May O Donnel's Dance Energies

904 Words2 Pages

The arts is seen as a language or multiple ones in our society. Dance and other art forms give us as individuals the artistic abilities to speak in a way that can’t be spoken with actual words. To tell a story and convey a message in ways others cannot quite express. Art is an inexpressible connection of emotions and creativity that can not be expressed through spoken words. This is something that truly resonated with me as a dancer watching Dance Energies. May O’Donnell exposes this connection in dance through the use of different forces of energy give through the dancers. May O’Donnell choreographed this a work Dance Energies, on her professional company piece in 1959 to represent the importance of difference types of energies and the roles they play in our lives. The dancers use the connection of their own energy through the use of dynamics, musicality and emotional intention to display connectivity of our hidden language.
May O’Donnel’s beginning repertoire piece address the connection of energies and roles as a male or female in …show more content…

Energy can be defined in our dancing through a sense of power and strength given in our movement. This was the overlying message in the piece through the other elements but was also was shown from the dancers emotional intention. In the third section, it helped to define the woman's intention to her role and connection to body. The women were not only using their face to portray a flirty and sweeter side to themselves but arms and repetitive leg gestures allowed for a certain lightness about them that couldn’t just be display with a smile on their face. Which is something that remained with me when we took class the following week after the presidential election. We were able to use our emotional struggle to attack our movement with a different force. As a result, allowed us to take on a different release and sharpness in our exercises that was quite there

Show More
Related

  • How Mark Morris Changed Dance

    1207 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Agnes de Mille’s Impact in the World of Dance

    1399 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • ballet Dancers and body image

    642 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ramsay, B. (2000). Dance theory, sociology, and aesthetics. Dance Research Journal, 32(1), 125-131. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1478286

    Read More

  • Ghost Dances, by Christopher Bruce

    1611 Words  | 4 Pages

    The work ‘Ghost Dances’ by Christopher Bruce was viewed on 26th August, 2011 to the Year 12 Dance class. The individual interpretation of the social/political or world issue/ comment the piece is attempting to make. Using direct examples from the performance, the use the choreographer has made of the movement and the non-movement components have been identified. Also the effectiveness of this piece has been evaluated.

    Read More

  • Petrichor Dance Analysis

    1150 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Overview of the Major Topics in Learning about Dance by Nora Ambrosio

    979 Words  | 2 Pages

    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 ...

    Read More

  • Alvin Ailey Revelations Essay

    914 Words  | 2 Pages

    The dancers begin in unison in a large clump. They dance together with slow movements; reaching up with their arms straight and palms open. It is to be noted that when they stretch their arms up, they tilt their head and look up as well. Throughout the piece the dancers repeat this movement, which represents reaching and praying to God. The dancers are constantly reaching up, embodying their despair and their yearning for help. As the dance progresses, the dancers repeatedly break out of the clump in the center and do different movements and their own sequences. After this, they always go back to their clump and do synchronized movement. Their constant breaking away from the group symbolizes their continual want to be free, as well as their persistency. On the other hand, their constant going back to the group shows how African-Americans will always be joined together by their culture, prayer, and hardships. Additionally during the piece, multiple dancers will run up to another dancer and jump or hold onto them, and then they do a couple of movements together. This shows how they are reliant and dependent on each other, and how they need each other throughout their suffering. Lastly, Much of the movement in this section possesses the downward energy characteristic of African dance, which symbolizes a connection to the earth. The choices Ailey made choreographically communicates all

    Read More

  • Split Sides an Analysis of Modern Dance

    772 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the piece the dancer is very distinctive and powerful in his movements. He often holds positions in an asymmetry stance which is a quality that comes from balancing ephebism. Ephebism is one of the five African aesthetics that applies vitality, power, flexibility, drive, and attack in its movements. The holding of the various positions requires great strength and demonstrates a stamina that is similar to the strength and stamina needed for the long hours that African dances are held for. Granted, the stamina and strength for African dances requires a much longer building period, however, training one’s body to hold and sustain an unnatural position is no small feat. In addition to this one characteristic of ephebism, the dancer’s arm movements throughout the piece adhere to an attack like jolting or sharp movement and further enhance the component of ephebism by creating the youthful movements that word ephebism correlates to. The flexibility in this dance piece is seen dramati...

    Read More

  • Influence of Trisha Brown and Steve Paxton on Modern Dance

    2275 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Body Image and Eating Disorders Among Young Ballerinas

    1808 Words  | 4 Pages

    Jonas, Gerald. Dancing: The Pleasure, Power, and Art of Movement. New York: Abrams, 1992. Print.

    Read More

  • Cinderella Stage Analysis

    753 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Vollmond By Pina Baausch

    1142 Words  | 3 Pages

    In particular, contemporary dance history dwells on the element if codes of seduction denunciation. The dance’s choreography explores various internal struggles experienced by humanity. These are the relationship between two forms that is almost always marked with violence, power and fear. In addition, the relations existing between two forms where a third creatures present is viewed in the dance, where the third form is portrayed as human. This is a rationality that presents the manner in which Bausch denounce the common codes of seduction by coming up with inter-relationally where fear is also a factor. However, the dancers overcomes their fear as the enormous rock in the stage suggests a shoreline, yet they climb over the rock in a dangerous manner of dancing. The melancholic choreography addresses the relationship between the male and female genders. The use of female dancers brings out the pain

    Read More

  • Dance Reflection

    720 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the dance concert, I was intrigued by the way Kelly convey me to see the four main elements that compose the meaning of dance in one way or another. I was able to see the importance of movement and space through the H2O+ section of the concert. Dancers moving together from one side of the stage to the other, moving bodies simulating the way a wave moves. The way Kelly portrayed the waves in the ocean through the dancer 's movement was peaceful, elegant and graceful. When the music started and the dancers began to move together, rolled on the floor, locked with one another and crashed with it each other, created the feeling that I was by the ocean. I felt like I was seeing the waves coming and going, crashing with each other. The

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Rachel Winchester's Dissertation On Dance And Literature

    989 Words  | 2 Pages

    Acquiring Rachel Winchester’s Dissertation on dance as a literary criticism, I noticed a lack of studies collaborating the field of Dance and Literature. Therefore, it is a desire of mine to find ballet and literature a connection they could embody which would ultimately benefit each other. Through an analysis of the text of Lola Basyang by Severino Reyes, A Critique of Ballet Manila’s production, and a study of the choreographic process, Hermeneutics, and Dance Theory; I aim to find a way for ballet to be elevated as well as for literature to extend its horizon and be able to come to life on stage.

    Read More

  • Reflection Paper On Dance Performance

    1012 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

More about May O Donnel's Dance Energies

Open Document