The Dance Experience

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

Dance can also be seen as a collaborative art, a preservation of the customs of an ethnic group, or an opportunity to get enjoyment, meet partners, or win contests.

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

two very famous African American trained dancers/anthropologists who came to prominence in the wake of the Harlem Renaissance. They were instrumental in researching Afro Caribbean dance and bringing an embodied knowledge of the cultural meaning of the African American dance experience.

Dunham and Primus

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

swishing around in mother's womb

For more than 100 years, this country has been a major center for classical ballet producing such great dancers and choreographers as Mikhail Baryshnikov and George Balanchine.

Russia

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?

Bhangra

*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

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

maypole

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. T/F

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.

white, 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

Bharatanatyam is danced by _______

women

Khatakali is danced by ____

men

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 for rhythm

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

lindy hop

white version of Lindy hop

jitterbug

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 show was cancelled

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

carnival

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

Capoeira is from Brazil, created by African slaves to protect themselves from Portuguese overseers. It is a martial arts style dance that incorporates craft and singing. It's played in a circle with two dancers performing at a time. Capoeira most commonly shows up in hip hop and contemporary dance styles.

Chapter 13 talks about Ballet Folklorico where does the word "folklorico" come from?

The word folklorico comes from the words "Folk" meaning people and "lore" meaning "the life and the history of the people".

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

ircle, semicircle, circle within a circle, lines, squares, parallel lines, and patterned positions.

Name at least 4 basic steps used in FOLK dances:

Some basic steps used in folk dances include walking, running, skipping, galloping, sliding, hopping, jumping, and leaping.

Toilet Stool vs Milking the Cow

In the toilet bowl and Milking the Cow, Thendancer stays in the same, crouched position, but they are no longer pulling on the cow's udder they are rolling toilet paper.

Black Bottom

It's named after a Nashville neighborhood- you jump side to side, front back, hit the floor three times, and then hit your bottom three times.

Denishawn School

Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn- The Denishawn School was the first place people came to learn how to express themselves in other ways. The school promoted the dancer as an artist.

Edna Guy

Edna Guy was one of St. Dennis' biggest fans. She was able to attend a live performance and meet St. Dennis after her performance. She wrote many letters to St. Dennis about her love for and desire to dance. She eventually begins taking dance and excels. She faced barriers in that she was African American and struggled to be accepted in the dance community. She never gets a job as a dancer- she instead becomes an artist model. Eventually, she is accepted into the Denishawn school.

1920's Harlem

A period of time when African American art was beginning to be accepted and acknowledge. African American artists wanted to be accepted as serious artists.

Asadata Dafora

He was a young African dancer and singer that came to America, attracted by the new emphasis on African styles happening. He settled in Harlem and merged his African dance styles with Western staging. He pioneered the ostrich dance.

African articulation of shoulders and pelvis

isolation

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

Katharine is hired by the fair to recruit dancers. Katharine is inspired by a video she watched of African culture and becomes determined to merge dance and anthropology. She is sponsored by the Rosenwall foundation to go to the Caribbean and study dance. She is greatly affected by Haiti- where African traditions are deeply embedded. The Dunham technique is based on the principle of isolation.

1937 All Negro Dance Concert

The aim of the concert was to show the public that the negro has made an important contribution to the dance world. The concert takes place in New York and several prominent dancers perform. It's well received in the press and is a milestone for the African American community. Edna Guy also performed a spiritual at the concert.

Stormy Weather

Stormy Weather was a movie that Katharine Dunham dances in. The movie had lots of big names starring in it. Katharine and her dance company danced in a "dream ballet" dance scene. She negotiated with the director to get the choreography portrayed as she wanted it to be.

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

Pearl Primus was a young dancer and civil rights activist. She performed a famous solo about lynching to the poem "Strange Fruit". No other dancer had gone that far yet. The solo was violent and contorted to show the pain and suffering of the human spirit. She is embraced by the dance world and is respected- she eventually would go on to form her own dance group to fight for social justice. She taught everything- not just one technique or one form. Pearl also traveled down south to try to better understand the role of the African American in society. She performed at political rallies and activist gatherings to promote social justice. Pearl would become one of the foremost teachers of African dance.

Tally Beatty "Mourner's Bench"

Tally Beatty was the best dancer Dunham had. He branched out on his own and created his own works. He applied his extensive dance knowledge to create provocative choreography. Beatty created "Mourner's Bench" in 1947, where the dancer dances about the loss of a person due to racial violence. Kt was praised for its passion and masculinity.

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

McKayle turned a street play into a dance- "Games". Games had no instrumental music- the chants and shouts form a kind of "music". Donald McKayle's style was "new realism"- it had political qualities. "Rainbow Round my Shoulder" was about men on a southern chain gang. The Rainbow represents the pick-axe that the men carried on their shoulders- the blade of the axe was curved like a rainbow. The piece showed what the life of slaves was like and what it do the slaves' bodies and spirits.

50's House of Flowers - mainly black musical

This Broadway musical assembled African American dancers from both coasts. At that time, it was very rare to have a show that had mainly black dancers. It was a very exciting opportunity for black dancers.

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!"

Ailey was a dancer from the west coast. He was known for the muscular ease with which he moved. Ailey recognized the need for a black modern dance company in New York and started one. Ailey had "blood memories" about Texas, blues, and ragtimes. Ailey based his first dances off these memories. Ailey's dancers could do dance dramas, emote, show technique, and were able to blend modern Jazz and ballet. In a way, Ailey created a whole new way of dancing. He fuses the American white dance tradition with the techniques of Dunham and Primus. "Revelations" was based on the spirituals of Ailey's childhood. The dancers arms reach up and out in an anguished way. The dancers also used fans and stools to represent church ladies.

Civil Rights/drug addiction/Aids epidemic

Choreographers and performers were affected by what was happening in society. What they put in stage is often a reflection of what is happening around them. Eleo Pompari put a piece onstage that portrayed a variety of Black characters and themes such as racism and drug addiction. Eleo Pompari thought that choreographers should be forecasters of things to come. His piece was a perfect representation of the social revolution going in America. AIDS cast a long shadow across the dance community in the 1980s. Almost every studio and company loses dancers to the epidemic. It even took the life of choreographer Alvin Ailey.

Garth Fagan

Garth saw black dance simply as dance choreographed by a black person- not as a reflection of political or socioeconomic ideas. He believes in treating his dancer like family as they are so integral to his choreography. His piece "Grip New York" celebrates the city and all of its complexities. However, it also discusses the AIDS epidemic and how ti affected his community. His work and music-driven choreography was very well-respected and popular. However, he is perhaps best known for his choreography in the musical "The Lion King".

Breakdance revolution/Pop Culture/Hip Hop

In the Bronx in the late 1970s, DJ's begin to form the basis of breakdance through their music. The dancers in turn, found a way to move their body to the music. Breakdancing would later become better known as hip-hop. Although his-hop may look fresh, it really is just an extension of African dance. Examples include how hip-hoppers dance in a circle and respond to the DJ. Hi Hop is a mix of African dance, modern dance, and pop culture.

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 and fencing were basic components of education. The court ballet was a way to demonstrate how brilliant and wonderful the court itself was- a method of propaganda.

The most important participant in court ballets was

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

Ballet has been criticized as elitist because it is expensive, it takes a lot of money to stage productions, training dancers can take 8 years, it primarily developed in the coal household, and not everyone is born with the body or temperament to endure the train-ing required to become a ballet dancer.

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.

Two main developments were turn-out and the five positions. The new raised proscenium stage also contributed to the separation of the dancer and the audience.

"As technique developed, so did a new idea of what ballet should be and what it should accomplish." Briefly summarize what Jean-Georges Noverre did with ballet d'action or dramatic ballet.

Noverre felt that dance and mime (a form of stylized gesture and movement used to convey emotion or dramatic action) needed to be united in order to engage the emotions of the audience. He also banished masks, wigs, headdresses, heeled shoes, and some costumes costumes, all of which he thought prevented the face and body from being used to their fullest, most expressive extent. Finally, he replaced words with mime.

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 the Japanese court dance Bugaku

The participants are wearing colorful, elaborate, patterned costumes and masks. They were masks because contorted faces would violate the rules of etiquette. Their movements are very slow and controlled- with precision and clarity. They expect the dancers to hold their backs perfectly straight. There are four dancers on stage in the video. They are all dressed identically and perform each movement east, west, south, and north. The stage is a raised, square platform.

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. T/F

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.

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).

Their moves are dignified and deliberate. The dancers are encouraged not to move very fast. The hands speak a sign language that expresses certain ideas.

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 ___ and ___

gods, body, soul

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

Ballet comes from the ballrooms of the French court while Kabuki comes from the streets- brothels and such. Ballet dancers often only dance until their 30s and 40s before they are replaced by a younger dancer. Kabuki dancers, however, often dance well into their 70s as they believe they are supposed to continually get better over time. Both types of dancers usually start training at a young age but unlike ballet dancers, Kabuki dancers inherit the tradition from their family are usually taught by their parent.

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 Kabuki and Ballet use a raised stage that separates them from the audience. However, a Kabuki stage often has a "runway" type feature as well. Backstage, Kabuki uses lots of trap doors and ladders. The Kabuki stories are based on stories from their society- stories that the audience would know. Ballets are similarly usually based on fairytales that the audience know very well. In both ballet in Kabuki, audiences come to experience these stories firsthand and see the performers play their roles. Kabuki dancers spend a lot of time mastering their character and their movements are often very close to the ground. Ballet dancers are different in that they spend a lot of time far away from the ground- leaping and dancing on point.

Noverre contributed to "dramatic motivation" which he called ballet d'action. Where in the excerpts of Sleeping Beauty do you see Aurora and/or Carabosse (aka Maleficent) use "mime like" movements to help tell the story without using words? Describe what they were trying to say and how they portrayed this through the choreography.

Carabasse uses mime to show the curse she puts on Aurora- she gestures to her face to show that Aurora will be beautiful and gestures pricking her finger and then makes a dramatic motion with her hands going upward to represent Aurora dying. Aurora also uses a lot of gesture when she pricks her finger and then she does a drawn out dance to represent her passing out/falling asleep.

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

Around 600-700 students audition for the Imperial Ballet School every year and they only accept only 40-50 students. These students go through a medical examination that looks at the proportions of their bodies and if they would be a good fit for ballet. Physical ability and compatibility are the primary things looked at.

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

They also worked together on the ballet Sleeping Beauty.

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

The Onagata are male actors that specialize in female roles. At one point in time, women were banned from being in productions so men took over their 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.

Stravinsky, Pablo Picasso, and Henri Matisse also worked on Diaghilev.

Briefly describe what impact George Balanchine had on American ballet

George Balanchine expanded ballet technique and established ballet in America as we know it today. He was an amazing romantic choreographer He started the school of American Ballet and the New York City Ballet. He also talk audiences how to look at dance and appreciate classical ballet. Balanchine's aesthetic is based on the ides that music is the floor of dancing. He was able to create an intimate relationship between music and choreography in his ballets. He emphasized elements such as speed, clarity, and syncopation. Finally, he is often also known for stripping down the costumes to just leotards and tights, emphasizing the dancing instead of the sets and costumes.

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 is probably best known for choreographing for West Side Story. His choreography is very character and story based. His choreography in West Side Story uses lots of hands and arms including snapping.

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 and what is the name of the ballet school from which they come? Where is it's home base (name of performing arts center as well as name of home theater).

The 4 different ranks are Apprentices, Corps de Ballet, Soloists, and principal dancers. They take dancers from the School of American Ballet. They perform at the Lincoln Center, which has three different theaters.

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

Our textbook states that catharsis is "loosely translated to possibly mean any or all of the following: 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."

In Greek mythology, the Siren is a mermaid-like creature who lures sailors in to their eventual doom. In the "Prodigal Son", the siren has a similar role in that she seduces the son and lures him, leading to him losing all his possessions and be left with nothing.

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

The piece was meant to be a birthday present to his mother. It was meant to appreciate and show the hardships of Black women and mothers.

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

The ballet ends with the prodigal son being held in his father's arms. This emphasizes his father's forgiveness of his son after he sinned.

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 dance tries to put some of our pain and emotion on stage through dance. It aims to stretch the boundaries of traditional dance. It explores human feeling on all levels and its inspiration comes from life. One choreographer describes modern dance as trying to define how the mind works in the contemporary world. Modern dance values expression over technique and aims to use the natural movements of our bodies.

mother of modern dance

Isadora Duncan

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)

The two schools are the Denishawn school in Los Angelos, California and the Bennington College in Vermont.

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

contraction

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

True

Describe the Japanese modern dance form called Butoh. There are a few examples in the Dancing Part 7 video but refer to your textbook for more detail and if interested can reference the Butoh video but it is not required as it may be disturbing to many.

Butoh features slow movements, movements close to the ground, and intense facial expressions. They use white makeup from head to toe to eliminate the self and move from a place of non-intention. Butoh themes center around creation and destruction. The aesthetic of Butoh is a compound of the grotesque and the beautiful, the nightmarish and the poetic, the erotic and the austere, the streetwise and the spiritual. It is anti-tradition and offers opportunity for intense expression.

s 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

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.

Katharine Dunham

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 Copland and the other appeared in a very popular musical seen both on stage and film.

Rodeo and Oklahoma

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

Appalachian Spring?

Aaron Copeland

Which of the following choreographers were known as "crossovers" meaning they choreographed for both concert dance and Broadway or Film? (check ALL that apply)

Twyla Tharp, Garth Fagan, Donald McKaye, Agnes de Mille, George Balanchine

n the 20th century, Broadway dance slowly evolved to include black jazz dance. In its third phase "Integration" credit is given to Katharine Dunham and her school she opened in the Broadway district in 1945. Name a minimum of 2 other New York City dance institutions with racially mixed faculty and students mentioned in your textbook readings.

The high School of the Performing Arts, Dance Theatre of harlem, the Juilliard School, the Graham School and the Alvin Ailey School.

Briefly describe Arthur Mitchell, his mission behind the Dance Theater of Harlemand how his legacy is living on today.

Arthur Mitchell is an African-American ballet dancer who danced for the New York City Ballet. He opened the Dance Theater of Harlem in 1969 to offer opportunities for young African-American children to be exposed to the world of classical ballet and be trained in it. His company exposed thousands of children to ballet and became a pioneer for Black dancers in the classical ballet world. The school still thrives today and has traveled throughout the world sharing its talented dancers

the first black solo dancer to star in white vaudeville circuits and wore wooden taps

Bill Bojangles Robinson

The most well-known "dance director" for musical movies,_______ , was known for his close-ups of beautiful women and kaleidoscopic effects of bodies en masse shot from his highly mobile camera.

Busby Berkeley

In partnership with Hermes Pan as collaborator and Ginger Rogers as costar ________starred in such numbers as "Cheek to Cheek" from Top Hat and "Night and Day" from The Gay Divorcee.

Fred Aistaire

Discuss how Fred aistaire changed the manner in which dance was filmed.

Fred Aistaire had the dancer's full body shown on the camera and required little editing and cuts as possible so that dance could be fully shown in its entirety.

The movie musicals were about to die out, but thanks to Busby Berkley's film starring Ruby

Keeler they were saved. What was the title?

42nd Street

_____has many claims to fame but his unsurpassed masterpieces are "Singin' In The Rain" and "An American in Paris."

Gene Kelly