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Dance and culture
Dance and culture
What culture does dance influence
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A world renowned artist from New York known for his work as a choreographer of ballets, and also being involved in theatre, movies and television goes by the name of Jerome Robbins. Robbins brought light to contemporary ballet and modern dance, he redefined theatre dance and incorporated different components of creativity and dramatic theatrical elements. (DanceHeritage.org) Making a great impact in the American Ballet Theatre and was affiliated with this company for 8 years. (Learning About Dance) After getting invited to join the company of City Ballet by its artistic director, George Balanchine known as being the father of American ballet, Robbins only went up from there. (PBS.org) Robbins was also responsible for the choreography in the …show more content…
Jerome Robbins has made that impact of many and his inventiveness in ballet and theatre brought out the ideas of bringing dance and theatrical elements together. Jerome Robbins had no idea what was going to come out of him and the gain he would get by failing classes and not going to school. Jerome Robbins was born in New York City on October 11, 1918 being the youngest of two and coming from humble beginnings of being a shopkeeper in East Side Manhattan, he is of Polish descent as his parents emigrated in 1904. Robbins grew up during the time of The Great Depression and his parents could not afford his education anymore and he probably wasn’t going to continue with it anyway considering he failed two out of five classes. (“Biography in Brief”) Robbins was part of and choreographed in several dance companies, and was involved with the American Ballet Theatre for quite some time but his heart truly lied with New York City Ballet. This company is where he would be the associate artistic director from 1949 to 1963. According to Deborah Jowitt in an authoritative Benosa3 biography about Robbins called “Jerome Robbins: His Life, His Career, His Dance” he gave new meaning to the role of dance in musical theatre and is well known as America’s …show more content…
At some points the dancers would move fast and quick with swift motions but in the transitions they were very smooth and walked right into the next count. The energy was very upbeat and at some point very intense, where the two groups would encounter each other and try to be the best. The dance itself is really an attention grabber and just anticipating for what is going to happen next. The way the world sees the Jerome Robbins is the way we are fascinated by the new developments created everyday. Robbins is really about dancing that will an impact within the Benosa5 communities. In the words of the man himself he said, “Why can’t we do ballet about our own subjects, meaning our life here in America?” The way he did his work was personal and being true to himself and the way he lived his life and being absolutely sure that the ideas in his head will be introduced. Knowing the community, knowing what you create is good enough and meticulously planning out each and every count and movement made him the icon that he is. There was no intentions of him creating the masterpieces that he would be winning awards for and being recognized from all walks of life. The way he broke boundaries, that the world of dance now strives to be is the reason why his legacy will go
Theater, in our culture, have grown rapidly over the years that it has been occupied. In 17th and 18th centuries, dances were written as record. As our cultural evolved, in 19th and 20th century, dancing became a dance notation. Each era has a different type of dance that related to that period of time. In able for dancers to be organized and taught the moves, they needed some type of teacher, which in our modern we call them a choreographer. A choreographer have the role to design dances, which can also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who designs dances, which can also be called dance composition. Mats Ek is a ballet and Swedish choreographer that creates new elements of movement and expression of dances throughout his life
Literary works are always affected by the times and places in which they are written. Those crafted in Western America often reflect conflicts that occurred between advancing civilization and the free spirited individual. The 1970’s was a particularly popular time for authors to introduce new ideas for living in the modern world. There are few authors who captured the essence and feeling of culture quite like Tom Robbins. Robbins comments on the differences and similarities between Western civilization and Eastern philosophies. His text offers philosophical and cultural meaning that is completely original. Certain beliefs are threaded through out the content of the story. He includes significant content reflecting the laws of physics; how motion and force affect the life process. Through the dialogue and action of his characters, Robbins illustrates how two very different ideals can coexist. Robbins intentions are to expand cultural perspectives and awareness through his novels. His use of metaphors and stylistic diction emphasizes further how thoughtful and awesome his work is. Tom Robbins writing offers an insightful perspective into cultural themes of our modern world.
At the age of two I put ballet shoes on for the first time. At eleven I began touring with performance groups. By age twelve, I knew how to dance through broken toes and fractures.
Kennedy, M., Zusman, M.E., Schacht, C., Knox, D. (2003). The dancer’s gift: Sociology in life. USA: McGraw-Hill’s Custom publishing.
His father abandoned the family when Alvin was a mere six months old, leaving him and his mother with the struggle of fending for themselves. The inability for Alvin’s mother to find work led to their move to California in 1942, where Alvin was introduced by a classmate to the most influential person that would be the foundation for his future successful career in modern dance, Lester Horton (DeFrantz 1). Alvin was captivated by Lester’s work, which focuses on building a strong body, and made the executive decision to start his dance training in 1949 when he was eighteen years old. Because Lester Horton’s dance company embraced diversity, and accepted dancers of all ethnicities and backgrounds, Alvin was given the opportunity to do something great with his One of the first concerts ever produced by his company was titled Blues Suite, which was a well-received depiction of poverty in the deep south set to a soundtrack of blues music. This concert was an integral part in defining Alvin Ailey’s choreography technique, which is loosely based on the technique associated in ballet with strong legs and feet, while still maintaining a more evocative, modern-style torso.
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.
Merce Cunningham was known as a “leader of the American avant-garde whose constant innovation and artistic collaborations expanded the frontiers not only of dance, but also of contemporary visual and performing arts”. His passion and drive to succeed and push boundaries of dance and technology helped him throughout his career and in the building of his own dance establishment, the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. He also worked closely with the composer John Cage, where together they created different, new music. He was one of the most daring choreographers of his time regarding the exploration of technology in dance. He had begun to look into dance film in the 70’s, and further started to choreograph new dances using a computer program named ‘Dance Forms’. He also further created a webcast series where the public were able to view his teaching in the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, and could essentially sit in on the rehearsals
Ballet is one of the world's oldest and newest forms of dance. One man that created new audiences for ballet and mastered the dance to its fullest was none other than George Balanchine. He brought the standard ballet to levels no one has ever seen before. In the world of dance, there have been many wonderful and talented choreographers but Balanchine's work affected the dance world so much that he was a legend long before his death. Not only was he legendary worldwide but also his influenced American Ballet. George Balanchine's unique style of dance created the "American style" of Ballet.
Li’s passion for ballet shows on and off stage through his arabesques, flexibility, fouettés, grande jeté and pirouettes that were nothing less than perfection. I understood that becoming a dancer requires commitment, passion and having a great memory as there’s many moves, routines and ballet terms that you need to learn. When I was performing on stage, I felt free and that I could own the stage as it felt like it was my second home. I also felt complete within myself just as Li felt. To perform on stage, you need to be light and graceful along with connecting to the music using precise steps, poses and formal gestures. The film used dance, music, scenery, and costumes to portray a story characterised by Li’s dance. Classical ballet dancers require the utmost grace and I’ve found that you also need a tremendous level of concentration and memory. This portrays when his choreographer Ben Stevenson asked Li Cunxin to replace the main male role due to an injury on the day of the performance to memorise new dances and perform them in front of an enormous crowd. Many of my performances have been in a group where we all need to be in sync and work together. This film highlighted that in order to become a professional ballet dancer, you have to prepare to work extremely hard no matter how gruelling the schedule is in order to
For the dancer, music and choreography are paramount. The music guides the dancer, and the moves express the music. However, the dance has to start from somewhere.
Alvin Ailey, a dancer born in 1931, founded what is known today as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Born in Texas, Ailey faced intense racism and discrimination growing up. As a result he strove to created a multi-racial company where dancers were judged upon ability and not their race or background. This was groundbreaking since at the time racism led to limited opportunities for African American dancers. At 22 Ailey joined the Horton dance company where he would eventually become the artistic director after Horton’s passing. Ailey founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958. Popularizing modern dance, Ailey became known throughout the world as he traveled internationally with his dance company. Emphasizing the theatricality of dance, Ailey utilized intricate costumes, stunning lighting displays and makeup in his performances. The style of Ailey’s choreography incorporates aligned ballet legs with a more loose, “modern” torso. Ailey choreographed 79 pieces for the company before his death in December of 1989, one of the most acclaimed being Revelations. Revelations was created by Ailey in 1960 and brought fame to the company. The highly acclaimed piece is still preformed today by the company’s dancers. Ailey died of AIDS in 1989 after choreographing countless pieces for his own company and others such as the American Ballet Theater.
For my final project I decided to do a form of dance and that form of dance I chose is ballet. I decided to choose ballet because every since I was a little girl I always admired the how graceful and elegant the dances carried themselves on stage. Throughout growing up I gain knowledge from friends who did ballet and pointe that it is not as glamorous as it is perceived. Ballet dancers go through excruciating lengths to be as elegant they can be on stage and I condemn their strength and persistence to do this form of dance. I believe ballet is one of the most beautiful forms of dance because ballet dancers practice to perfection and on stage you can definitely see how passionate they are about this form of dance.
Some of ballet's greatest contributors are King Louis XIV, Pierre Beauchamps, George Balanchine, and Mikhail Baryshnikov. King Louis XIV was an avid supporter of early ballet. He was also a famous performer. His nick name was “Sun King” because he played the Greek Sun God Apollo in Le Ballet de la Nuitor (The Ballet of the Night). Pierre Beauchamps was the the director of the first ballet school in Paris. He is known as the creatorof the first five basic foot positions and the concept of turnout. These positions are used daily in ballet. George Balanchine was the son of a music composer and the father of contemporary ballet. At the age of nine George was accepted to St. Petersburg Academy to begin his study in music and ballet. He was able to create movements that make ballet look and feel ethereal. Mikhail Baryshnikov is considered one of the best male dancers of the twentieth century. He started dancing professionaly as an early teenager. He danced with the American Ballet Theatre from 1974 to 1978 and he dance with New York City Ballet from 1978 to 1979.
“Dance, the art of precise, expressive, and graceful human movement, traditionally, but not necessarily, performed in accord with musical accompaniment. Dancing developed as a natural expression of united feeling and action.”