I had the pleasure of being in Western Kentucky University Dance Department’s concert, An Evening of Dance. The performance took place on April 29th through May 2nd in Russel Miller Theatre. It consisted of many works from faculty and guest artists. I felt like the concert was a success and that the choreography was all unique in its own way. I enjoyed the pieces that I performed, and the ones that my fellow company members were in. Through the analysis of “Petrichor”, I found that each production and chorographic element plays a large part in the successful outcome of a dance and emotional responses can be evoked by the simplest ideas. “Petrichor” was choreographed by Kylene Stephens and set on five dancers. Each dancer in the piece had a …show more content…
The dancers did not seem defeated, but slightly emotionally disconnected. I felt like this signified the exhaustion that comes while waiting for the rain. There were several positions that were held in the first part of the dance. I also noticed that flicking motions were a motif in the dance, whether that be from their wrists or their ankles. Morgan Moore first showed this motif as she held her leg up in a tilted position and stared down at the sheet below her. She began to flick her wrists which not only reminded me of one who is flicking the rain off their fingertips, but it looked like a begging …show more content…
Hope, desperation, relief, and joy were the emotional aspects that I grasped onto during the piece. While there was not a literal story, it was relatable and real. The dance was visually beautiful, because the lighting, costumes, silk, and choreography worked together to create a picture of water. Yet, the music and idea behind the dance gave the intense and emotional aspect. Each of these elements worked together to create a piece that was mesmerizing and light
The theatre is full of young men and women. The gas lanterns dimly light the room and the silhouette of a figure can be seen in the shadows of the stage. As she emerges, she is like a dream: a tall, elegant body with a form fitting bodice and tutu. She is entrancing on her tiny pointe shoes as she floats across the stage. Love and passion fill the air as she moves in such a way that is almost magical. The Romantic Ballet Period introduced the aspects of theme, costume, and new technique to the dance world and its influences are still seen in contemporary works in ballet.
Upon the dancer’s departure, “the dancer, who though older was still languid and full of grace, reached out and tapped me with two fingers on the cheek, turned, and walked away” (185). Krauss uses this odd gesture by the dancer helps reinforce the strange quirks of the dancer and the author’s thought of the gesture containing “something condescending in it, even meant to humiliate” (185). The use of the words, “languid and full of grace” continues to strengthen the narrator’s fascination in the dancers beauty but also how the narrator feels uncomfortable with her interactions with the dancer. After the narrator’s encounter with the dancer, she walks by a crowded park “until a cry rang out, pained and terrified, an agonizing child’s cry that tore into[her] as if it were an appeal to [her] alone” (186). The author’s use of the painful and terrifying cry reintroduces the theme of a screaming child from the first passage which reinforces the author’s incapability to manager her guilt. The use of the word “agonizing” in this context suggests the overwhelming amount of guilt the author contains but in form as a youthful shrilling scream. Towards the end of the short story, the agonizing
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.
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.
It is full of romance, chaos, and excitement, all at the same time. This piece also takes lots of skill to play because it is so unique. The piece also has broad appeal. It is different from most classical compositions, which makes it something that stands out to the audience, and makes it something that they will listen to. Another thing that this work is filled with is emotion, variety, and imagination.
...y conveyed a story based on the musical components. Through, pitch, duration, tempo, timbre, dynamics, tecture, rests, structure and mood at different parts, Harlem Shake conveyed a desensitized depiction of gang warfare in the rough Harlem district of New York during the 1920s. Perhaps the lack of emotion tries to convey a darker message. Indeed, an emotion that accepts tragedy and evil as reality because it has always been present. Yet, instead of ignoring the evil, acknowledging it and finding the positive out of it may help deal with the issue: Dancing.
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 ...
During the performance, the principle of spacing was demonstrated when the dancers scattered themselves across the stage and used excellent spacing. As each scene approached, they respectfully stationed themselves in their allotted positions. Never was the stage oddly spaced or bare. Also, the core principle of dance was demonstrated by using rhythm/time. This referred to the speed of moment of the dancers.
The next work of the program, Courtly Airs and Dances, is a multi-movement work composed by Ron Nelson. The piece is split into six movements: Intrada, Basse Danse, Pavane, Saltarello, Sarabande, and Allemande. Each of these present distinct characteristics that separate it from each other movement, yet all are united by being a style of dance. The first movement, Intrada, presents a fanfare-like opening to the multi-movement work. The trumpets and brass section as a whole lead this, as they create a sense of nobility. The key is major and the tempo is one that could be described as allegretto—it is not a fast tempo, yet more brisk than an andante pace. The texture is homophonic, as there are different parts being performed by different
The sadness and seriousness of the dance is expressed by the color tones in the costumes and lighting. The whole scheme is dark and neutral; there is no color throughout the whole piece. The lighting the entire time is very dim. The background is completely black and a very dim light is shined on the dancers when they are dancing. This makes the tone very somber, and when paired with the music and costumes, really makes the entire mood of the dance come together. The costumes are very plain and simple. They are sleeveless tank tops and gaucho pants for the men, and a plain long brown dress for the girls. It should also be noted that they are barefoot, and have no accessories on. The choice of these costumes sets a realistic backdrop. Additionally, these costumes demonstrate their lack of individuality and freedom since they are all wearing identical
The sequence starts with a woman who is part of the Dead searching frantically for something, shown through her facing the audience and bringing her hands towards them, then breaking down sorrowfully. A man from the Dead then joins her and they embrace, performing a series of lifts. This symbolises the bond between the characters and the emotional connection they share. The dance then turns into hiding and ducking movements as the couple tries to escape from an unseen force. Accompanied again by the dripping sound, the Dead perform reaching, circular movements, as if attempting to escape. The woman performs her movements with a sense of sorrow, focussed on the man, as if she knows he is going to be
Steve Paxton: Speaking of Dance – Conversations with Contemporary Masters of American Modern Dance. Academic Internet Video. Directed by Douglas Rosenberg. Oregon: Alexander Street Press, 1996.
After I began to learn to dance ballet, I found out that these elegant movements actually require a lot of strength, flexibility of the bodies and brain’s participation to make it looked elegant. The dancers’ movements in the performance were so fluent and elegant and it is not hard to imagine how hard they had practiced, stretched and use the strengths to do all the ballet poses with their bodies look longer and longer. Their expressions also impressed me a lot. By looking at their expressions, the audience can easily understand the scenes and blend into the story. The performers actually not only are required to have good dancing skills but also are required to have some talents to be actors. Moreover, they also have to be good at expressing their feelings on the
I was able to sit in the auditorium for the technical runs with the chief technician, stage manager, conductor, projectionist, choreographer and the company directors. During this time I was witness to some of the discussions had by the choreographers and the other company members. For instance during the rehearsal of Yabin Wang’s M-Dao I was able to observe the artistic director, Tamara Rojo, as she gave feedback and suggestions on the choreography. One suggestion was that the ‘husband’ should be more obvious about noticing and watching the ‘young wife’ as she enters. This was to ensure the audience made the connection that this new woman is the reason behind his rejection of ‘Medea’. Moreover at the end of the piece silks are used to represent Medea’s dead children. Initially the dancer playing Medea draped the silks over her head and around her neck but this confused the imagery of the silks. Rojo suggested changing this to a more specific way to hold a child, such as cradling the silk to her chest, to resonate more with the audience. As someone who is interested in pursuing choreography I found observing these conversations really informative. I was intrigued by Rojo’s understanding of what a prospective audience would understand from these scenes and how she wanted to make sure they were able
Also, the performers are constituted with same number of men and women. They imply the importance of equality through the performance. The female and male dancers use the same movements to show that they are equal. The message being conveyed here is important, on the grounds of its social influence and giving the whole performance a deeper meaning. The thing makes dancing different and odd to other occupations is the fact that most famous and well known dancers are mostly females, since on other social circumstances males tend to dominate more realms. Here, besides all the female masters, the male dancers appear as much as the female artists do and they also showcase what they are capable of. As I watched more of the performance, the interactions between dancers and the LED lights became more appealing to me. Dancers use their bodies to interpret the connections between human beings and technology. Moreover, the background music also plays a vital role in the production of this whole piece of art. The tempo of the music, the dance movements, as well as the frequency of the lights going on and off together appeared to the audience as a desirable combination. I love how the dancers do every movements according to the rhythm of the music and how they two fit perfectly. All of those things together made a great show to watch and