches within everyone something deep primal, and transcendent.

_____ _____ is one of the most eccentric individualists of modern dance who has crossed over between concert and commercial dance working with both New York City Ballet dancers as well as her own concert dance company AND choreographed a Broadway show based on the music of Billy Joel.

Twyla Tharp

Twyla Tharp, Gus Solomons Jr., and even Lil Buck have been seen dancing in public spaces without care whether or not there was an audience embracing a wide range of experimental approaches.

t

Who was the anthropologist/choreographer who was influenced by the Voodoo dances in Haiti and created Shango & L'Ag'Ya for her concert dance company? She also choreographed and performed in the commercial all black musical Stormy Weather.

Katherine Dunham

Martha Graham is known for her use of ______ which begins with a thrusting of the pelvis and curves the spine.

contraction

After Martha Graham and her longtime companion and collaborator Louis Horst parted ways; she soon took her first male ballet dancer in and made him her star. Although he was much younger than she, ____ ______ married Graham however he eventually left to create his own style.

Erick Hawkins

Martha Graham had a long time collaboration with Japanese sculptor ________________ who designed her unique sets.

Isamu Noguchi

Agnes de Mille was one of Martha Graham's contemporaries who went on to have a relationship with ballet organizations and created dances that took you to the American West. Name two of her famous works discussed in these last video clips: one was composed by Aaron Copeland and the other appeared in a very popular musical seen both on stage and film.

Oklahoma Dream Ballet

Rodeo

What composer wrote the "Americana" music for many ballets including Billy The Kid, Rodeo, and Appalachian Spring?

Aaron Copeland