Dance Appreciation Notes: Part I

12:29

Vocabulary Proscenium Stage- area surrounding the stage opening Arch acts like a picture frame through which the action can be seen Seperates the audience from the performer Area closest to the performer is considered downstage (upstage=furthest !enter-center- usuall" the focal point of action# directs a lot of energ" and demands a lot of attention$ !"cloarma (%c"c& - a neutral colored curtain usuall" upstage where light is pro'ected onto it to create different moods (ackdrop- suspended can)as or )elour panel e*tending the full width of the performing area that pro)ides background for performance Apron- part of stage floor which pro'ects forward of the proscenium towards the audience Performers might go out onto it to in)ite audience into show +raditional performances do not usuall" do this Upper Paleolithic (30,000-10,000 B.C.E) Neolithic (7000-3000 B.C.E) Perio ! Dance was used as a means of communication and as a wa" of life +here was an absence of common )erbal language, people used their bodies to e*press thoughts and feelings Dance rituals were the ultimate means of e*pression# for e*ample, fertilit" dances, wedding dances, rain dances, har)est dances, and dances for health" children -er" communal .ituals to worship and please a /od 0o)ements basic and repeated throughout thousands of "ears

"he #$cie$t Perio % #bout 3000 B.C.E to &00 C.E. +hought combined with dramatic intent and aesthetic elements were consciousl" sought !onscious decisions began to be made with a regard to dance De)elopment of )ocal language, as well as the in)ention of writing, agricultural ad)ancements, centrali1ed go)ernment, organi1ed religion, and class distinctions shaped aesthetic decisions$ India= great e*ample (harata Nat"am- temple dance usuall" onl" done b" Indian women 2"es )er" specific, hands )er" e*act mo)ements 3suall" soloist- use space as sacred space to worship gods -er" linear and s"mmetrical$ Intricate footwork mimicking the music !hinese !ulture !hinese Dragon Dance and 4ion Dance Preser)e !hinese culture and brings it to the "ounger generation "he 'e ie(al Perio % #bout &00 C.E. to 1&00 C.E. (or the 'i le #)e!) Islamic dance flourished and %bell" dancing& (westerni1ed term , was established from this culture !hristianit" became a large aspect of culture 5olk dances were seen as pagan acti)ities !reation of art was frown upon unless it glorifies the church 2nhancement of spiritualit" was de)eloped !hurch placed emphasis on the bod" being e)il 6utbreak of (lack ((ubonic Plague led to preoccupation with death and d"ing, and superstition with witchcraft

 Dancing fren1" occurred called Dance of Death and Danse 0acabre Dance 5ren1" 6utbreak +heories: Ph"sical Disorder 6)erwhelming control of church Due to mental disorder that affected people across 2urope !ombination of them all Nati)e Americans were ban b" !IA to dancing because thought the" were war dances !ultural instruments )er" important to each cultural dance Early Ballet !atherine de 0edici married 7ing of 5rance, 8enri Duc d9orleans$ She introduced the !ourt (allet to the 5rench nobilit"$ Done in the homes of nobilities$ Simple floor patterns and poses 2laborate costumes restricted performers mo)ements !ourt ballets were performed for and b" members of nobilit" 7ing of 5rance, 4ouis :I- commonl" referred to as %Sun 7ing& commissioned man" ballets that he danced in Dances were all about pushing 4ouis :-I to the forefront +urn out: .otating the legs out at the hip 'oint in order to mo)e more efficientl" +wo of the most prominent romantic ballets are 4A S"lphide choreographed b" 5ilippo +aglioni in ;<=> and /iselle choreographed b" ?ean !oralli and ?ules Perrot in ;<@; .epeated mo)es, short tutu9s$ 0an support for women to tell stor" * +a$ce cha$)i$) ,ro- co--u$icatio$.tra itio$ to !e$!atio$

/o-a$tic #e!thetic +he .omantic Aesthetic was present in music, literature, painting, and sculpture$ Alread" happening in art and literature (egan to feature the female 4ong, romantic tutu9s$ Aeightlessness, oil lamps# dimBm"stical lighting Dancing on point began$ Point shoes= can)as and glue$ 0en ha)e more importance in telling stor" now Co$!truct o, a Ballet Co-pa$y Principal Dancer: 8ighest rank within a professional dance compan"$ 3suall" featured dancers and the stor" is centered on himBher$ Soloist: A dancer that is featured in a ballet compan" but the stor" is not centered on him or her$ Demi Soloist: A dancer abo)e the corps de ballet, that ma" ha)e shortfeatured roles !orps de (allet: /roup of dancers in a ballet compan" that work as the backdrop for the principal dancers Cla!!ical Ballet% !haracteristics and 5eatures: Performed on a Proscenium (allet Spectacular scener" Dancers dressed in elaborate costumes Stor"line usuall" fair"tale or fable 3sage of Pantomime: %0iming& with the arms because there are no words to ensure that the plot is understandable b" audience

4arge orchestral pieces of music (Stro)insk" and !hicosk" 0usic and dance mo)e along together Small solos called )ariations C.isDue at this time period +wo of the most popular classical ballets are %+he Sleeping (eaut"& and %Swan 4ake& 0chool!. 'etho ! o, Cla!!ical Ballet -agano)a (.ussian : -agano)a techniDue de)eloped b" .ussian student Agrippina -agano)a$ -agano)a danced at Imperial (allet School in .ussia now known as 0arinsk" (allet$ !ecchetti (Italian : 2nrico !ecchetti was an Italian dancer that de)eloped his own ballet training method in ;E;<$ +his techniDue is a strict training regimen that de)elops the student9s balance, poise, and grace$ .o"al Academ" of Dance (2ngland : .AD was established in 4ondon in ;E>F and grew it9s roots in the .o"al (allet school in 4ondon under Dame Ninette de -alois, founder of the .o"al (allet$ (ourno)ille (Danish : 0ethod of ballet dancing that is not onl" a method of training and techniDue, but a choreographic school$ De)eloped b" August (ourno)ille (the choreographer for the .o"al Danish ballet +he 5rench School: 2stablished b" 4ouis :I- in ;G;G and was the first to open a ballet school in 5rance$ .udolf Nure"e) o)erhauled this method of ballet in the ;E<F9s to contempori1e it$ (alanchine (American : /eorge (alanchine, a .ussian who came to America and opened the School of American (allet in New Hork !it" (;E=@ , and a professional ballet compan" the New Hork !it" (allet in ;E@<$ (alanchine method known for its speed and incorporation of ?a11 and modern mo)ements$ Ballet In 2urope, the go)ernment supports the Arts and the s"stem picks who the" want to continue the training$ (In America, mone" and talent =classes 5railt" is used to make it look as if the men are holding them up 4ea)e their parents around ;F, ps"chological de)elopment )er" different, adult contact all through the teachers telling them the"9re not good enough Co$te-porary Ballet Serge Diaghile) established (allet .usses in ;EFE$ 8e was not a dancer or choreographer but a producer$

0ichel 5okine was the first resident choreographer for the (allet .usses$ 5okine had principals in which contemporar" ballet must uphold$

1o2i$e3! Pri$cipal! o, Co$te-porary Ballet !lassical steps or )ocabular" should fit the theme of the dance 0o)ement should gi)e insight to what is happening on stage Pantomime should not be used !orps de ballet should be more than scener" +he mo)ement, music, costumes and sets should ha)e eDual importance 8eighten the status of the male dancer (A lot of men became stars -asla) Ni'inski another resident choreographer of the (allet .usses who created pro)ocati)e ballets that dealt with taboo topics$ 0ost popular works are 49Apres midi d9un 5aun (+he Afternoon of the 5aun , Petrushka, 4e Sacre du Printempus, an ?eu*$ 5aun- god$ !hases "oung n"mph through forest$ 2nds with n"mph sitting on a rock and the faun masturbating$ +hrough the compan" doing e*tensi)e touring Diaghile)9s (allet .usses introduced American to .ussian (allet$ ?ul" >Gth Diaghile) died, !olonel Aassil" de (asil and .ene (lum re)i)ed the compan"$ During AAII, the compan" split into two companies +he 6riginal (allet .usse that toured 2urope and +he (allet .usses de 0onte !arlo that toured the 3nited States$ !ontemporar" ballet began to allow turning bodies for more mo)ement rather than 'ust using %turning out& Allowed "oung children to be a part of the ballets, e)en as "oung as ;; or ;> (raniska)a- woman choreographer who was 'ust as talented, but did not become as popular because she was a female 4eor)e Bala$chi$e% .ussian dancerBchoreographer who danced with Diagile)9s (allet .usses and was the compan"9s ballet master$ Important in American ballet histor"

(allet master: person who rehearses the dancers After Diaghile)9s death, he met 4incoln 7irstein, a wealth" dance connoisseur$ 8e con)inced (alanchine to mo)e to America with the mission of starting an American (allet School$ +he first ballet (alanchine choreographed in the 3$S$ was Serenade to music b" +schaikosk" 6ct, ;E@< the professional compan" New Hork !it" (allet was formed 8e was artistic director 8is st"le has been considered Neo!lassic (new-classic Neo!lassic- combination of modern themes and ideas with the classical dance construct

Bala$chi$e a$ N5CB In ;EIJ, (alanchine choreographed Agon with Arthur 0itchell and Diana Adams$ Agon was contro)ersial because it had an erotic pas de deu* with an African American male and a Ahite female in the segregated ;EIFs$ Arthur 0itchell later formed the first African American dance compan" of 8arlem Co$te-porary Ballet ,ro- 1670 to Pre!e$t .esurgence in ;E<Fs when ballet began to blur the lines of what was considered ballet and -o er$ a$ce. Incorporated new works, e*ploitation of ballet techniDue, use of impro)isation and pedestrian mo)ements in choreograph"$ Impro)isation: Spontaneousl" creating mo)ement to break habitual mo)ement patterns$ 2*perimentation with technolog" and social issues are common$ 0ats 2k dancerBchoreographer and former Artistic Director of !ullberg (allet in Norsborg, Sweden$ 0ats 2k9s most famous reworking9s of classical ballets are Giselle (;E<> , Sleeping Beauty (;EEG , and Carmen (;EE> $ Sleeping Beauty: 0ental hospital 0atthew (ourne dancerBchoreographer and former Artistic dancer of Adventures in Motion Pictures from ;E<J to >FF>, which was located in the 3nited 7ingdom$ (est known work is his restaging of Swan Lake which was a predominatel" male cast unlike the original$

Part II: +he (eginning of 0odern Dance in America

12:29 5ormed in the late ;<FFs and earl" ;EFFs

Part II: +he (eginning of 0odern Dance in America

12:29 It e)ol)ed as a direct re)olt against what was percei)ed as the %restrictions& of ballet$ Isadora Duncan credited with being the first American dancer to present modern dance to the public$ o Aore /recian tunics and danced barefoot o Aas inspired b" natural mo)ements and de)eloped a techniDue that used basic mo)ements such as running, swa"ing, and skipping$ o -er" tragic life with children drowning in Seine .i)er, and husband Sergei 2senin committing suicide$ o She died when she was strangled to death b" her scarf in a (ugatti sports car con)ertible on September ;@th, ;E>J$ o 8er Isadorables are her adopted children who carried on her tradition$

'o er$ +a$ce i$ Europe 0ar" Aigman one of the most notable figures in /erman modern dance$ She was inno)ator of 2*pressionist dance (refers to an e*pression of realit" that9s distorted in shape and color$ 5or e*ample, an artist offers her own interpretation of nature instead of cop"ing it Aas a student of .udolf )on 4aban 6pened a dance school in ;E>FB>; called the %Dresden !entral School& !reated her famous solo the %Aitch Dance& School operated under Na1i rule .udolf -on 4aban 4aid the foundation for 4aban 0o)ement Anal"sis or 4abanonotation (a preser)ation method of documenting dance for future generations$ S"stem of dance notation Alleged ties to Na1i ideolog" 0ar" Aigman, .udolf )on 4aban, and 7urt ?ooss are known as 8itler9s Dancers$ /uth 0t. +e$i! a$ "e 0ha8$

Part II: +he (eginning of 0odern Dance in America

12:29 4eading dancers in Isadora Duncan9s compan" 0arried and formed the Denishawn School and !ompan" .uth created works on her perceptions of 2g"ptian, /reek, and Asian cultures$ 8er interpretations were not accurate but were entertaining for American audiences$ (oth performed on the -aude)ille !ircuit$ -aude)ille is a t"pe of entertainment popular in the 3SA and !anada in the earl" ;E>Fs featuring a mi*ture of short specialt" acts such as singers, dancers, theatrical acts, 'ugglers, minstrel shows, and animal acts$ +he essence of the -aude)ille theatres was to present )ariet" shows$ +he" were ha)ing a =-wa" affair and separated in ;E=F +ed Shawn After the Di)orce +ed established ?acob9s Pillow in (ecket, 0A and formed +ed Shawn9s 0en Dancers$