Intro. to Dance Exam Review #4

What new element did African Americans bring to the minstrel stage? What was it all about?

"cakewalk" ; came directly from the plantations= dancing couples attempt to outdo each other and mock/imitate the white man's manners and behaviors; consisted of strutting, high kicks, and footwork

Describe the Harlem Renaissance.

(Roaring Twenties); which is another significant time period in the history of jazz dance

Describe the art of Bugaku.

- Characterized by unison dancing (2 or 4 performers) - All bugaku consist of highly conventionalized movements cued by the beat of a drum - Positions of arms, hands, and feet are highly stylized, and overall choreography consists of simple geometric patterns - Performed to gagaku (graceful, authorized music) - First developed for viewing by nobility and special guests - Bugaku and gagaku are the oldest regularly performed dance and music in the world today

Who is Gus Giordano and what major contributions has he making to the jazz dance world?

- Considered to have been one of today's leading jazz teachers - Helped jazz gain the respect that modern and ballet already had= forefather of jazz! - Created own style and jazz technique called the Giordano technique - Developed the Jazz Dance World Congress - An organization created to preserve and expand the world of jazz dance= annual dance convention

How does Kabuki differ from noh?

- Derived from Noh but much more of a spectacle than Noh - Elaborate scenery, costumes, makeup, and movement is quicker and more acrobatic

Describe the art of noh. What does the stage look like? What elements are involved? Who can perform it? What parts do the shite, waki, & kyogen play?

- Is a form of dance drama, which combines dance, music, and acting in specific Noh plays - Second oldest form of drama dance in Japan - Full of symbolism and meaning - Several hundred plays have been written. About 240 are still performed today. - The slow speed of the play may be difficult to view for an audience unfamiliar with Noh - All noh plays combine dance, music, and acting with dance being a prominent role. ***Noh CAN NOT EXIST without dance!*** - Place a great emphasis on the ideas of life and death - During most of the play the performers move, speak, sing, and dance very slowly - All professional performers are male - play all roles and characters - To be a professional, one must belong to one of the five schools of Noh (usually only open to those born into the families that perform) - The main performer (shite- the "doer") - must train in ALL aspects of Noh - Other parts on stage include: Chorus, musicians, Waki (explains the story), stage assistants, Kyogen actor (usually a "commoner" who plays comic interludes between the plays) - Training begins as a child and professional status not achieved until much later in life

Who is Debbie Allen? What has she done and what does she continue to do for the dance world?

- Known for her role in the TV series Fame - performer - Highly recognized woman in the jazz dance field - Has Broadway, television and director experience - Has her own dance academy! - *You see her on Grey's Anatomy!*

Who was Bob Fosse? Describe his "style". What shows did he choreograph?

- One of jazz dance's foremost choreographers - Choreography is recognizable by its angular shapes, undulating hip and shoulder movements, hip isolations and turned-in legs - It is said that his style was based off his insecurities. (Balding=wore hats) (Hated his hands= wore gloves) - Choreographed...Pippin, Cabaret, Chicago, Dancin', Sweet Charity, Steam Heat - The Pajama Game!

What other things did Bill "Bojangles" Robinson do for the dance world?

- One of the first of many African-American artists who popularized tap dance - Was a vaudeville dancer who first performed when he was 12 years old - One of the first African-American performers to have regular employment in the mostly white theatre - One of the first rhythm tappers - Worked on Broadway and in movie musicals - Career= almost 60 years!!!

Name and describe the four different types of tap we explored.

1.) "rhythm tappers" = call attention to intricate percussive footwork 2.) "class acts"= execute steps in a refined manner with elegant body movements 3.) "flash acts" = combine tap with acrobatics 4.) "soft shoe" = skim the floor and produce soft muted steps

Name three "classical" world dance forms that are particular to Japan. When did they come to be?

1.) Bugaku (7th century) 2.) Noh (14th/15th century) 3.) Kabuki (17th century)

What common denominators are found in most African dances?

1.) Often flat- footed: favors gliding, dragging, or shuffling steps 2.) Frequently performed from the crouch, knees flexed and body bent at the waist (use of plie') 3.) Imitates animals in realistic detail 4.) Places importance on improvisation 5.) Centrifugal, exploding outward from the hips 6.) Performed to a propulsive rhythm - giving a swinging quality

Name three major aspects/characteristics of jazz dance today.

1.) Use of syncopation 2. Isolations 3.) Personal style

In what century do wee see folk dancing playing a major role in Europe society?

16th

Describe the progression of dance from the plantations to the theatres.

17th century = African slaves bring music and dance with them to the Americas - Drumming and dancing done on plantations - Plantation owners prohibit drumming but slaves keep it alive through clapping and stomping and singing - Dances were performed for entertainment and competitions between plantation workers - Masters would sometimes have their best "dancers" entertain their guests

When did the Minstrel shows begin? What did they showcase?

1830's; for many white northerners, the minstrel shows were their only glimpse into the black southern slave life, music, food, and culture.

Who is Michael Bennett?

A Broadway performer, writer, director, choreographer; self-taught dancer with a tap dance background; "Hubabaloo", "Turkey Lurkey Time", "Dreamgirls", "A Chorus Line" (most famous)

What is the Hora?

A Jewish circle dance; the national dance of Israel; performed around someone who is being celebrated

How would you describe the Mexican Hat Dance?

A dance that represents the unity of Mexico; originated as a courtship dance

Where is Tapestry Dance Co. located? Who started it?

A resident company of The Long Center in Austin TX; founded in 1989 by rhythm tap dancer Acia Gray and ballet/jazz artist Deirdre Strand

Who was Ed Sullivan? What did he do to promote dance?

A television host who promotes jazz dance through a variety of shows such as "The Ed Sullivan Show"

Who choreographed Oklahoma!? Why was her "dream sequence" significant to the dance world?

Agnes De Mille; the dancers perform a surrealistic dance number whose duration is almost fifteen minutes

What was and where was the Cotton Club?

An exclusive club that catered to the white clientele, had elaborate floor shows where black singers and dancers performed; located in Harlem, New York City

What was Josephine Baker famous for?

An international star and popularized several dances of the 1920's like the Charleston and Blackbottom; the famous banana dance

When does jazz music emerge? What era would this be considered?

Around 1919; Vaudeville Era!

How does contemporary life influence some world dance forms? Provide a specific example.

At times, these dances are commercialized (designed principally for financial gain; profit-oriented) and performed in ways that are thought will please a contemporary audience ex) Hula-Hawaii

Who is considered "the father" of American vaudeville? Why?

Benjamin Franklin Keith, because he provided the first official theatres in Boston - "Keith's Theater"

Who was famous for dancing with the child star Shirley Temple?

Bill "Bojangles" Robinson

What two major dances were continuously being performed during the Roaring Twenties?

Charleston and the Black bottom

Describe Billy Siegenfeld's approach to jazz choreography?

Concerned with showing the strong connection between jazz dance and jazz music; his choreography depicts all of the rhythms, flavors and complexities found in jazz and music and music in general

What is the role/significance of the American Tap Dance Foundation?

Created to celebrate art forms and explore the contemporary dance scene; taught how to dance rather than combinations "Tap is a lifetime study" - Brenda Bufalino (founder)

What do folk dances provide people/societies?

Culture and lifestyle

Who was Seymour Felix? What did he do?

Dance director who introduced the importance of the marriage between book (script), music, lyrics, and dance in musical theatre.

How might you describe competition jazz dance?

Dance team or drill team

How do the Yoruba people view dance? How is the body viewed?

Dances are deeply based in past ritual and religious experiences of the culture and are rich in symbols and deities (gods) from the spiritual world *The culture believes that the body is the place where the tangible world of the living and the invisible realm of gods, ancestors and spirit-beings meet*

What is Sonya Tayeh known for?

Develops a style of jazz called combat jazz

What can folk dance tell us about a particular culture?

Folk dance portrays the unique lifestyles of different people. Can be considered a "profile" of a given people.

Are folk dances considered world dance?

Folk dances can also be considered world dance forms

What famous duo included ballroom as well as ballet into their tap dancing style?

Fred Astarie and Ginger Rogers

Who helped to popularize soft shoe tap?

George Primrose

Name at least four countries that have a long history of folk dances.

Germany, Scotland, Spain, Danish, Greece, France

What musical just won "best musical" at the 2019 Tony awards?

Hadestown

Who where the Nicholas Brothers?

Harold and Fayard... known for addition of acrobatic movement to tap! (Stormy Weather)

Where was tap dance first introduced?

In the minstrel shows and dominated vaudeville shows of the late 1800's

How might have the industrial age influenced dance?

Influenced by the clanking and banging of construction

Tap dance is a blend of what three dances?

Irish Jig , English Clog dancing , Negro shuffle

Why is personal style so important in jazz?

It implies the purposeful and consistent choice of expressive ingredients to achieve a characteristic manner

Who is considered the "father of jazz dance?" What did he do? Who did he work with?

Jack Cole; he developed a jazz dance style that fused jazz, ballet and world dance forms; studied under Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn and Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman

What company is Billy Siegenfeld Artistic Director for?

Jump Jazz Project from Chicago

What is the main reason world dance forms have become so commercialized?

Money/financial gain/profit-oriented

How many musicals are currently on Broadway?

Over 50

Describe the Bata dance from the Yoruba people.

Performed with drums and beats with rhythms

What sort of styles might fall under the "jazz dance" umbrella?

Range can/does include traditional jazz, musical theater jazz, lyrical jazz, street jazz, funk, swing, modern jazz, etc.

How are ritual dances kept alive?

Ritual dances are passed down from generation to generation and are often performed as part of traditional gatherings

Jazz, musical theatre and tap all have their roots in what?

Roots in African, Latin, Caribbean movements and rhythms

Name a rhythm tapper that is still alive today. What are some of his claims to fame?

Savion Glover (b.1973) - "sounds for Happy Feet the movie!" - Continues to push tap dance and expose it across many realms - Has a Tony Award - Youngest ever recipient of a national Endowment for the Arts grant

What is vaudeville?

Serves as a "professional school, a training ground and an experimental station for dancers" I.E. a place to perform!! - Musicians, dancers, comedians, trained animals, magicians, female and male impersonators, acrobats, illustrated songs, jugglers, one-act plays or scenes from plays, athletes, etc.

What musical paved the way for the African-American performer?

Shuffle Along (1921)

Gene Kelly performed an extremely popular tap dancing scene in what movie?

Singing In The Rain (1952)

Where are the Yoruba people located/from?

Situated in western Nigeria

Where does Flamenco originate from? Describe the art form.

Spain; the flamenco is a solo dance characterized by hand clapping, percussive footwork, and intricate hand, arm, and body movements; known for its sweeping arm movements and rhythmic feet stomping. Although there is no single flamenco dance, dancers must follow a strict framework of rhythmic patterns. The steps a dancer performs are dependent on the traditions of the song being played.

What are the Tony awards? When/where are they held?

Specifically dedicated to honoring excellence in live Broadway theater; presented by the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League; held in New York City

What style of dancing is considered American folk dance?

Square dancing

Who is given credit for starting Kabuki? Why is this ironic?

Started by a female, Okuni, but only males perform professionally

What was the first musical theatre production? Why was it significant?

The Black Crook (1866); significant because it allowed for dance to be seen as a positive and useful "tool"

What role does Broadway Dance Center play in our society today?

The first "drop in" dance studio; recreational and professional; offers 300 classes a week in several dance genres

What is the term "world dance" used to describe?

The term "world dance" is used to define dances that are specific to a certain country.

What does syncopation mean?

The use of music and movement in relation to phrasing; the use of varying rhythms and dynamics; some dances are "square" with all the movements happening in "one" count

What sorts of things are portrayed through world dance?

These dances portray something that is important to a specific culture, such as religion, moral values, work ethic or historical information relating to that culture.

How might you consider the black vs. white minstrel shows to be ironic?

They were going back and forth playing each other

What is blackface?

When a white person put black substances on their face to appear as though they were black

Can dance serve as a vehicle to provide us with a view of other's lives? How?

Yes; we are able to be transported to other cultures

What is an Onnagata?

actor of females roles

Some believe that folk dancing was a direct response to __________________.

court ballets

What is gagaku?

graceful, authorized music

Describe some main characteristics of folk dance.

pg. 129

Describe some main characteristics of world concert & ritual dance.

pg. 129

Describe the major characteristics of musical theatre.

pg. 142

Describe the major characteristics of tap.

pg. 142

How is jazz dance often described?

sensual, visceral, improvisational, syncopated, hot and cool