Abstract This paper discusses in detail the poem, "Sex Without Love" by Sharon Olds: The mere choreography of sex raises the deepest questions about body, soul, God, love and aloneness. The author believes that although some have interpreted this poem as an argument against casual sex, particularly the kind of casual sex that leads to mothers giving away their unwanted babies, the poem is actually a philosophical meditation on aloneness.
From the Paper ""How do they do it, the ones who make love/without love"? The use of "the ones" seems to separate them out into a separate race, almost non-human, perhaps uniquely gifted. The first line ends on the word "love"?ironically, because she is talking about the lack of love. The next line emphasizes that irony, beginning with ?without love.? By repeating love, and because of the lovely rhythm of "love without love" we are already taken right into the heart of this contradictory poem, which brings us passion, God, love, sweat, ecstasy?and yet all the while talking about sex and the body, shorn of any other meaning."
Abstract The paper relates that during the Renaissance period, dance acquired a great importance both as a social practice and as an emerging art in the form of ballet. The paper relates that this period is very important in the history of dance because it marked the beginning of women's participation in dancing activities. The paper notes that the choreography of the various types of dances reflected the main ethical principles of the Renaissance society and thus transformed dancing from a merely physical exercise to an artistic practice that was highly educative.
From the Paper "During the Renaissance period, dance acquired a great importance both as a social practice and as an emerging art, in the form of ballet. The main dance treatises that appeared during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries by music masters such as Guglielmo Ebreo of Pesaro, Thoinot Arbeau and Fabritio Caroso contained descriptions of the types of social dances and ballets with their respective choreographies, drawings, musical excerpts and dance tablatures. Such treatises like Ebreo of Pesaro's On the Practice or Art of Dancing or Arbeau's Orchesographie are not only guiding manuals for dancing, but also good documentary sources for the ethics, aesthetics and social etiquette specific to the sixteenth century."
Tags:choreography, ballet, social, etiquette, ethics, theaters, art
This paper discusses the differences and similarities of two worlds of theater: ancient and modern, with specific references to history and playwrights of each period.
2,370 words (approx. 9.5 pages), 10 sources, 2001, $ 72.95
Abstract This paper looks at the many similarities that exist between modern American theater, and the theater of ancient Greece. The author focuses on elements such as costumes, scenery, properties, music, and choreography, drama festivals. The paper examines numerous playwrights, including Aeschylus, Eugene O'Neill, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, the poet Homer, and their works, respectively. Emphasis is put on Greek and modern tragedy.
From the Paper "Ancient Greek theater and modern theater today have many similarities including way of writing, clothing worn by actors and more, but they also have many differences. In the next few pages, I will explain how these two totally different time periods are really more alike than they seem while showing you their distinct differences too. Theater is a diverse and complex art. It requires collaboration among many artists, craftspeople, and managers in order to create a performance for audiences. Since the time of ancient Greeks, theatrical events have included such production elements as costumes, scenery, properties, music, and choreography. Lighting and sound are additions that are more recent. Each element in today's theater has its own designer, composer, or choreographer who collaborates with the director to focus the audience's attention on the actor in the special environment or seeing place."
Abstract In this 15 page paper the author takes a look at the attacks on the World Trade Center. He begins the examination by looking at how the media dealt with the event and the effect that this has had on people ? was it really necessary to show so much detail? Was the media coverage sensationalizing? The author moves on to examine the ethics of reporting and looks at the various debates that are currently going on concerning this issue. The author concludes with a specific look at the way the media works during times of war and makes reference to the Gulf War, The Israeli/Palestinian Conflict and Afghanistan and talks of the media acting as a visual conduit.
From the paper:
"Who can forget the graceful turn of the massive jet as it turned to slam into the second tower, and the massive fireball that plumed outward" There are some pictures that change the world, like the photograph of Kim Phuc at My Lai?a little girl in flames and running. The image of Americans leaping to their death from the upper floors of the towers is like that, and the chilling choreography of their free fall was captured on film as they plummeted to their death rather than endure the agony of burning up.?
Abstract The paper first cites the strengths of the film; namely, the romantic score and the appropriate choreography. It then goes on to list the weaknesses of the film; namely, the controversy regarding the quality of acting and direction. Finally, the paper presents an opinion on the worth of the film as a representation of Shakespeare's play.
From the Paper "The movie had everything going for it. Director Max Reinhardt had staged the play in England, and in the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. He was familiar with the magical qualities of the play, and wanted to bring its message to American filmgoers. ?This message, as he saw it, was that fantasy can always provide us a refuge from "stark reality"" (Magill). He used the lush and romantic music of Felix Mendelssohn, and choreography to bring out the magic of the fairies in the forest."
Tags: cinema film-version movie Mickey Rooney James Cagney, Olivia de Havilland
From the Paper "Between 1912 and 1916, Vaslav Nijinsky choreographed four works for the Ballets Russes. These works (L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune, Jeux, Le Sacre Du Printemps, and Til Eulenspiegel) were radical innovations in the world of dance choreography. Serge Diaghilev, the director of the Ballets Russes, had a strong influence on this contribution by Nijinsky. In addition to making Nijinsky a star, Diaghilev provided the young dancer with his first opportunity to work as a choreographer. Diaghilev was a teacher and homosexual lover to Nijinsky, as well as his employer. The influence of Diaghilev on Nijinsky's career was so powerful, it can be said that he served as "a kind of father figure" to the dancer. In fact, Diaghilev tended to provide this role for most of the young male artists that he worked with. By introducing young dancers to artistic ... "
A look at the choreography style, innovations, techniques, influences, public reactions, themes and plots of the ballets "L'Apres-Midi D'un Faune" and "Jeux".
4,275 words (approx. 17.1 pages), 14 sources, 1993, $ 135.95
From the Paper "This paper will discuss Nijinsky's choreography style, as seen in the ballets L'Apres.Midi D'un Faune and Jeux. Vaslav Nijinsky was born in 1889 or 1890 in the Russian town of Kiev. As a child, he was admitted to the Imperial School of Ballet where he soon established himself as a brilliant dancer. In 1909, he joined the Ballets Russes, which was run by Serge Diaghilev. Nijinsky became an international star in his work with the Ballets Russes, and he remained with the troupe until 1913. In 1919, Nijinsky's career was cut short when he suffered a nervous breakdown. He remained in sanitariums until his death in 1950.
During his relatively short career, Nijinsky choreographed only four works for the stage. L'Apres.Midi D'un Faune (1912) and Jeux (1913) were both based on the music of the French..."
Abstract This paper discusses how Maya Deren, born Eleanora Derenkowsky on April 29, 1917 in Kiev, Ukraine, has been referred to as the high priestess of experimental cinema. It looks at how, although she was a dancer, choreographer, poet, writer and photographer, she is still considered a pioneer not only in experimental filmmaking, but also a voice for the feminist film community. It examines how, as a pioneer of American avant-garde cinema, Deren's legacy is both abstract and tangible and how her innovations in filmmaking continue to fascinate aspiring experimental filmmakers. It shows how her pioneering, uncompromising spirit enabled her to elude the institutional limitations that controlled filmmaking in 1940's American culture.
From the Paper "Another of Deren's experimental films, A Study in Choreography for the Camera, was filmed in 1945. Deren's 16mm Bolex camera becomes a performer equal in significance to the star of this film. (Talley Beattey) In the opening sequence, Deren's camera rotates more than 360 degrees, scanning past the figure in movement. In this film Deren articulates the potential for transcendence through dance and ritual. The movement of the dancer does not always motivate the camera, so Deren's visual expression remains free- floating. The spaces linked in this film range from the interior of a museum to the forest and courtyard. Deren writes, ?The movement of the dancer creates a geography that never was. With a turn of the foot, he makes neighbors of distant places.? As Beattey spins, he appears to develop more than one face, forming an illusion of a totem pole."
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 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 "Blast!", the musical, grew from the award-winning drum-and-bugle corps Star of Indiana, founded in 1984 to benefit young people in music education. Star moved beyond its earlier triumphs to bring the power, passion and precision of outdoor pageantry to the stage in a musical performance that is now called "Blast!" This paper shows that by merging drum corps's pageantry, marching precision and instrumental virtuosity with the repertoire, props, costuming, staging, dance moves, and special effects of musical theater, "Blast!" made its world premiere in December of 1999 at the London Apollo Theatre. The paper explores the jazz and African-American roots of this musical.
From the Paper "Musically, jazz, African music, and Blast! share a number of similarities. All three depend heavily on brass and percussion and incorporate a multitude of instruments, both conventional and unconventional. In traditional African music, persistent and repetitive percussion is the general base for whatever other vocal or instrumental effects may be created against it. Drums, rattles, sticks, stones, iron gongs and bells may all be used separately or simultaneously to produce a series of intricate syncopated rhythms, often very complex in beat and off-beat, and possessing a dynamic drive impelling to body movement."
Abstract Dance therapy is the use of choreographed or improvised movement as a way of treating social, emotional, cognitive, and physical problems. This paper examines the benefits of dance theory to the patient and how the treatment works.
Paper Outline:
Introduction
The Realm of Dance Therapy
The Solutions that Dance Therapy Provides
Conclusion
Bibliography
From the Paper "The state of the different components of our body can affect and influence how we emotionally and physically feel (Wholehealthmd Online). This is usually connected to the tensions and patterns of muscles (Wholehealthmd Online). Since movement is a form of relaxing our body, especially our muscles, the effect of movements found in dance can help in treating our body."
Abstract In this paper, the writer discusses that the Baile, Egyptian Cabaret, and Nritta represent a cross-cultural connection in world dance, which embodies the love that men and women share for each other. In this manner, the religious idioms of the cultures described here represent the manner of movement that depicts love, but through the sacred ideals of commitment and love. The writer points out that although these differ slightly in the accompaniment of dancers, or in the stylistics of the choreography, there is a archetypal cultural unifier that relates the desire and higher love of men and women across the world.
From the Paper "This study examines the multi-cultural aspects of "divine love" in Kathak, Middle Eastern, and Flamenco dancing. Within these dances there is a greater blend of different cultural values that make up each of the formats of these dances. In this manner, the chain of influence upon the Kathak, Middle Eastern, and Flamenco dances offer a multi-cultural depiction of how dance is not created within the limitations of geographical boundaries. By understanding the cultural similarities based in these dances, one can realize the power of movement that is a commonality within the religious and divine nature of love. The Kathak dance is a religiously based dance that formally uses the divinity of love for Indian gods, and their dance in the Cosmos."
Abstract This paper discusses how the movie "Chicago" introduces Roxie Hart (Renee Zelwegger) and Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones) as two examples of femmes fatales, whose stories are based on real facts. It examines how "Chicago" describes the making, the rise and the fall of two femmes fatales, through the choreographies, schemes, song lyrics and symbols.
From the Paper "A femme fatale is usually defined as "sexually insatiable" and as a "sort of sexual vampire". Roxie here fits the portrait as she commits a crime following her liaison with a salesman and after her medical appointment with a doctor it is obvious she has had sexual intercourse with him, involving him in her scheme by asking him to declare under oath that she is pregnant when in fact she is not. The fact that Roxie uses such an excuse as that of being pregnant as a way of winning her trial is stooping low judging from the declarations she makes to the press: "Well I just want to say that nothing more matters now than the life of my unborn child". "
Abstract This paper analyzes "Achterland," written by Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker. It discusses film techniques, camera placement and the motivation behind the piece, all from the filmmaker's perspective. The paper then examines the dance technique and choreographic standards. Finally, the paper looks at how "Achterland" portrays gender roles and feminism in fine arts.
From the Paper "Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker's piece Achterland is an award-winning dance film featuring male and female dancers that clearly express the struggle for equality between men and women. The music includes Eight Studies for the Piano by Gyorgy Liegeti and Trois Sonates pour Violon Seul by Eugene Ysaye."
"Filmed onstage with de Keersmaeker behind the camera, viewers are given a great insight into what de Keersmaeker's true artistic vision is. The camera is guided to frame and stress certain aspects of her choreography. It is interestingly done so (i.e. focusing on random body parts) that the viewer is forced to focus on certain things that may not have caught attention otherwise. I was often left wondering if there were specific movements or body parts to focus on, but at times it just seemed like an artistic choice with no real motivation."
