The article, “You Have To Love Dancing To Stick To It”, written by Merce Cunningham was exceptionally relatable amongst the group discussion with the dancers. The structure of this article was much like a poem. Depending upon the reader, each section could be broken down into different ideas. Merce Cunninhams’s background consist of beginning as a tap dancer, studying with Martha Graham, and commenced the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in 1953. He choreographed pieces outside of the theater and collaborated on filmdances, videodances, and instrumental in the development of computer programs for dance (90). Referring back to his choreographic skills, Cunningham is an artist that not everyone enjoyed. His focus was directed to seperating the human being from their actions. …show more content…
The mind can say how beautiful as the music hints at or strikes out with color” (91). She then argued that music and dance can be seen from two different perspectives. Just as Merce Cunningham said, “dancing does not have anything to do with the music.” Dancers have the ability to move against the music and create a different story than what the music portrays. With this being said, Joy agreed to Savage’s statement saying most dancers are not influenced by music, which is true. Relating back to our floor phrase in modern, we were instructed to move on our own time and not with the music. I was not influenced by the music, but by the way the set movement made my body move through the space whether it was carried with momentum or fluidity. Agreeing with this statement, I also added, “As I perform, I am dancing for myself, and not for others around me.”, meaning I do not permit the music to influence my movement, but I allow it to move my body through the space different than others because not every one moves the
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.
In the dance world a staggering number of choreographers have made a lasting impact on the way dance is seen to its audience. Alonzo King’s exceptional oeuvre of work includes him in this great history of significant choreographers. He not only created the link between modern and ballet in the twentieth century, but he bridged the ...
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
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.
As a society, we are constantly pairing things together in hopes of enhancing them: apple pie and ice cream, Indians and cowboys, and most relevant to this paper, music and dance. In an art form like ballet, it seems as though music and dance complement each other equally. Truly, it is hard to picture, or perform, a dance without music. However, this may not be the case for music, even if that music is composed specifically for a dance routine. The compilation of the music and the dancing from a scene in the American cowboy ballet Rodeo will be examined to ultimately help us understand the way in which they serve each other as a unit and their ability to function independently.
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
The dance cannot exist with music alone; the choreography helps complete the dance. Choreography often involves learning dance from other dancers, or learning a new type of dance to make the existing one more exciting. Going beyond the normal boundary increases the chance that the dance will effectively intertwine the music and choreography, so the dance will go beyond the original idea. Shadowing neurosurgeon Dr. Norgran in high school and pulmonologist Dr. Yaeger in college, has given me a new perspective on going into a career in medicine. These people helped me to see that I would have to be willing to alter the music of my life in order to finish the dance of a medical career.
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 ...
Every dance that is created by a choreographer has a meaning and or purpose behind it. The dance choreographed could be used to send a political, emotional, or a social message. Regardless of the message being sent, each dance created possesses a unique cultural and human significance. This essay will examine and analyze two dance works from history and give an insight into what each dance work provided to the society of its time.
In the age of conformity, Merce Cunningham has resisted the temptation to remain aligned with his peers. Cunningham has pioneered a new school of thought in dance, and has set the standard for future pioneers. He is passionate about what he does and it has been evident in his works as a dancer and a choreographer.
Dancing is a tremendously difficult task. That is why all dancers must have a mind mentally
Merce Cunningham’s work is still relevant today because it reiterates Cunningham’s beliefs of keeping dance and music separate. Cunningham and Cage believed that dance and music should co-exist independently from each other while simultaneously being performed at the same time. Even though they often used the same mediums for inspiration (in the case of Roaratorio, it was “Finnegan’s Wake”), each component of their art was different from each other and complimented the other at the same time. Cunningham was a pioneer who broke away from the traditions of ballet and modern. Contemporary artists can learn to separate the stereotypes of dance and challenge the strict rules that are associated with it.
Jonas, Gerald. Dancing: The Pleasure, Power, and Art of Movement. New York: Abrams, 1992. Print.
[6] Cohen, Selma Jeanne. International Encyclopedia of Dance: A Project of Dance Perspectives Foundation, Inc. New York: Oxford UP, 1998. Print.
“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.”