DANCE EXPERIENCE FINAL

A new way to worship, where rhythmic shuffling and stomping of feet combined with hand clapping performed in a circle.........

*ring shout*

American dance forms derived from traditional African dance?

- the shimmy - tap dance - Elvis' hip movements

oldest form of Western theatrical dancing

BALLET

Bob Fosse got his moves 4 his dance "Snake in the Grass" from Michael Jackson?

FALSE

We see relationships to the theater of the ancient Greeks in our current forms of classical ballet technique and in the vocabulary of more "natural" styles of dance. Which choreographers?

Isadora Duncan and George Balanchine

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

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

1920's Harlem

uniquely African AM angle of art - chorus line (dancing job for women) - source of entertainment for whites 2 watch in the city

Alvin Ailey

"muscular ease" the way he moved started a company b/c too few opps for blacks to perform - *blood memories* (ex. Texas, blues, spirituals, gospels, ragtime music, folk songs) BLEND of modern, jazz, & ballet! *"Revelations"* based on spiritual music of Ailey's early childhood - reaching up w/ arms - ladies sitting ons tools (something in black churches) - fans in rhythm - expresses common nature of all of humanity

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

(18th century) Jean-Georges Noverre conceptualized ballet d'action or dramatic ballet. He began to transform the style of ballet by reuniting both dance and mime together to engage the emotions of the audience. Relating to technique, he used the dancer's form, length, and style to capture the audience's attention.

"Pearl Primus" - civil rights activist/"Strange Fruit"/dance as weapon 4 social justice

(1943) young modern dancer performed solo about lynching - to sound of "Strange Fruit" by Louis Allen - first to take story of inequality on stage

50's House of Flowers - mainly black musical

(1954) Broadway musical w/ African AM dancers from both coasts

Stormy Weather

*1943 movie* - Dunham steals the show (negotiates & shows "larger sense of black self")

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

*Bill "Bojangles" Robinson*

In The Pajama Game a trio danced in black suits and bowler hats to "Steam Heat" choreographed by _____________

*Bob Fosse*

Modern dance and Ballet are considered to be

*CONCERT* dance

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

__________________ 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*

Impressionist artist _________________ painted young dancers waiting in the wings and in dance class as well as the famous sculpture of the little dancer, a young student of the Paris Opera Ballet school.

*Edgar Denas*

In Cover Girl ________________ choreographed a duet for his main character and for a superimposed version of his unconscious self in the "Alter Ego Dance."

*Gene Kelly*

Hats, gloves and understated minimalistic movements were characteristic of _______________ who was a jazz choreographer/dancer. A movie about his life is entitled *All That Jazz*

*Joe Gideon*

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

*Katherine Dunham*

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*

CATHARSIS in ancient Greece

- "clarification, purification, purgation, and therapeutic cleansing" - Aristotle argued for the emotional feeling of release in all arts (including dance) we experience characters' struggles & feel relieved w/o having to go through the same thing

two very famous African American trained dancers/anthropologists who came to prominence in 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.

- Katherine Dunham - Pearl Primus

Describe the Japanese modern dance form called *Butoh*

- began in the late 1950s as a reaction to earlier dance forms AND strict social boundaries in Japanese society - bu (dance) toh (step) - centers around creation and destruction founder of Butoh group = *Sankai Juku* - full body paint, full/partial nudity, primal images, & expressive faces w/ mouths open in silent screams - exaggerated facial gestures

Jazz dance is traceable to the African continent, it is sometimes sensual and erotic but not vulgar. other characteristics?

- body is articulated in most natural state *isolations* (head, shoulder, hips) feet, arm and hand positions movements like body rolls, swings, kicks

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

- exams are held in March every year with around 600-700 children auditioning (only 40 or 50 boys and girls are selected) - measured in proportion from the head to the legs - checked by the medical commissioners and the dance specialists - basis of selection is physical ability

Briefly describe what impact *George Balanchine* had on American ballet.

- helped open the *School of American Ballet* as well as create "an intimate structural affiliation" between music and choreography with an emphasis on the dancing rather than extravagant sets & costumes - he proved ballet could stand alone, with music as its foundation with stripped down costumes (a leotard & tights) and no superiority between dancers

What was *Fred Astaire* best known for?

- one of most influential dancers in history of FILM - *Ginger Rogers* = most famous female partner - remarkable ease of movement, innovative filming techniques - keep dancers' bodies in full-figure throughout routine

*Gene Kelly*

- revived movie musician & redefined dance on screen - choreography & his performances were relaxed, compelling, highly accessible - athletic style + ballet technique - dance partners Cyd Charisse Jerry the Mouse (from Tom & Jerry) Judy Garland (For Me and My Gal) Rita Hayworth (Cover Girl)

What is Loie Fuller known for?

- solo movement pieces in voluminous skirts she wore in plays - *Serpentine dance* (variation of popular "skirt dances" of the day) - held many patents for stage lighting (created theatrical effects by illuminating fabric of costumes with electric light) *"1st American to present her unique form of nontraditional dance on the concert stage"*

Briefly describe the movements of the Asante (*Ashanti*)

- uses deliberate and unhurried movements to create a majestic court dance - the hands speak an elaborate sign language to express emotions

3 reasons ballet has been criticized as *elitist*

1. Ballet training for dancers required 8 years of study (costly expense) 2. Not everyone had the body to endure the training involved 3. Ballet usually requires an audience to pay for the production of the actual ballet (usually more expensive to produce a highly professional performance)

pioneers of modern dance gathered together and combined their expertise to develop modern dance techniques and composition

1. Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont (1934) 2. Denishawn School (1915-1931)

*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. two of her famous works?

1. Black Ritual (Obeah) Fall River Legend

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

1. Collaborative art 2. Preservation of the customs of an ethic group 3. Pure enjoyment 4. Meeting partners

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 him as well.

1. Erik Satie 2. Pablo Picasso 3. Henri Matisse

famous tappers?

1. Nicholas Brothers 2. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson 3. Fred Astaire

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

Aaron Copeland

Donald McKayle

African AM choreographer - dance called *"games"* (chants, shouts) - "the consummate storyteller" (more political/social) - inequality that presents itself in society - "Rainbow Round my Shoulder" (addresses plight of men on a southern chain gang) rainbow = name prisoners give pickaxe carry over shoulders freedom in shape of a *woman*!

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

Alvin Ailey choreographed the ballet as a birthday present for his mother, although it's dedicated to "all black women everywhere - especially our mothers"

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

Apollo the Sun God

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

We know in this burgeoning international culture there is a lack of understanding and acceptance of other lifestyles. How can dance be a way to educate and combat this intolerance and hate?

Dance uses the movement of the human body to communicate as well as discover cultural roots. This allows us to understand and appreciate different lifestyles. Also, cross-cultural study of dance allows the unity of distinct cultures into one... all internationally connected by our differences.

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

language spoken in ballet class is uniform throughout the world?

FALSE

most important participant in court ballets

Louis XIV King of France

1937 All Negro Dance Concert

March 7th, 1937 at Kauffman auditorium in NY - *aim*: show public that negroes made imp contrib 2 dance world - milestone... showing best of black concert dance

In the movie White Nights the ballet dancer _____________________ and tap dancer _____________________ are partnered together as an unlikely duo.

Mikhail Baryshnikov, Gregory Hines

Viewing a dance performance is a very personal experience. In order to fully appreciate what you are seeing when you are having a dance experience, what questions can you be asking yourself?

One must ask what he or she saw or heard that evoked such a personal experience. Was it a specific movement, feeling, theme, visual, song, etc.? The main idea is to ask *'what made you feel that way?'*

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

Garth Fagan

Rochester, NY w/ dance company - inspired by the city - choreographed *Griot New York* (1991) (celebration, addresses plea of city)

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

Denishawn School

Ruth St. Denis & husband Ted Shawn started *Denishawn School* (1915) - to teach disciplines, to spread new gospel of new dance - promoted dancers as *artists*

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?

Slaves slapped their thighs, shuffled their feet, and patted hands to improvise complex rhythms.

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

Dance in Christian worship has been very controversial.

TRUE

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.

TRUE

Based on a fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson, __________________ was a beautiful dance movie where if a pair of pointe shoes was put on, one would be doomed to dance forever.

The Red Shoes

ballet de cour... court ballet

a series of danced episodes w/ spoken or sung text (lavish scenery, costumes, and performance itself represented the power of the court)

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

ancestors

Minstrel shows culminated in a climactic walkaround: a high strutting dance called the _____________- which was a way the blacks made fun of the slave owners without them realizing.

cakewalk

Black Bottom

dance craze based on black, Southern style *integrated* w/ whites in cities (named after Nashville neighborhood)

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

African articulation of shoulders & pelvis = ISOLATION

derived from African tradition of dance

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

easy

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

farmers, harvest

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

folk

Breakdance revolution/Pop culture/hip hop

in the Bronx, DJs laid groundworks for new dance style = BREAKDANCE - high energy moves - strong contribution to dance industry URBAN HIPHOP - defines pop culture - African influences

Ring Shout

one of *FIRST* dances slaves created *"America's first choreography"*

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 __________________ and developed the original concepts of balletic "grandeur" that we continue to see today.

sun king

milking the cow BECOMES ...

toilet stool

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*

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.

In the Nutcracker Act II, the Russian folk dance called *Trepak* (or Tropak) is represented in the video. It contains upbeat/fast-paced music, incredible jumps, & graceful turns.

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

TRUE

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

The Prodigal Son ends with him crawling (literally) back to his father, begging for forgiveness. The father forgives him and accepts the Prodigal Son back into his arms. This truly displays how no matter how many times we sin (just like Prodigal Son), we can always be forgiven.

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

swishing around in mother's womb

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*

Do you have to be a dancer to appreciate its value and meaning?

*NO*

Brazil's national dance

*Samba*

*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?

*West Side Story* = best known work (incorporated Broadway and dance choreography that incorporated so much storytelling within the style)

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

*Yoruba*

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

*maypole*

Describe the costumes, props, stage setup, and movements used in the Japanese court dance named above

- wear brightly colored silk brocade costumes with masks representing symbols, gods, & people in the Asian culture - props like swords, oversized jewels, and branches are used in symbolic gestures by the dancers - a square wooden platform elevated from the floor with 2 dressing room tents on either side is set up. The stage is decorated with a heavy cloth framed by a brightly-painted, two-foot high rail.

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).

1. Apprentices 2. Corps de Ballet 3. Soloists 4. Principal Dancers *School of American Ballet* = official school of New York City Ballet located in The Samuel B. & David Rose Building at Lincoln Center

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

1. South African dance 2. Russian Cossack 3. Indian folk dance 4. African 5. Indigenous American

Early in the 19th century ballet's audience was changing. Name a minimum of 2 changes/ developments that occurred during the *Romantic age*

1. audience no longer shared the stage with the dancers as theatrical mechanics allowed more distance between the two. 2. women began to perform on pointe shoes which allowed the female to become "the icon of the Romantic ballet"

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:

1. observation 2. description 3. explanation 4. interpretation 5. evaluation

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

1. popular circle 2. parallel lines 3. patterned positions 4. circle w/in a circle

2 developments in technique separate amateur from pro

1. turn-out of feet 2. five positions

Name at least 4 basic steps used in *FOLK* dances:

1. walking 2. running 3. skipping 4. hopping

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 dances reflect the values of their societies that are characterized by the established "labyrinthine" theaters where the stories of make-believe come to life. The stories of Kabuki are similar to the fairy tales of ballet in the way that both "feed the dreams people need." In both dances, audiences come to experience the stories firsthand and to see how well the artists perform their roles. Small movements close to the floor, stillness, and the kimono are essential to Kabuki's aesthetic. It also utilizes trapdoors, stages, and special lighting to tell a story while ballet sticks with elegant movement & music with effortless illusion of expanding limits of human body. However, both share a common theme that demonic forces fight to triumph over virtue (ex. good and evil). Ballet has a specific system for teaching to set a pattern for universality. Physical ability is the primary basis of selection, but dancer's attitude, desire, and character greatly affect the "talent" of the dancer. The steps are learned, then expressions, mood, and character to create an overall universal ballet dancer. In a way, both dance styles are similar with intricacy and the storytelling aspect. In both, the story of human nature never changes even when there are changes in social structure

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

Bugaku

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

CONTRACTION

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

KABUKI: - came from streets and pleasure quarters of 17th century Japan - started as racy street performances into an entertainment dance based on histories and myths of Japan's racy past (even suicide) - performers usually are taught by their fathers and even limited time spent in school for training - can be broken into set pieces called *Kata*, it is common for performers to learn their craft by mastering entire roles - expected to develop with age, and sometimes 70 year old dancers are still playing young heroines BALLET: - ballet came from the ballrooms of the 17th century French court (most notably Louis XIV) - tough competition, and some dancers might find themselves replaced by younger dancers only after a few years of having the spotlight. In fact, most ballet dancer's careers are over by their 40s

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

The Siren in the traditional story is used as a beautiful yet treacherous symbol that seduces the Prodigal Son, leaving him with nothing left of his father's inheritance. Balanchine portrays the Siren in a similar manner with the elegant dancer mesmerizing the Prodigal Son to allow the other guests to rob him of all his possessions

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

The popular martial arts style of Capoeira originating Brazil used to a form of communication and ritual fighting among African slaves in order to protect themselves from the Portuguese overseers on the plantation. It evolved into a ritualized art/dance/fighting form that is regarded with a national source of pride. It also incorporates handmade instruments and singing. Nowadays, it has shown up in elements of dance styles like hip-hop and contemporary concert dance.

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 offered to have 3 or 4 days a month for blacks only, but protestors wanted integration (of black and whites dancing together). Because of this, the station cancelled the show.

where does the word *"folklorico"* come from?

from the words "folk" (meaning "people") and "lore" (meaning "the life and history of the people")

Toilet Stool

gestures of "rolling toilet paper"

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

gods

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, body & soul

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

gold

What were the desires and motivation of Modern dance, which was a new movement in dance in the early 20th century? Isadora Duncan is considered the *"Mother of Modern Dance!"*

late 19th century & early 20th century began groundbreaking dance recitals by female revolutionaries - *Isadora Duncan* valued EXPRESSION over technique diverse personalities of modern dancer emphasized expression, honesty, creativity, as well as social & political issues (ex. Ruth S. Dennis, Loïe Fuller, Ted Shawn. etc.) theoretical movement substructure of the moderns derived from teachings of European theorists such as Delsarte his approach was "the key to gracefulness and the finest forms of expression for the newly liberated female" physical, emotional, & spiritual planes of the body coexist & cooperate in motion

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

men

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

mimesis

Tally Beatty "Mourner's Bench"

one of Dunham's FIRST dancers - formed own company (provocative choreography) - *"Mourner's Bench"* (1947) (dancer meditates abt a life lost through racial violence)

Edna Guy

one of Ruth St. Dennis's *biggest fan* from Summit, NJ - watched Incense Dance - wrote ardent letters to her wanting to be a dancer Miss Lanell (Harlem dance teacher) trains Edna denied access to "more aesthetic dance" b/c of race attempted Chorus Line in Harlem *artist's model* instead of dancer (1924) admitted into Dennishawn school in NY - only performed in-house *defied def of a black girl as a dancer* (1921) collaborator w/ Hemsley Winfield = *First Negro Dance Recital*

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

one of most established out of all Kabuki conventions! the actors specialize in female roles while given the task of trying to express oneself within the formal restrictions

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

one trains intensively by performing daily by adapting to new floors, new stages, and rehearsing new drills weekly. With the traditional Irish movements, leg problems & shin splits cause wear and tear on the muscles, including knee joints. Also, the classic musical rhythm of the Riverdance is difficult (but crucial) for the dancers to nail during a performance.

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

Katharine Dunham

recruiter/ trainer for dancers in The Century of Progress (Chicago 1933) - choose 6/7 dancers for core dance co (*The Negro Dance Group*) dance & anthropology merged when seeing footage of African folk ways - proposes to study dance in Africa b4 Rosenwald foundation - Haiti (greatest impact) Dunham technique! - *principle of isolation* (move body separately)

Gus Solomon Jr.

talks abt range of movement = infinite

Lil Buck

underground rap music dance utilized isolation movements

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

ward off evil

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

wear *white*, movements are slow and graceful.

Asadata Dafora

young West African dancer & singer - creates dances based on study of *West African folk dances* - African dance + Western staging (ex. ostrich dance)

milking the cow

gestures of "pulling on cow's utter"