Bob Fosse originally choreographed Bye Bye Blackbird in 1972. It was created with the purpose of Liza Minnelli performing the lead role on her TV special: “Liza with a Z”. The Music is by Ray Henderson and the lyrics are by Mort Dixon ("Fosse - the Musical."). Bye Bye Blackbird is a dance piece in which every dancer is required to sing. There is a lead role and sixteen dancers supporting the lead. Although it was originally created and purposed for Liza Minnelli, in this production the role of the lead was played by Ben Vereen, who sings and dances the entire time. As previously mentioned: the costumes were simplified in order to draw the attention to solely the choreography. For this performance, the dancers were dressed in tight fitting black …show more content…
tops, black jazz pants, black jazz shoes, and black derbies. This costume is very much so in Fosse’s stereotypical style. Bye Bye Blackbird is placed in the Prologue of the show, which is the very first section. This piece is a great piece to put in the prologue due to its use of Fosse’s staple. It begins and instantly the audience is able to pick up on some characteristics of Fosse’s movement, included but not limited to: hip circles, backs bumps, and low snapping of the fingers. Soon enough the dancers are strutting forward with the elbows pulled back and hands splayed on their hipbones. By this point, it is quite evident that this is indeed a Fosse choreographed piece. Bye Bye Blackbird has a very calm feel to it; however it is still extremely physically demanding of the entire cast (Jovovich). The dancers in this piece are not only dancing, they are singing and acting as well. It is a clear example of how high the bar was raised for Fosse dancers. Every single dancer was expected to sing loudly and well, emote using both their faces and bodies, all while never missing a step. They were no longer simply dancers, “Fosse is known to have called his dancers “actors,” emphasizing that their primary job is to communicate a story—whether through dialogue, song, or dance.” (Kay). Fosse needed to be slightly demanding in order to get his pieces the caliber he knew they could be at. Even the lead vocalist: Vereen is dancing full out the entire time. The Fosse Revue possesses numerous pieces from Dancin’; however, two particular pieces are considered to be standout pieces of work: Crunchy Granola Suite and I Wanna Be a Dancin’ Man (Fosse).
Dancin’ is a music revue that was first produced in 1978. Unlike Fosse, Dancin’ was directed and choreographed entirely by Bob Fosse himself since it was created before he passed away. Dancin’ was created as a way to show respect to the art of dance. Just like Fosse, Dancin’ also opened at the Broadhurst Theatre. The show was meant to use little dialogue and singing. Fosse wanted to showcase his more movement based side by choreographing strictly based off of what the music conveyed and not necessarily what emotions were being …show more content…
conveyed. Crunchy Granola Suite’s music is by G. Harrell ("Fosse - the Musical."). This specific piece of work is recognized by many dance critics to be one of the strongest pieces in the revue. The exciting piece, danced by twelve dancers is described as a showstopper. Two company members sing Crunchy Granola Suite: Brad Anderson and Eugene Fleming. These two members have been seen dancing in previous numbers, which is yet another example of the versatility Fosse expected from his dancers. This specific piece is placed in of part one of Fosse, which ironically is the second section. It begins with one single dancer, center stage. This dancer sets the entire mood simply by stylistically moving her arm, slowly. After she begins to move from her opening position, other dancers slowly come into the space either one by one, or in small groups. Each dancer has an eight count or two to showcase their given choreography. The mood is extremely dream sequence-like: everything is moving really fluidly. The dancers movement quality is delicate and for the most part at a slower tempo. The movement is not the normal “Fosse style”. It consists of more large tricks rather than small stylized movements. Some of the shown “tricks” included: high leg extensions, numerous amounts of turns, and partnering lifts (Fosse). Roughly three minutes into the piece there is a complete mood change. The dancers start to experience sudden ticks in their movement until suddenly they are all moving very fast and stylized. Not only did the movement quality change, but the dancers performance quality changed as well. As soon as the music picked up, the dancers looked as if they could not have been happier. The movement quality went from fluid to sharp. The style was very clear and there were numerous hard-hitting beats throughout. Crunchy Granola Suite does not possess any singing; however, it does posses vocalization and a great amount of theatrics.
The dancers must have the ability to switch their intention and facial expressions instantly. Another difficulty the dancers face in this piece is stamina. Once the piece picks up, it does not once slow back down: Original cast members realized the importance of repetition within rehearsals, “Repetition wasn’t just important, it was necessary. You did not have time to think, therefor you needed to be able to rely on your body to be two steps ahead even when your mind was a step behind.” (Jovovich). For the entire seven minutes of the piece, the dancers are constantly moving. This specific choreography seems to posses more full body movements than a lot of the other showcased pieces in Fosse. This piece is the first time in the Revue that the audience witnesses multiple level changes throughout. The choreography constantly explored athletic ways in which the dancers could transition to and from the ground. Crunchy Granola Suite also showcases a great amount of partner work. This provides another obstacle for the dancers because now not only do they need to worry about what they are doing, but also they need to be aware of the other dancers in relationship to
themselves. I Wanna Be a Dancin’ Man is located in part two of Fosse, which is the third section. It is an upbeat, fun-loving piece that overall is meant to make people smile, which it does indeed accomplish. This piece is one of the only pieces of Dancin’ in which the entire cast of dancers is singing the entire time. Not only is there singing and dancing, but also there are numerous rhythmic sections, which involve a lot of brain muscles. Harry Warren wrote the music and the Lyrics are by Johnny Mercer ("Fosse - the Musical."). The piece begins with seemingly simple, but extremely stylized movements with the cast in complete unison. This was the first and last time that the cast is in unison throughout this piece (Jovovich). The dancers are constantly being split into small groups. Each small group has their own specific movements, which are different than the rest of the small groups. The piece possesses a middle section in which each group has choreography meant to travel them across the stage space. Not only are they traveling while dance, but also they are doing so all while at the same time executing extremely difficult rhythmic patterns. To elaborate on the rhythms, towards the end of the piece there is an entire clapping section. A small group of dancers has to keep the rhythm by clapping on different beats. This means that throughout this one piece the cast was not dancers, they were dancers, actors, singers, and musicians. Bob Fosse redefined the word impossible. He did not set boundaries for his work and he did not allow any of his dancers to set boundaries for themselves while performing his work. Fosse sculpted the future of musical theatre and even jazz dance. He not only made it possible for people to cross over between genres: he made it the expectation.
In many different scenes, dances were created to capture how each character felt in the scene that they were in. For example, when the crow was being bullied while he was tied up on the cross, Fatima created a dance to show him finding his inner courage and no longer having fear of the birds. I loved when Dorothy and Scarecrow sang walking down the yellow brick road because the dance gave the sensibility of people uniquely living the spirit of expression. The dance looked fun and vibrant like many of the jazz dances we see today. One of the styles of jazz that were engaged in the film was bebop. Bebop is characterized during the 1940s as having a fast tempo and improvisation based on the structures of a situation that inspired the movement. I noticed that bebop was displayed well when Ne-Yo danced because of its complex technique, fast tempo, and improvisation while singing at the same time. This style of jazz was suitable for the presentation of the film because it kept me as an audience engaged in every dance that was choreographed. With the tempo being very fast, it allowed for the movement to be big and easily
James Baldwin’s Sonny’s Blues tells the story of the narrator and his brother and the hardships that they must endure. As Kahlil Gibran States “Out of suffering have emerged the strangest souls, the most massive characters are seared with scars.” (Gibran). In that very quote the real light is shown as it informs the reader that with suffering comes growth and once the person whomever it may be emerges out of the darkness they may have scars but it has made them stronger. The theme of light and darkness as well as suffering play a vital part in this story. For both men there are times in which they have the blues and suffer in the darkness of their lives but music takes the suffering from them.
In the story, Sonny’s Blues, James Baldwin uses music, jazz, and hymns to shape the story and show how it shapes Sonny’s life and how music is inherent to his survival. All of this is seen through the older brother’s eyes; the older brother is the narrator and the reader begins to understand Sonny through the older brother’s perspective. Baldwin writes the story like a jazz song to make a story out of his father’s past and his brother’s career choice and puts them together, going back and forth, until it creates a blending of histories and lives. He shows how the father’s past is similar to the narrator’s life; the older brother has conflicts with his younger brother, Sonny. Music heals the relationship.
The short story “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin is an emotionally compelling story in which the narrator describes his relationship with his brother and the struggles they have been through together. Sonny, the narrator’s brother, was sent to prison for selling and using heroine. Time passes and the narrator writes to Sonny in prison when his daughter, Grace, dies. In a flashback, the readers learn that before Sonny’s improsinment the narrarator was in the army and their parents both died. The readers also learn that Sonny dreamed of becoming a jazz musician. After Sonny realizes he’s being a burden to his sister in law’s family he decides to leave and join the navy. When he gets back he and his brother fight, ending with Sonny saying that
The Beatles composed and sang many beautiful and timeless songs during their musical career. One song, however, captures the essence of Victor Frankenstein’s creation. Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein in 1818. The Beatles wrote a song off their The White Album entitled Blackbird in 1968. Generations apart from each other, these two artistic masterpieces are more similar than one may deem.
When first reading “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin, it may initially seem that the relationship between musicians and drugs is synonymous. Public opinion suggests that musicians and drugs go hand and hand. The possibility lies that Sonny’s passion for jazz music is the underlying reason for his drug use, or even the world of jazz music itself brought drugs into Sonny’s life. The last statement is what the narrator believes to be true. However, by delving deeper and examining the theme of music in the story, it is nothing but beneficial for Sonny and the other figures involved. Sonny’s drug use and his music are completely free of one another. Sonny views his jazz playing as a ray of light to lead him away from the dim and dismal future that Harlem has to offer.
4.Bob Fosse showed great interest in dancing when he was very young because his father was a dancer and this influenced a lot to his future career. His marriage with Joan McCracken helped a lot in his shortcomings in classical dancing like ballet. He was remembered by his eight Tony Awards. In his musical works, he got inspirations from Jack Cole’s directions and made innovations of his own. The unique stage effect and dancing skills made him the most recognized musical directors of his time.
The novel, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", by Maya Angelou is the first series of five autobiographical novels. This novel tells about her life in rural Stamps, Arkansas with her religious grandmother and St. Louis, Missouri, where her worldly and glamorous mother resides. At the age of three Maya and her four-year old brother, Bailey, are turned over to the care of their paternal grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. Southern life in Stamps, Arkansas was filled with humiliation, violation, and displacement. These actions were exemplified for blacks by the fear of the Ku Klux Klan, racial separation of the town, and the many incidents in belittling blacks.
At first glance, "Sonny's Blues" seems ambiguous about the relationship between music and drugs. After all, the worlds of jazz and drug addiction are historically intertwined; it could be possible that Sonny's passion for jazz is merely an excuse for his lifestyle and addiction, as the narrator believes for a time. Or perhaps the world that Sonny has entered by becoming involved in jazz is the danger- if he had not encountered jazz he wouldn't have encountered drugs either. But the clues given by the portrayals of music and what it does for other figures in the story demonstrate music's beneficial nature; music and drugs are not interdependent for Sonny. By studying the moments of music interwoven throughout the story, it can be determined that the author portrays music as a good thing, the preserver and sustainer of hope and life, and Sonny's only way out of the "deep and funky hole" of his life in Harlem, with its attendant peril of drugs (414).
The short story Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin is written in first person through the narrator. This story focuses on the narrator’s brother sonny and their relationship throughout the years. This story is taken place in Harlem, New York in the 1950s. The narrator is a high school algebra teacher and just discovered his brother in the newspaper. This story includes the traditional elements to every story, which consist of the exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and the resolution.
Ask any Step Up movies’ fan, the chance of seeing hip hop dances performed on stage in front of their eyes is definitely in their wish list and so do I. Separated by a 15-minute break, each pieces was performed in average 30 minutes. The first performance was mainly about running, so the dancers were running like crazy from the start but in some way it highlighted the storyline through its’ choreography. There was this dance where a g...
One of the main things I noticed in this movie was that the movie never stopped. It was always about ballet and working to improve things related to ballet the entire movie. The point I am trying to make is that even when the dancers and the choreographers
Overall time helped demonstrated the masses’ movement unity as they moved with the time and the individual’s struggle as she moved contrary to the group’s time. The dance began with a lively Bach movement, which created a feeling of excitement as the mass of dancers moved with increasing speed. The short duration needed to complete movements, regularity of the music, and repetition of dance patterns of the group established their synchronization with time. In contrast, this allegro tempo created a nervous, rushed feeling for the individual woman, which established her contradiction to the groups perception of time. The sharp, sudden adagio tempo change in Part 2 created an uneasy mood, while establishing distrust and tension between the individual woman and the masses. The stillness of the mass dancers in response to the woman in Part 2 exemplified this segregation. As the tempo slowed in Part 4, an element of sadness and isolation was apparent in the individual woman’s movement. In contrast, this tempo change for the group created an intimacy between the individual heterosexual couples. This intimacy further isolated the individual women and demonstrated her movement against groups perception of time. The changes in tempo of music and dance movement complimented the third element of dance, dynamics or
James Baldwin, the author of “Sonny Blues,” is an African American novelist and storywriter. In one of his most famous stories, “Sonny’s Blues,” he writes about a young boy that has an addiction to heroin. The story shows the relationship between two brothers and the problems that they, and their family have to endure. The brothers do not have a close bond during the time that the story takes place. James Baldwin, while growing up also dealt with many family issues. He didn’t know his biological father and had trouble being accepted into society being a homosexual African American. The boy portrayed as Sonny in “Sonny’s Blues” very closely resembles the way Baldwin must have been treated growing up. They both were shunned from society, and both struggled with the way their families interacted with one another. Baldwin could have purposely done this to illustrate what his childhood was like and express it to the world through the story that he wrote.
To listen is to make an effort to hear something: to be alert and ready to act upon. By listening we learn new ideas and express care for one another. Sonny’s Blues, written by James Baldwin, is a short story presented by the Narrator, that explains the survival of two brothers, trying to get through the horrors of Harlem. The narrator’s brother, Sonny, has been arrested for distributing and using heroin. The narrator, in denial about the suffering he has become accustomed to in Harlem, can deny it no more after the literal and metaphoric death of his daughter, grace, and only finds salvation after listening to and comprehending his brother Sonny’s music. Through listening, the narrator can finally recover grace once again. The beginning