In order to explore this question fully I feel I should primarily lay out some of the changes that took place in society around the 18th Century. It was only after the restoration of Charles II in 1660 that there was a law passed permitting women to represent their own sex in the theatre. This did not change society's attitude towards women that chose to act or dance on stage. This is commented on in Anne Coris's article `Women and Dancing after the Restoration' where she highlights that in the 1660's men are given `a legitimate opportunity to ogle at their legs when they are cast in male roles'1. It would seem even after Prevost, Camargo and Sallé's success in the dance world, gentlemen such as Lord Chesterfield refer to women on stage as
`the disgraceful and dangerous commerce of prostitutes, actresses, dancing women, and that sort of trash'2.
In spite of these views, Society was changing. After the restoration period, performers could finally travel again, and it was the French that came to the London stage, bringing with them a quality quite unique to France that had not been seen in England before. In turn this caused English dancers such as Marie Camargo in search of fame and excellence to take on board some of this French quality, technique and style, coincidentally merging two styles and for the first time creating one technique. I believe it is within this merging and unifying of two different countries styles and indeed two individual dancers style; Camargo's and Salle's that we see how the expressive powers and technique of dance on the London stage were extended in the 18th Century. I will seek to portray this throughout my essay and convey how this in turn dictated how they were represented in society.
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...s fundamental 180-degree turnout of the legs. Her shortening of the skirt was imperative in the execution of fast allegro, and allowed allegro to progress. She proved that female dancers could adopt the leading steps formerly associated with male dancers. In opposition to Camargo's virtuosity, Sallé represented eloquence, and expressiveness. She earned an important position in society as a `creative artist of intelligence and vision14. She insisted on reforming the costumes of dancers so they were not hindered in their expression, and above all she realised the detrimental effect technique could have on artistic expression. The fact that this caused England, for the first time ever to lead the development of dance is quite ironic when we consider Lord Chesterfields comment about `dancing women... and that sort of trash', perhaps women are not so stupid after all!
Each movement of the work corresponds accordingly to a different country in Europe at the time known for a particular style of dance. The Intrada would be the opening of the program, followed by the French Basse Dance, the English Pavane, the Italian Saltarello, the Spanish Sarabande, and finally concluding with the German Allemande. Even though the work was performed by a modern ensemble, where many instruments had not even been invented when music of this type was originally composed, the instrumentation of the brass section versus the woodwind section and the artistry of the musicians performing are able to recreate a much older style. Overall, the piece Courtly Airs and Dances, is an emulation of a style dating back to the Renaissance period of music, with each movement reflecting a particular style of dance characteristic to the culture of individual European
The story explores many vital concepts accompanied by beautiful illustrations. I felt a strong sense of cultural understanding, spirituality and connection to family and land as though I was on this journey too. I could sense an underlying meaning in each dance, holding great importance to Bertie’s family and a strong connection to their culture. Pryor has attempted to fuse the then and now, by speaking of changes in the land, from a once spiritual gathering place, to a now busy town street where through food, they keep the culture alive (Pryor, 2010).
Learning about Dance: Dance as an Art Form and Entertainment provides visions into the many features of dance and inspires scholars to keep an open mind and think critically about the stimulating, bold, ever-changing and active world of dance. Learning about Dance is particularly useful for those who do not have a wide and diverse dance contextual, such as students in a preliminary level or survey dance course. This book consists of twelve chapters. Chapter one dance as an art form focuses on the basic structures of dance. Dance is displayed through the human body, it has the control to communicate and induce reactions. Dance can be found in many different places, it enables the participants and seekers to touch and knowledge the joy of movement. Dance is discovered as being one of the oldest art forms worldwide. Dance existed in early cultures was recognized in a sequence of rock paintings portrayed dance. Since this discovery of rock paintings, several other forms of art have been found that depict dance. People used rituals in order to worship the gods and believed that the rituals held magical and spiritual powers. During the ancient period civilizations sentient decisions began to be made with regard to dance. Other periods that had an impact on dance were the medieval period, the renaissance period, and the contemporary period. Chapter two the choreographer, the choreographer is a person who comes up with the movements created into a dance routine. The choreographer expresses themselves through choreography because this is their way of communicating with the audience. In order to be a choreographer you must have a passion for dance. Each choreographer has their own approaches and ways of making up a routine. Choreographers ...
Dance is an ever evolving form of art; in much the same way that one can categorize and differentiate between eras and styles of architecture one can also do so with dance. These eras at times have sharp delineations separating them from their antecedents, other times the distinction is far more subtle. Traditional forms of dance were challenged by choreographers attempting to expand the breadth and increase the depth of performance; preeminent among such visionaries was Seattle born dancer and choreographer Mark Morris. Mark Morris' began as one of the millions of hopeful individuals attempting to simply make a career in dance; he not only succeeded but managed to have a lasting effect on the entire landscape of dance.
Different Dance Styles by Doris Humphrey and Maud Allen that Presented New Dances that Displayed Innovative Movements.
Throughout the years, America has pursued the performing arts in a large variety of ways. Theatre plays a dramatic and major role in the arts of our society today, and it takes great effort in all aspects. Musical Theatre, specifically, involves a concentration and strength in dance, acting, and singing. This is the base that Musical Theatre is built upon. For my Senior Project, I helped choreograph multiple scenes in a community musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie”. Choreography is a way of expressing oneself, but it has not always been thought of for that purpose. Agnes de Mille’s expressive talent has drastically affected how people see choreography today. Agnes de Mille’s influence in the world of dance has left a lasting impact in the Performing Arts Department, and her revolutionary works are still known today for their wit, lyricism, emotion, and charm.
The young men voices were still high pitch and bodies had not been matured, so the role of women was perfect for them. William Shakespeare took a big part in theatre during the Elizabethan Era and his work is still popular till this day. Most plays that you often hear about such during the 1600’s were pretty much his. One of his most famous plays that still grab reader’s attention is Romeo & Juliet. Another thing about the Elizabethan Era was the way they said their words, what they would do is use a four count beat and pitching their voices high and low. All through London theatre was very popular. In the 1600’s during the Elizabethan Era instruments had also played a big part in their time. Like once before I told you that any instrument could play a ...
The stage that hosted the creation of illusion for those attending ballet after 1827 in its “golden age” (Guest, 1) introduced a new world, but one that could not be reached. These illusions were expressed through performance as “moods of Romanticism.” (5) The Romantic period of the early 19th century emphasized the alienation of an individual, the spectacle of that isolation, and the Romantic ideal that perfection remains mysterious and unattainable, as opposed to the late 18th century’s Enlightenment ideals that held rationality and tangible beings most profound. The spectacle of an estranged, supernatural being embodies these elements of Romanticism, as was represented in Romantic ballet. Coralli and Perrot’s 1841 ballet, Giselle, incorporated these Romantic elements into “each one of (the ballet’s) component parts - scenic design…choreography and dance style” (7), as well as with innovations in narrative. These narratives began to project women as powerful representations of the ethereal, supernatural being, as is specifically shown in the character of Giselle in Coralli and Perrot’s ballet. Through the novelties of Romantic visual presentation in scenery, movement, and narrative, the golden age of ballet was able to effectively “(reveal) the unattainable” (7) and supernatural.
Contemporary 20th century choreographer Paul Taylor used the components of dance -space, time and energy to explore the struggle of an individual versus the conformity of the masses in his dance Esplanade. In addition, Taylor intertwined the principles of contrast, repetition, and resolution throughout Esplanade to portray the emotion, which accompanied this isolation. This esplanade (a long, open, level area usually by the sea) represented the journey of an independent women’s movement against the societal norm of heterosexual couples within the masses.
The work ‘Ghost Dances’ by Christopher Bruce was viewed on 26th August, 2011 to the Year 12 Dance class. The individual interpretation of the social/political or world issue/ comment the piece is attempting to make. Using direct examples from the performance, the use the choreographer has made of the movement and the non-movement components have been identified. Also the effectiveness of this piece has been evaluated. After Christopher Bruce received a letter from a widow of a Chilean folk singer who had been murdered the very inspirational and symbolic ‘Ghost Dances’ work came about.
New Dance is described as a developing art form; this dance was articulated in the early 20th century. According to Chapter 8 in History of Dance book, “the new dance emerged as a response to the ballet that populated the variety shows and music halls, which had a rigid formula of steps and poses” (Kassing). The New Dance was a product of several strands that interlaced together dancers’ studies and backgrounds; these strands and others were woven together in a historical, political, and societal framework. For instance, one strand of New Dance consisted of the concepts, techniques, costumes, and stage settings from around the world. These strands influenced major dancers and choreographers, such as, Isadora Duncan, Loie Fuller, Ruth St. Denis, and Ted Shawn.
To commence, in the Elizabethan and Jacobean period, there were many important rules in regards to acting that players had to consider when performing in the Globe theatre. When Shakespeare wrote his plays, he included as many female characters as he did male characters. Nonetheless, the traditions and values of the Renaissance did not allow women to act or become actors, due to the fact that it was considered immoral for a woman to be on stage. At the time, they had no social status other than their association with their husbands or fathers. Moreover, actors were considered to have a low social status, thus it was considered improper and socially unacceptable for a woman to become a performer. Instead of editing all of Shakespeare’s texts to adher...
During the Renaissance Era musical instruments were used primarily to accompany dance. The most famous court dance style in the Renaissance Era was the basse danse, where couples would gracefully and quietly move across the dance floor. The couples used a gliding motion as they gracefully moved across the floor. This style was popular in the 15th and 16th centuries. Another famous style is the Calata, a 16th century Italian line dance in the measure of 3/4. With this style, couples would move across the floor using quick and elaborate movements. The last style which will be covered in our program is the ronde, also famous in Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries, the ronde took place outdoors and participants moved in a circular pattern.
Ballet has been an art form since the late fifteenth century, but society did not truly see the impact of ballet until the nineteenth century. Modern day thinkers possess the idea that ballet began with tutus and pointe shoes, but it wasn’t until the nineteenth century that this opinion was observed. Ballet has come a long way. It has survived the turmoil of many wars and has changed itself by accepting new ideas and impressing the audience with its unique stylistic views.
During the times in which Shakespeare lived, women had certain roles which ensured they were a permanent underclass to men. In Women in Shakespeare’s world by Theresa D. Kemp, Kemp states that “The roles of early modern women included daughters and wives, sisters and mothers; they learned and worked and played but for the most part they were not expected to be school girls (whining or otherwise) As women they were expected to be the slightly beautiful beloved and not the balladeer. Women were not seen as fit to play soldier or the judge. And as keepers of the homes and the households, as in our own time, women withdrawn from a “world too wide” ( 29). This quote from Kemp shows how victorian women were seen a just a pretty face to do as told. They were to be obedient and non opinionated. A woman of that time period was very objectified and used, basically women weren't real people.