Dance Appreciation Unit 1 Exam
Contemporary Ballet
-May or may not tell a story -May or may not have elaborate costumes or scenery -Music may or may not be classical (could be abstract or another genre -Female dancers might not wear point shoes and tutus -Twisting and bending upper bodies -Symmetry not necessarily a factor
Classical Ballet
-Must tell a story -Must have costumes and scenery -Must have music and the music must go with the story-usually classical -Female dancers wear pointe shoes and tutus -Always a pas de deux -Straight spines -Symmetrical
Kabuki
A Japanese dance form (began in 17th century) which combines dance, drama, and music Still performed similarly to how it was performed when it began
Sub-element of Body: Parts of the Body
A dancer might use their entire body movement or isolate a certain body part. When a dancer uses their whole body to move, we can see full body movement or large gross motor movement. Movement with just the hands or the arms is known as gestural movement and would convey a totally different feeling to the audience. When watching movement, you want to consider if some body parts are still while other body parts are moving, or if the dancer is moving the entire body all at once.
What does "pas de deux" mean?
A duet (usually the lead male and female)
Describe Latin jazz music.
A fusion of African rhythms and traditional music from the Caribbean and the U.S. became popular
What is a negative effect of poor color absorbing quality?
A performer could be wearing a red costume but the stage lights turn it purple
Role of professional dancer
Auditions are good but NETWORKING is nice too. Examples of networking are going to classes, attending shows and staying after to talk to the choreographer, etc. The famous "alley dancer" Must be an outstanding performer and an outstanding technician. Technique refers to the proper alignment and placement of the body in addition to how the dancer executes the movements. Strength, flexibility, and alignment are necessary for dancing. Uses body to dance Discipline, dedication, determination, and a very long time for practice to be proficient in a technique.
Previously a dancer with New York City Ballet, he wanted to develop a company where African-American dancers could perform in classical ballets. In 1972 he established Dance Theatre of Harlem.
Arthur Mitchell
Action Element of Dance (What are its sub-elements; describe them?)
Axial Movements, Traveling (Locomotor) Movements Action refers to what the body is actually doing. This can be any human movement that you see in a dance from dance steps to facial expressions, to gestures, ordinary movements like walking or running. A lot of codified dance have specific vocabulary words and terminology that they use.
__________ has a long history dating back to the 15th century.
Ballet
Give an example of codified technique.
Ballet technique is codified because no matter where you go, ballet follows specific rules.
Ballet class technique/format
Barre Center Across the floor-turns, jumps Reverence
Sub-element of Time: Timing Relationships
Before / After Unison Canon-one dancer starts, then another dancer starts, then another, and another, etc. Faster Than / Slower Than Sooner Than / Later Than
He was one of the great tap dancers of the vaudeville era. He may best be remembered as the person who danced with Shirley Temple in several films of the 1930s. He was also one of the first black performers who presented artistic dance on the vaudeville stage and became famous for his "stair dance."
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson
He is the artistic director of Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. Zane, a victim of the AIDS virus, passed away in 1988. His choreography is often narrative and dramatic and is sometimes controversial.
Bill T. Jones
He is one of jazz's foremost choreographers, known for his distinct style of rounded shoulders, use of the pelvis, angular shapes, turned in legs, and isolation of the arms and hands. He was also inspired by burlesque and vaudeville styles and incorporated canes, chairs, and hats in many of his dances.
Bob Fosse
Elements of dance and their concepts
Body, Action, Space, Time, Energy/Effort
Sub-element of Energy/Effort: Flow Words to describe "flow"
Bound - contained (controlled), inward Free - goes with the flow (can't stop it suddenly)
Name the members of the theatre administration.
Box office, house management, Marketing, Fundraising and development
World concert/ritual dances are often performed in front of an _________.
Audience
Describe the role of a set designer in detail.
Build sets, consider where the sets will be stored when the piece is not being performed, how the choreographer can work with set pieces in rehearsal, who will handle and manipulate set pieces during a performance, and whether or not the set can be transported or broken down to go on tour.
What is party format fundraising?
Buy tickets and participate in raffles.
True or false: Choreography is not a process of trial and error.
False
True or false: Costumes do not give a sense of character
False
True or false: In America, dance companies are funded by the state.
False
True or false: Most theater productions and plays don't have a set of something.
False
Better known as the Nicholas Brothers, they were a tap-dancing act from Philadelphia that performed acrobatic movements in their dance routines. They got their start in nightclubs but also performed in movies.
Fayard Nicholas and Harold Nicholas
He was a jazz dance pioneer and founded the Jazz Dance World Congress, an annual international convention featuring master classes and performances.
Gus Giordiano
Resident choreography
Has a home company that they make their work on -steady paycheck
Describe the role of multimedia in dance.
Has become a larger part of the dance world than ever before and choreographers are investigating the use of projection, video, and special effects in their work and are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in theatrical spaces.
What is a "cakewalk"?
It has its origins on a plantation. Slaves would mock their masters (they didn't know that they were being mocked) by doing high stepping dance routines and the winner would get a cake. These dances would be used in minstrel shows and vaudeville where white people mocked black people. Black dancers eventually broke the color line and performed in public.
Describe tap dance's origin in the U.S.
It is a fusion of percussion dances. It is possible that African slaves and Irish indentured servants were inspired by each others' dances.
Why is the stage the way it is now?
It is believed that stages used to be angled or raked, meaning that the stage was on a ramp and the audience was on a lower level and the area furthest (dancer) away from the audience was higher up (they did this so that the audience could see better). People thought, why don't we have the audience on an angle and make the stage flat, instead of vice versa.
Modern Dance
It was born out of a desire to revolt against the perceived restrictions of ballet. They believed that the corset and point shoes (which were a requirement to wear for ballet) were too confining. So, they tossed the tutus and danced in a way that they felt was more natural; considered an umbrella term for different styles.
Why was the 1960's and 1970's modern dance so different?
It was experimental. Untrained dancers and pedestrian movements (walking and running) were used. Some people even REFUSED to work with trained dancers.
The "father of jazz dance technique". He was known for his acrobatic movements, intricate floor movements, and incorporating ballet, African and Caribbean rhythms, and East Indian isolations.
Jack Cole
Artistic director of the Nederlands Dans Theatre, whose works are a combination of modern dance and ballet. Kylián's works are dramatic and usually fast-paced and powerful.
Jiri Kylian
Who said that "any dance form must be an ethnic form"?
Joann Keali'inohomoku
A student of Humphrey and Weidman, he was a Mexican-American whose heritage influenced his work. After WW2 he formed the Jose Limon Dance Company and his technique is closely linked to that of Humphrey and Weidman.
José Limón
She was a dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist who founded the first black modern dance company in America. She integrated rhythms of Africa, Cuba, Brazil, and Haiti and had a doctorate degree in anthropology.
Katherine Dunham
A German choreographer and dancer whose works are considered to be "expressionistic." She presented dances full of meaning and emotion and used musical scores that were primarily percussion instruments. She also had interesting and controversial ties to Nazi Germany. MODERN DANCE FIGURE!
Mary Wigman
Give examples of marketing materials.
May be printed flyers, documents and billboards, but more often now we can see promotional videos on websites and so on, especially on social media.
New York City is the _________ for dance.
Mecca
Who were court ballets performed by and for?
Members of the nobility
Which pioneer liked working independently with his collaborators (nobody knew what the other was doing)?
Merce Cunningham
Who was an important figure in the shift from modern dance to post-modern dance?
Merce Cunningham
She is a current choreographer who uses powerful movements based on jazz traditions. She is best known for her role as a judge and choreographer on So You Think You Can Dance.
Mia Michaels
His choreography is considered to be contemporary ballet
Michael Fokine
Turned away from the formality of classical ballet but believed strongly in technique. He believed in a fusion of dance, music, drama, scenery, and costumes was necessary.
Michael Fokine
A Russian dancer who defected while on a tour in Canada in 1974. He danced with American Ballet Theatre for several years and served as artistic director of the company. He has gotten involved in many different projects with different kinds of choreographers and opened the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York.
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Name the different types of tap dance shows.
Minstrel shows, Vaudeville, Blackface, Advent of sound in films, variety shows
Vaudeville
Mocked slaves and presented degrading material.
Describe the shift from modern dance to post-modern dance (short version).
Movement as the focus for dance rather than storyline or theme
Traveling (Locomotor) Movements
Movements allow a dancer to move from one spot to another spot. These movements carry the dancer through space.
Axial Movements
Movements that occur in place A dancer would perform these movements by staying anchored or rooted in one specific place in space and then moving the rest of their body.
_____________ coordinators need to have knowledge about cutting edge technology as well as the demands of theatrical spaces and dance in order to work with a choreographer on multimedia that will enhance their vision.
Multimedia
Hora
National dance of Israel Originated in Romania Associated with Jewish weddings and other celebrations
Name the technical theatre personnel.
Production manager, technical director, stage manager, stage crew
In 1661 King Louis XIV commissioned the royal dance master to open the _______________________ which later became the _____________.
Royal Academy of Dance, Paris Opera
Different types of Traveling (Locomotor) Movements
Run Walk Crawl Skip Slide Gallop Leap Roll
Describe the technique of Isadora Duncan
Running, swaying, skipping movements; and she generated movement from the solar plexus. She was inspired by Greek history, loved classical music in nature, and danced in tunics and bare feet.
He is mostly responsible for bringing tap dancing back into popularity by combining rhythms of funk and hip hop with tap dancing. Most recently he choreographed Happy Feet.
Savion Glover
Describe the role of the music composer/editor/sound technician.
Selects the music, coordinates personnel and equipment, creates master file of sound, sets levels and cues
Box Office
Sells tickets for the show and keep track of ticketing trends for the dance performance and how to seat patrons appropriately.
What is crowd sourcing?
Sending letters out to patrons and donors requesting donations. Usually done a the end of the year. May also include where the donations go (how they are used). Also done on websites.
The director of the Ballet Russes, a company made up of dancers from the Imperial Theatre of St. Petersburg.
Sergei Diaghilev
The __________ designer works in collaboration with the choreographer to determine what kind of look is appropriate for the stage and for the piece.
Set
She was arguably the biggest child star in the world during the golden years of Hollywood. In 1933 when she was five, she landed her first movie gig. Many of her films were depression era fantasies that helped lift spirits.
Shirley Temple
Court ballet
Simple floor patterns and poses were prevalent and they had elaborate costumes that restricted the performer's movement and these ballets would last for several hours
Describe ring shouts and Juba Dancing.
Slaves in the South combined this with rhythmic drumming and step dancing; both refer to community circle dances in which dancers clap and stop their feet in order to create a rhythm.
Isolations
Small movements of the body (slightly moving the head, shoulders, etc.)
Describe the technique of Martha Graham.
Technique focused on contraction and release
Describe the technique of Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman.
Technique focused on fall and recovery
Describe the Harlem Renaissance, the roaring 20's, and the Charleston.
The Cotton Club opened up for Jazz Music at this time. The black artists catered to white clientele. So, employment for black dancers was great during the Harlem Renaissance. This is when the Charleston got popular. We often associate the Charleston with flappers but we can actually trace the movement back to African dances and Haitian dances.
Describe the Lindy Hop --> Jitterbug and Hustle
The Lindy Hop paved the way fro the Jitterbug in the 1940's and the Hustle in the 1970's. Performed by untrained dancers; people improvised their dancing
Body Element of Dance (What are its sub-elements; describe them?)
This is the WHAT. Parts of the Body Initiation Body Shapes
Advent of sound in films
This meant that popular shows began to decrease and more dancers appeared in movies. Films used dance and especially tap dance to distract the public from weak conditions such as the depression and WWII. Tap dance is energetic and lively which boosted people's spirits.
Describe Free Rhythm
This pattern would have NO counts at all.
Energy/Effort Element of Dance (What are its sub-elements; describe them?)
This refers to the HOW, how the movement happens Can be non-verbal Attack Weight Flow Energy Qualities
Time Element of Dance (What are its sub-elements; describe them?)
This refers to the WHEN of the movement. Duration Speed / Tempo Beat Rhythmic Pattern Timing Relationships
Space Element of Dance (What are its sub-elements; describe them?)
This refers to where the action is happening. Place Size Level Direction Pathway Focus Relationships
Marketing Team
This team helps draw patrons into the theater in the first place. This role might fall to a choreographer of a small company or a freelance artist. Marketing is an important role because it give a potential audience an idea of what they might see in a performance and what kind of work you produce.
Sub-element of Space: Size
Throwing a hand up and waving wildly is a large movement, whereas throwing the hand up and wiggling the fingers is a smaller movement. Also, think of size based on how close to the center of the body the movement is. Think about why they would move in a large way, compared to a small, contained way.
Role of the audience
To keep an open mind when viewing dance.
In their original forms, some of these ballroom dances were seen as too ________ and ___________ for conservative communities so some of the movements were changed and performed almost exclusively by white dancers.
wild, sensual
Describe the dancers of Kabuki.
(Start young) Older performers are seen as being at the peak of theircareer Women (although a woman started this dance form) are banned from kabuki, and only male performers are utilized Performed on a stage, costumes are elaborate, and the makeup is ornate.
Stage directions
(Think of abdominal regions) Upstage Right Upstage Center Upstage Left Right Center Center Left Center Downstage Right Downstage Center Downstage Left
Social dances in 1960s and 1980s
1960's: 1980's: The Twist, the Monkey, Mashed Potato Hip Hop, breakdancing
Syncopation
A shifting of the normal accent in music by stressing typically unaccented beats
Codified Technique
A technique that has a system of standards and rules to be followed.
Blackface
A type of minstrel show where white dancers would paint their faces black and perform in ways based on a stereotyped version the South
Ballroom Dancing
A type of social dancing
Pejorative
A word or phrase that has negative connotations
Describe Patterned Rhythm.
AKA Metric Rhythm- Time signatures in music (waltz, march, counting in 8's-as dancers are classically trained to do so). Many genres in dance are tied to musical structures, such as this African dance- music and movement exist together. The drummers will provide a special rhythm, which a called a "break" in the music that tells the dancers when to move on to the next step.
Tap dance is a blending of ___________- and ___________ rhythms
African, European (Irish and English clogging)
Where is social dance apparently adapted from?
African-American communities by white communities
What are is the general responsibility of the sound designer?
All aspects of producing live and/or recorded sound which might mean selecting pre-recorded music but often that is up to the choreographer.
A student of Lester Horton, Ailey developed his own company in the mid-1950s. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre is still located in New York City. He combined modern, jazz, and world dance forms to create a unique style.
Alvin Ailey
Sub-element of Time: Speed/Tempo
Can be on a spectrum of fast to slow but how do we know what is fast vs what is slow (or in between)? The speed of a movement might also convey specific meaning. Waving could be large or small, but also different speeds- waving really slow doesn't mean the same thing as to when you wave at a normal tempo. The speed or tempo of movement might refer to how fast or slow the dance is. Since not all dances have music, the choreographer will decide the speed of the dancers to or not to music. Changing the speed of movement can get a mood/emotion to/from the audience.
Sub-element of Energy/Effort: Energy Qualities Words to describe "energy qualities"
Can show emotion. Lightly, proudly, droopy, furious, vigorous, languid, strong, sneakily, wild, timidly, melting, etc, etc, etc, etc
Sub-element of Body: Body Shapes
Can tell a story Symmetry might indicate balance and harmony; while asymmetry may indicate a disruption of balance or just a really cool shape to look at.
___________________- brought Italian dance masters to France and her new entertainment was called Court Ballet.
Catherine de' Medici
Core
Center of the body, back, torso (stomach, pelvis, chest as well)
A choreographer may also do research on a ______________ (for the dance).
Character's life
She is an international tap star whose choreography has appeared on television shows (like So You Think You Can Dance) and other venues. She is the artistic director of an all-female tap company called Syncopated Ladies who are known for their viral videos and unique contemporary style.
Chloe Arnold
He lost his leg at age 12 and instead used a peg leg with a tap shoe. Before he made the transition to television, he was only allowed to perform in the black vaudeville circuit, like nearly all black performers of the time.
Clayton "Peg Leg" Bates
Classical tap
Combines upper body movement from ballet and jazz with syncopated footwork Most often the type seen in musicals and movies
What would dancers do before metal plates were invented, in order to tap dance?
Dancers would attach nails or pennies to the bottom of their shoes to create noise
Social dance
Dances done for the enjoyment of the dancers and are usually more about participation than performance
Designers and their roles (set designer)
Deal with building, handling and moving, and touring considerations
At the end of the 16th century, ballet began to take on a more theatrical quality as it transitioned to the stage and became _________________. Dancers used a turned out position of the legs and it had a set vocabulary which included positions of the body.
Concert dance
Minstrel Shows
Consisted of comic and musical elements that involved a group of white performers in black faces presenting songs, dances, and comedy based on a stereotyped version of the South. Then there would be a series of variety acts followed by a skit or parody number.
Stage Crew
Consists of all backstage personnel that work under the direction of the stage manager. Crew members hang and focus lights, control the equipment that runs the sounds and the lights, change the color in the lights from piece to piece, build sets, operate the curtains, build props, place speakers, maintain costumes, help dress dancers, load and unload any other equipment, and any other jobs that you can think of that might happen backstage.
Health concerns in dancers
Constant criticism Self-discipline Eating disorders Cross training Self-image They used to "weigh in" dancers. Dancers work long hours. Anorexia and bulimia are examples of disorders. You don't always "look like" you have the symptoms.
Freelance choreography
Create works on/for dancers of their choosing on a project by project basis or they work for a company to work with that company's cast. -independent and flexible lifestyle -need to be creative enough to balance out many projects at once to have a steady income
The choreographer ____________ the dances.
Creates
Dancers have to _______________ to build those abilities that they are lacking from technique class alone- that includes CV exercise and strength training alone.
Cross train
What is a catch term for non-Eurocentric forms?
Dance in World Cultures
Concert dance
Dance you would find in a theater setting or modern dance
Designers and their roles (costume designer)
Designs and constructs the costumes; decides the type of fabric, color of costume, movement ability, and time period of costume
Describe Western theatre etiquette.
Dictates that you're quiet through a performance, that you applaud at the end and/or when a dancer does something cool or "magnificent", do not leave your seat in the middle of a performance, turn off your cell phone or anything else that makes noise, and in most cases you're not allowed t take any photos or videos of the dancers, don't eat or drink anything during the performance or disrupt anyone (patrons and staff-such as dancers) during the performance.
Sub-element of Space: Direction (WORK ON THIS DEFINITION)
Directions?
Describe Doris Humphrey's "most powerful diagonal".
Doris Humphrey's The Art of Making Dances tells us this: Dancer moving along the "most powerful diagonal:" upstage right to downstage left. Not only does the dancer move in the direction we read, he moves closer to us so that it looks like and feels like we are on a journey with him.
Her tap dancing was described as being extremely fast, defined as "machine-gun" footwork. She was mainly a solo performer but also danced with Astaire sometimes as well.
Elanor Powell
Her company is known for its fierce athleticism that has sometimes been called "violent." Her definition of movement includes movements that defy gravity and her dances often use props and machines that dancers must navigate in/over/around/on.
Elizabeth Streb
There are choreographers who don't use counts and rely on _____________ AKA _____________________- instead to dictate the rhythm of the movements.
Emotional phrasing, breath phrasing
Distal
Ends of the body, hands, feet, head
Known as "Luigi," he created a new style of jazz dance based on warm-up exercises, which helped him recover from a paralyzing car accident. He was known for his fluid movements.
Eugene Louis Facciuto
Describe Designers and their roles (lighting designer)
Focuses on direction of light, intensity of light, color and texture, and duration and timing of cues
Commercial dance
Focuses on pure entertainment; you'll find this on tv, cruise ships, music videos, movies, etc.
one of America's most popular dancing couples. Astaire and Rogers combined tap, ballroom, and ballet to create memorable dance - were sequences in movies of the 1930s and 1940s
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
There are a few different kinds of ballet but they all share a universal movement vocabulary conducted in the __________ language.
French
He also combined tap, ballroom, and ballet in his dancing, but compared to Astaire, he was a more "physical" and acrobatic dancer. He also had more of the conventional masculine looks that made him a more believable male romantic interest. He may be most famous for his role in Singin' in the Rain.
Gene Kelly
Student of the Russian Imperial School of Ballet. Established the School of American Ballet and 4 other companies. The only one of the companies still in existence today is the New York City Ballet. Known for his plotless ballets, minimal costuming, and sophisticated use of music.
George Balanchine
Choreographed for the company (with Robert Joffrey) and served as assistant director. He took over the artistic directorship of the company after Joffrey's death.
Gerald Arpino
Pioneers of Modern Dance.
Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman
Describe Merce Cunningham
He believed that dance did not need a storyline or theme at all. He referred to his concerts as events. He created "movement for movement's sake".
Sub-element of Time: Duration
How long something lasts, it's a relative term because someone could say that a 10 minute dance is long and someone else might say that it's short in comparison to an hour and a half long dance. A movement can be really short or really long depending on the context of the piece.
Sub-element of Space: Focus
If the dancer is looking out or beyond the stage space indicates an outward or external focus. If the dancer is focusing on himself or the immediate area around him, that is considered inward or internal focus
Credited for developing modern dance but other people did it too. They actually had a defined way of dancing.
Isadora Duncan
Jazz class technique/format
Isolations Full bodied warm up, stretching Progressions in center and across the floor Rhythmic combinations
___________________ must contain accurate information, exciting descriptions in the form of a press release, and photos that elicit a strong visceral response from a patron.
Marketing information
Describe the programs that the audience receives.
In a traditional theater setting, an audience often receives a program when they enter the theater area which gives some indication of what they will see. They might learn from the program, the title of the piece, the name of the choreographer and dancers, the music selected for the performance, and who the designers and collaborators are for the show. There may be biographical information about some people in the show and the choreographer may include program notes or a synopsis of what the piece is about. Sometimes there will be a pre-show discussion about their work or a post-show talk back to answer questions. Attending something like that will offer some insight as to what is being presented. But sometimes you may get a program that doesn't give you much information or insight as to what you will see. Audience members will approach a program in a number of different ways. Some audience members read the program front to back and learn everything that they can before they see the play/dance, etc. But other people like to read the program until after they see the dance/play.
Stage Manager
In charge of all technical aspects of the show, they must know the dances inside and out including all of the details about lighting and sound ques, costume stages, sets, etc. They are in charge of the show from the time the company steps into the theater to the time they leave. THIS PERSON RUNS THE SHOW. This means that they call every technical que in the show which usually is through a headset and they are usually in communication with the people backstage, and the people running the sound an light equipment. They make sure that everyone is in the right place at the right time. That person is the main line of communication between dancers and everyone backstage-in addition with the people in the front of the stage such as people in the box office and the ushers. Between the stage manager and the house manager, they decide when the show starts, when the dancers are ready, when the patrons are inside and seated. A good stage manager understands not only dance but technical theater and can be calm in an intense and stressful situations because anything can happen in live theater.
House Management
In charge of the ushers and the lobby area. This role and ushers are often the very first people the audience will see when they walk into the theater s it's important that the first impression is a good one. Ushers, managers, and box office staff are essentially hosting the performance.
Describe the shift from modern dance to post-modern dance (long version).
In the early 1950s, dancers and choreographers began to feel restricted by the early modern choreographers and the techniques that they established- not only in movement but also in content. Pioneers may have wanted to reflect a storyline or narrative in their works but modern dance started to find a shift towards prioritizing movement for the sake of movement. These works became known as "abstract dance".
Sub-element of Space: Level
Indicates your relative position to the ground. Low level is generally assumed to be below the level of the knee. This could indicate being rooted, grounded, or succumbing to the pull of gravity, feeling the weight of the world, or struggling in some way. The bottom left picture is low level. Middle level is from the knee to the top of the head- Here there are more options for movement. The middle picture is middle level. High level is movement occurring above head- indicates an escape from gravity with jumps, lifts, and leaps. A dancer at a high level might represent joy or flight. The top right picture is high level. Dancers often move through levels as they are performing. Think about what each dance means. Going from low to high might be freedom. Going from high to low might mean death.
Sub-element of body: Initiation
Initiation refers to where the movement is originating from. The words "core" and "distal" are used to describe movement originating from certain body parts.
Who was the biggest component of dance during the 16th century?
King Louis XIV (the sun king)
______________ commissioned and performed may dances.
King Louis XIV (the sun king)
He developed his own company in 1932 and was focused on presenting works depicting Native American culture. He developed the Horton technique.
Lester Horton
Name collaborators in dance.
Lighting designer, costume designer, set designer, music composer/editor, multimedia, technical theatre personnel, administrative collaborators
_________________ captures the mood and feelings behind a dance by controlling the light on the stage.
Lighting designers
Role of choreographer
Looks for individual presence, projection, temperament, attitude, emotional maturity, physical appearance, technical ability, speed and accuracy in learning, the ability to capture style, responsiveness of correction, versatility or strength in specific areas, improvisational ability, and related skills such as singing or acting.
Formulated classical ballet which stressed formal values such as symmetry and order of movements, staging, etc. Famous Ballets: Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake
Marius Petipa
He is well known for his sophisticated use of music in his dances. He often works with live music and is known for choreographing with a musical score in hand. His dances have challenged both gender and the typical "dancer body" and is sometimes controversial in nature.
Mark Morris
History of jazz dance
Origins in Africa; performed in Minstrel shows and Vaudeville; the term cakewalk originated from this type of dance
Folk dances
Participatory in nature; a social activity that provides a sense of community for those participating
What are some fundraising events for dance companies?
Party format, sneak peeks, appeals/crowd sourcing, social media
His work spanned both modern and post-modern movements. He was a student of Martha Graham and he danced with Merce Cunningham before forming his own company in 1961.
Paul Taylor
She was a German choreographer whose company Tanztheater Wuppertal combined dance and theatre to create disturbing renditions of real-life situations.
Pina Bausch
__________ marketing may show that you don't know what you're doing or the performance isn't that good.
Poor
World concert/ritual dances
Portray something specific about a culture (religion, work values, morals, or history) Passed down through generations (performed at weddings, births, and funerals) May find on concert stage
American ballet dancer and choreographer; primarily known for dancing contemporary works by leading choreographers
Robert Joffrey
What is another name for a stage mentioned in the powerpoint lecture?
Proscenium Stage
Rhythm tap
Rapid and rhythmic footwork, utilizing heel and toe taps Bent knees = faster sounds
Sub-element of Energy/Effort: Weight Words to describe "weight"
Refers to the heaviness or lightness of the movement, or the intention behind the movement. Heavy - bold, forceful Light - delicate, sensitive
Sub-element of Space: Place
Refers to where on stage the action is occurring. Is the action in place which would consist of axial movements or is it traveling (locomoting) from one place to another. The stage can be psychological. A dancer downstage is easier for the audience to see and is more familiar, whereas a dancer upstage is further away and may be more mysterious. A person going from stage right to stage left might convey more clarity to people in the U.S. because we read from left to right.
Describe the Horton Technique.
Requires a strong torso and symmetrical and asymmetrical movements of the arms and legs
Sub-element of Time: Rhythmic Pattern
Rhythm is a part of our everyday, natural life. We can look at rhythm in two distinct ways: Patterned or Free
Social Dance
Solo, couple, group dances
The creative process of choreography
Some use improv and others use storytellers, inspiration, etc. Some choreographers don't even use music until later.
What is the specific name for the person that composes the music, edits the music, and is also the sound technician?
Sound designer
In Europe, dance companies are supported by ________________ funding for the arts.
State
Things an audience can do.
Stay attentive and be/feel enthusiastic about the show. The dancers can feel the energy of the audience. There are times when an audience is more participatory; they may dance along, make noise, etc. Sometimes there is a speech given before the show to remind the audience of the rules of the show.
He is best known for developing "contact improvisation." He was also a founding member of the Judson Dance Theatre.
Steve Paxton
Many __________ ballets do use sets and there are plenty of examples of sets used effectively in dances.
Story
Sub-element of Energy/Effort: Attack Words to describe "attack"
Sudden Sharp Sustained Smooth
The decline of tap dance.
Tap began to decline in popularity in the 1950's because night club attendance started to drop and service people were coming home from overseas but in the 1990's and 2000's, there was a resurgence of tap dancing.
Choreography involves research on ______________.
The body and physical processes
What is so important about the Judson Church in New York.
The choreographers of the 1960's and 1970's made it famous and now known as the Judson Dance Theatre
The dance activity is NOT considered a cardiovascular activity because ______________.
The exercises in class are too short to get the heart pumping for a consistent 20 minute norm. 20 second combination- something to make them out of breath but its still not a CV exercise.
Technical director
The person who is responsible for what goes on in the theater and generally has the last word on what can or can't be done on the theater stage (space?). Sometimes they take the responsibilities for the lighting designers, set designers, stage managers, and so on.
The emergence of jazz music (1919) was from which type of music.
The vaudeville brought about its emergence from a combination of ragtag and the blues
Production Manager
Theater organizations or companies may hire a production manager who is responsible for booking, scheduling, and budgeting the theater. This person is usually the main contact for a dance company when someone tries to book them. This person is usually the supervisor for the production or the supervisor for the technical theater staff.
What are two important qualities of a good costume?
There needs to be stretch in the fabric; not too slippery It needs to have good color/light absorbing quality
Variety shows
These were quite popular (the Milton Burrow's show), but it meant that dancers had to keep their acts fresh because when they used to recycle the same material from different cities every night, suddenly all of those audiences could view the material at the same time.
True or False: Most Eurocentric dances are taught in higher ed areas. The problem with this is that Eurocentric dances could be seen as higher or more important that other dances that are different.
True
True or false: Dance is different from theater in that you can pieces that don't have any kind of set.
True
True or false: Lighting designers work with the choreographer so that everything works out well.
True
True or false: Live music adds a really special feel to a dance performance, unlike pre-recorded music.
True
True or false: Nearly every society has social dance as part of its culture.
True
True or false: Some choreographers like to be autonomous and do everything on their own.
True
True or false: Some dancers like to be involved in the choreographic process.
True
True or false: Some ritual dances should NEVER be performed in front of spectators.
True
True or false: The box office works with the house manager.
True
True or false: The music composer can also be the editor and sound technician.
True
True or false: There are dances that have a point of view or try to get a point across, but there are dances that are also there for the sake of movement and there is nothing deeper for you to figure out.
True
True or false: There is no 1 way to choreograph a dance.
True
True or false: There is no wrong way to read a program. All that needs to be done is for them to have an open mind and be receptive to what is in front of them.
True
Different Types of Axial Movements
Twist Turn Swing Gesture Rotate Spin Open Close Rise Fall Stretch Bend
Polyrhythmic
Two or more rhythms simultaneously
Dance in world cultures
Used to describe dances found in Africa, Asia, South America, (in parts of the world that are not America and Europe)
Sub-element of Time: Beat
Usually has a direct relationship to music. The steady feeling that underlies rhythm. Another word that is usable is "pulse". Is the beat steady or uneven?
Modern class technique/format
Varies Start on floor or standing Progressions in center and across the floor Might include improvisation Might include large jumps
Abandoned the technique of classical ballet and replaced it with stylized movements that were asymmetrical, heavy, and used both turned in and turned out positions
Vaslav Nijinsky
Known for his outstanding technical dancing abilities, but shocked audiences with his choreography due to storylines that included sex and death, in addition to unique movement styles.
Vaslav Nijinsky
Name the different dances in ballroom dancing.
Waltz (19th century elite in England and Germany) Rumba, Samba, Tango early 1900's in Africa and South America
Barre
Warm up, test placement, alignment, and balance
Sub-element of Space: Pathway (WORK ON THIS DEFINITION)
Where they are going?
Born in New York, Forsythe has spent much of his dance career in Europe. He danced with the Joffrey Ballet and then was hired by the Stuttgart Ballet where he was encouraged to choreograph. In 1984 he became artistic director of the Frankfurt Ballet. His work is considered provocative and scandalous, and he has choreographed on major ballet companies around the world.
William Forsythe
Sub-element of Space: Relationships
With the element of space, you need to consider spatial relationships between people and/or objects on the stage. This doesn't refer to any emotional relationship existing between dancers but rather where their bodies are, in the space, in relation to the other people. Relationships such as in front of or behind, over or under, separate or connected, near or far, and the proximity of the individual to a group or to objects, would convey meaning in a piece. Negative Space- The space AROUND a body or an object. Sometimes the spatial relationship can dictate the emotional relationship between dancers. There will likely be a difference when dancers are close to each other and further away from one another. If another dancer is standing in front of or climbing on top of another dancer, this would signify some kind of power dynamic in the relationship that they're showing. BUT DANCES DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO MEAN SOMETHING. THE CHOREOGRAPHER MIGHT JUST ENJOY THE ASTHETIC.
Describe Folk dances.
Working class was not allowed to attend the royal ballets so they created their own dance for their own enjoyment. Almost every country has their own version of folk dance that has been passed down from generation to generation. Change with the times which makes them difficult to trace.
Difference between world concert/ritual dances and folk dance.
World concert and ritual dances are performed in the same way as when they were created. Folk dances change with the times which makes them difficult to trace.
Describe the "No Manifesto".
Written by Yvonne Rainer; it described a specific way to dance and that choreographers were into looking at new ideas in the dance world
Fundraising and Development
You need money to put on a dance performance. Keeping donors there and maintain a good cash flow keeps a dance alive.