Abstract This paper gives an overview of the physical, social, emotional, and financial hardships that a professional ballet dancer must endure throughout his or her career.
From the Paper "One of the hallmarks of good ballet dancing is the seemingly effortless grace of the performers. Particularly, the high-level dancers of a ballet company elevate movement to an art in motion, almost in defiance of the laws of gravity, and in direct distain to the limitations of the average human body. For these ?prima ballerinas,? balance, range of motion, and control of muscle, borders on the miraculous?for to see them execute a grand jete (a running, jumping split), or a flawless grand battement (a kind of controlled kick), can conjure nothing short of slack-jawed awe."
Abstract This paper presents a brief biography of the dancer, Isadora Duncan, as well as a description of her philosophy of the dance form. The paper also discusses her influence on and contribution to modern dance.
From the Paper "Duncan's personal success as a dancer should not diminish what is perhaps her greater contribution, her success as a teacher and a creator of her own tradition. She began her first school in Grunewald, Germany in 1904, selecting children from the poorer classes and providing completely for all their physical and materials need from her own pocket. Later, she established schools in both Russia and Paris. Interestingly enough, these schools are proudly proclaimed as providing an unbroken legacy of tradition with their founders. ?The existence of Isadora's dances lies in the transmission of the choreographies from one dancer to another in an unbroken line of generations of Duncan dancers,? writes Lori Belivoe in the periodical and press release of the foundation that bears Isadora's name. (Belivoe, Isadora Duncan Foundation for Contemporary Dance, "Isadora Duncan Legacy and Schools") Duncan's indefinable, inexact balance between classicism and personal, inner artistic poetic expression manifested in dance thus became a "tradition" in and of itself."
Abstract This paper examines how dance's relationship to the healing forces in ritual is at the heart of the question of how we understand the healing power of ritual. It analyses the peformative approach, as exemplified in V. Turners work, before going on to consider the in-depth case study of the Khita healing cult among the Yaka. It also argues for a dialectical approach to the roles of poles in dancing.
From the Paper "In such a social drama, the place of the symbols involved is that of a displacement that works by signifying ? there is no emphasis on symbolisation as process. This has implications for how we understand dance. Dance then, can occupy a positional place within this world, but only as a disguised expression of the social. This is also the case with other elements of the senses and the emotions. In the Nkula cult, the rich social drama includes the placing of initiate's belongings and excreta into a calabash with a figure made of a red tree ? this figure is made by men. For Turner, this indicates men asserting their domination over reproduction ? the importance of the red blood tree us worked out positionally, as metaphor only has meaning in the transference from other domains of cosmology."
Abstract This report presents an analytically critical paper regarding the trends of the entertainment industry, with a main focus on the drama and theater industry. The paper addresses the topic decisively, attempting to find reasons and supporting arguments for why the loss of media like the theater industry reflects on human nature. The paper also tries to show that the basic premise of the theater industry is in dire straits, and that position should become a common concern for society. Furthermore, this report attempts to develop sound reasoning in support of the conclusion that the overall change or shifts in the mode of entertainment in the last 20 years make it difficult for the drama and theater industry to maintain its standing in the entertainment community. Finally, the report tries to show what society wants and why, suggesting that, as today's younger generation continues to be driven the Internet, cell phones, and satellite television, a lack of human contact and the development of the computer age have been too strong an influence and that people have a combination of more interesting, yet at the same time, more stressful lives.
Drama and Attendance
Audience and Fan Base
9/11 -- New York
Introducing Children to the Theatre
Alternatives to Theatre and Violence
Today's News
From the Paper "The theater has outgrown its role as a palace for vaudeville performances. This report is an attempt to show what society wants and why it the theatre industry is not capable of meeting those needs and expectations. As today's younger generation continues to be driven by reality TV shows, Microsoft messenger chat capability, cell phones that take pictures and satellite TV with over a thousand channels of nothing, this report proposes that a lack of human contact and the development of the computer age continue to strangle our ability to interact with one another. The medium of live theatre no longer meets the needs of a population that have a combination of a more interesting yet at the same time more stressful life."
Abstract This paper examines how European and American theatrical dance had always centered on ballet until the early 20th century, when it became fashionable in dance circles to rebel against the strictures of tradition. It looks at how modern dance, which resembles modern art and music in that it is experimental and iconoclastic, developed primarily in the United States and Germany. It discusses how, in the beginning, modern dance was often misunderstood by audiences and how, by the 1950s, modern dance was firmly established in the dance world. It also shows how modern dance is said to be based on the four principles of substance, dynamism, metakinesis, and form, and how, due to the creative efforts of the modern dance pioneers, dancers today use a broader range of techniques, styles, and source materials than ever before.
From the Paper "The first American dancers to break from classical ballet were Isadora Duncan, Loie Fuller, and Ruth St. Denis (Modern pp). Although their styles differed, their unconventional approaches opened the door to a new era in dance history, namely the American modern dance movement of the 1920's (Modern pp). Those involved in this movement based their works on personal experience, using their bodies as instruments to express emotions such as passion, fear, grief or joy (Modern pp). The dancer created form as an outgrowth of his or her own communicative impulses, rather than adhering to the set form and limited range of gestures of ballet (Modern pp)."
Abstract Recently, there has been much controversy surrounding "Stamping Ground", an Aboriginal-inspired piece choreographed by Jiri Kylian. The debate focuses on what Jiri Kylian took from the Aboriginal culture and if it was, indeed, an imitation. To explore this issue in fuller detail, this paper presents insight into Jiri Kylian and the Aboriginal culture. Based on these findings, the paper argues that Jiri Kylian has not imitated Aboriginal dance in "Stamping Ground"; if he had, it would be regarded by the Aboriginal community as a theft.
From the Paper "The jumps in Stamping Ground were also quieter, less impact noise on the surface. Aboriginals tend to exhibit a great deal of energy and aggression in their dances that is accompanied by a tremendous amount of sound, whereas the first half hour of Stamping Ground is performed with no music at all. Most importantly, the major difference observed between the work of Jiri Kylian and the Aboriginals is the number of people involved in the dance. The Aboriginals always perform in groups, in Stamping Ground, the majority of the time only one dancer is performing. There are at most three performers on stage at any time (Road to the Stamping Ground)."
Abstract This paper discusses the Indian culture's mask dance. The paper explains that the nation of India has a long history associated with dance as a form of communication and expression. The paper contends that dances are more than just a fusion of choreographic movements; dance in India represents a way of telling tales of historical events, passion, romance, and even tales of treachery and woe.
From the Paper "Dance in the culture has always represented some of the more inner reflections regarding the country's combination of historical turbulence mixed with the nation's religious and inner peace oriented factions such as Hinduism. "The Arts of India are the illustration of the religious life of the Hindus. Like their faith, the arts have been preserved for the past three thousand years, from change and decay, from foreign invasions, and from the fury of the nature. We owe its preservation to the future generations. For, it exemplifies how life can indeed revolve around the arts." (Kamat, 2004) In other words, dance in Indian culture is seen as more than just a fusion of detailed and non-meaningful movements; it is more a system for delivering aspects of the culture to the masses."
Abstract This paper examines and compares the erotic court dances of the 14th century Javanese culture and today's local folk-dancers, ronggeng. The paper explains that, in addition to expressing the age-old dichotomy between the masculine and feminine principles, Javanese dance is also useful in preserving what the Javanese believed would be lost through colonialism, their culture. The paper claims that the first schools of classical Javanese dance were founded out of a desire to retain and maintain the true Javanese culture, with its Hindu and Buddhist elements.
From the Paper "Two sons of a Javanese sultan, both of whom were nationalists, founded a dance school, Kridha Beksa Wirama, in 1918. Moro notes that the school was "groundbreaking" as it was the first effort to make court dance democratic, and less 'feudal.' Its first students were the youth affiliates of Budi Utomo, the first nationalist organization in the region. However, because members in these somewhat avant garde groups were primarily aristocrats, the elite continued to have a hold over the arts. Still, graduates of that school went on to teach in the Taman Siswa schools, a system dating to 1922 that " linked education and experimental pedagogy to the goals of Indonesian nationalism" (Moro, 2004)."
Abstract This paper examines the dance styles of Ruth St. Denis and her student, Charles Weidman, who went on to found his own school of dance. The paper examines how Denis influenced Weidman and how his style differed from hers. The paper also discusses why Denis's style was so appropriate to the 1920s, and Weidman's style suited the 1930s.
From the Paper "Ruth St. Denis, born Ruthie Dennis, was the greatest dancer of the 1920s, and her former student Charles Weidman was one of the most important dancers of the 1930s. Their respective aims and styles are in many ways divergent, partly as a result of the eras in which each dancer reached his/her artistic peak. Of the dancers' respective troupes, Pattie Jordens writes that while "Denishawn developed modern dance in America, Humphrey-Weidman made modern dance American". Ruth St. Denis created entertaining, artistic dances popular across all portions of society. She explored the exoticism and spirituality of Eastern countries, creating gorgeous spectacles well-suited to the Roaring Twenties. Charles Weidman left St. Denis' troupe shortly before the crash of the stock market, so his technique developed in a society to which extravagance and foreign deities were not suited. Weidman's dancing represents the experience of men and women in twentieth century America."
Abstract This paper discusses the hip-hop culture that originated in the United States in response to the oppression of African-Americans. This paper explains that this art form is therefore deeply integrated with the social consciousness from which it arose. The paper examines how other cultures adopted this art form and then illustrates the subsequent implications.
From the Paper "On the surface, there are four physical aspects that can be attributed to hip-hop as a culture. These include deejaying, breakdancing, graffiti and rhyming. These, according to, Richardson, are not the heart of the culture. Instead, the central message is the platform from which the technical, teachable aspects arise. The message relates directly to the struggle, the poverty, the oppression and the hardship suffered by the African Americans who were refused the rights of other Americans as a result of their skin color. This is a very specific group of people who created a specific culture. The technical aspects merely exist as an outlet for a specific kind of creativity."
Abstract This paper looks at the life and contributions of Gregory Hines, one of the most highly acclaimed choreographers, dramatic and comic actors, singers and directors of his time. It explains how his childhood and upbringing helped him develop the unique form of tap-dancing which became his trademark. The writer also mentions several of the shows that Hines was involved in.
From the Paper "The "Pied Piper of modern tap", Gregory Hines, died of liver cancer, on August 9th, 2003, at age 57, in Los Angeles. When he died, "the shock reverberated through a number of worlds (because) he had shone in so many ways" (Jowitt). Gregory Hines was not only a superb dancer, actor, director, and choreographer, but was also a major figure in the revitalization of tap dancing in the late 20th century, in America ("Hines, Gregory"). He was "noted for his virtuosity, rhythm, and expressive style, and was credited with having modernized the form and facilitated its return to motion pictures" ("Hines, Gregory Oliver"). In his honor, the lights of Broadway were dimmed three days after his untimely death (Brennan). It was a memorial to one of the most gifted artists to have ever graced Broadway."
Abstract This paper examines how, since his first dance routine more than half a century ago, Paul Taylor has become one of the world's most popular and respected choreographers. His works are performed by companies throughout the globe. Taylor has created more than 150 dance pieces. It also discusses how his style is unique and how he is often seen as a distinctly American artist.
From the Paper "As has been mentioned, central to works was the focus on the experiences of common human emotion. The works that he produces are essentially about the way that people feel and interact in relation to the social intuitions around them. The use of body language in his works includes a wide range of both physical motion and creative imagination. Most important in these works is the focus on the human condition. His style is based on the underlying basis of dance as the expression of human existence and experience."
Abstract This paper explains that as a dance form, Samba was rooted in the African heritage of the slaves the Portuguese brought to till the lands of their newest conquest, Brazil. Ripe in their own culture, the slaves outwitted their keepers by celebrating their own culture under the guise of party and dance; popular continued dedication to the holy forms of traditional culture invoked the preservation of the sensual dance form. The writer points out that as the world scene grew more international and Brazil developed its own government separate of the European thrones, Samba was encouraged on a national level for patriotic reasons, spread internationally for the beauty that had been suppressed for centuries, supporting its power to overcome racial segregation through simple movements.
From the Paper "The power-hungry political motivations of Vargas did not detract from the many advances he made in the country and the society as a whole; his attention to the power of the people remains unvanquished. By providing financial and governmental support to those dedicated enough to the dance of Samba, he achieved not only an image of native power but also succeeded in popularizing a culture that had been ignored and suppressed by its rulers for centuries. Vargas played upon the political theme that Brazil was a racial democracy, where Afro-Brazilian heritage could not only be accepted but received the honor it was due."
Abstract This paper discusses Isadora Duncan's book "My Life" and her life in relationship to 'Section I' of Walt Whitman's poem "Song of the Open Road", which Duncan professes to be her favorite poem, probably because it reveals Duncan's specific philosophies of freedom and dance. The author points out that, in her life as a mother, a lover and a wife and her work as a dancer, who developed modern dance, Duncan broke away from conventional views seeking freedom from social and professional taboos and constraints.
The paper stresses that nature is Duncan's source of technique and dance content in which she expresses unbound freedom through her use of arms and upper body movements combined with simple steps, a style which Duncan intended to be the divine expression through the body of the human spirit.
From the Paper "The fourth stanza in "Open Road" moves on to a depiction of nature, as well as acceptance. The sufficiency that he finds in nature feeds the poet's freedom. Isadora Duncan finds in the freedom of nature the freedom of her inner expression. She was born at the seaside: "...I have noticed that all the great events of my life have taken place by the sea. My first idea of movement, of the dance, certainly came from the rhythm of the waves." Thus the freedom and movement that make up the radical free-form dance style that was Duncan's invention, are profoundly inspired by the sea. Again, the restriction placed upon her by the public school is sharply juxtaposed by the afternoons when she danced and played next to the sea. Duncan is also much influenced by the stars and astrology."
Abstract This paper explains that the Lion Dancing is a unique art form from China traditionally thought to bring happiness, good luck, prosperity and longevity. The author points out that the Lion Dance is performed during celebrations such as the Chinese New Year and the August Moon Festival and at grand openings of restaurants, martial arts school and other businesses. The paper relates that it might have originated during the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD) when, according to legend, the emperor dreamt he was attacked by demons but was saved by a mysterious creature, a lion.
Table of Contents:
Lion Dancing and Revolution
Elements of Lion Dancing
Lion Dancing Routines
Choi Chiang "Get the Green"
From the Paper "Lion dancing has long been associated with kung fu, an association that dates back to the Ching dynasty, when revolutionary martial artists used the dance as a secret means of communication. Under the guise of celebration, revolutionary martial artists traveled from village to village performing the lion dance. As part of the routine the dancing lion woould eat lettuce which often contained money and information hidden within its leaves. In revolutionary days, the dancer holding the lion's head would cry out choi ching ("get the Ching") to signal that he was a fellow revolutionary and could receive secret messages. Of course, any Ching informers present would know the dancer's intention upon hearing the battlecry. Since ching was very close in sound to chiang (meaning green, as in lettuce and money), the lion dancer's password became choi chiang or "get the green.""
