As stated before, a dance solo is a deeply personal performance. The choreography, the music and the emotion are just elements that support the story you try to tell through movement. Today, we will work on articulating a story that will serve as subtext to your choreography.
III
Learning Objectives
Understand the need for a story to back your movement structure
Gain awareness of the importance of the story as subtext
Experience the process of articulating the text that becomes narrative
Reflect
on the work done in class
IV
Main Lesson
1
(3:20 - 4:40)
Question 1
According to Crystal Pite, why do we need stories in dance?
Storytelling is crucial in dance because it
allows dancers to communicate emotions, ideas, and narratives through
movement, offering a powerful and expressive form of art that can evoke a
deeper connection with the audience. Remember that in Modern Dance, there is always a story being told. For instance
VI
Case Stories
Catherine Dunham - Barrel House Blues
The
piece is based on the slow drag a couple stands common to the Juke and
the honky tonking. It depicts the time in Chicago when it was cold.
This lonely woman who felt a little beat up went on in a barn and had
the time of her life just for a moment. She finds this young man and
fantasizes.
https://youtu.be/UcN0G7xItwo (9:00)
Lester Horton - The Beloved
The Beloved (all 1948), based on a newspaper article about a man who suspected his wife of infidelity and beat her to death with a Bible. The Beloved,
co-choreographed with Lewitzky, is widely regarded to be a classic
example of modern dance and one of Horton’s masterpieces.
https://youtu.be/NZZ8RP8cTcs
Martha Graham - Appalachian Spring
The story tells of a spring celebration of the American pioneers of the
19th century, after building a new Pennsylvania farmhouse. A young farm
couple ruminate
on their lives before getting married and setting up house in the
wilderness. An itinerant preacher delivers a sermon. An older pioneer
woman oversees the events with sympathy and wisdom. The newlyweds muse
on their future as night falls. The couple will
face a future that will not be all sweetness and light, but they will be
able
to survive the challenges.
https://youtu.be/XmgaKGSxQVw
VII
ACTIVITY
Written Component: Tell Your Story
Go over your
piece and think about the story you are telling.There is no right or wrong
answer. Your story is yours to tell. Please write a few sentences in which you
summarize the story you are telling through your ensemble piece and your solo
piece.
I Unit: Ritual Dance Theme: Ruth St. Denis & Ted Shawn II Introduction In 1914 St . Denis married Ted Shawn , her dance partner. The next year they founded the Denishawn school and company in Los Angeles . The school became known to international artists for more than 16 years.(1) Among her choreographic innovations were “ music visualization”and a related choreographic form that she called “ synchoric orchestra”.(2) III Learning Objectives Understand the application of the idea of " music visualization Explain how "synchroric orchestra" helps the dancer to develop body expression Gain awareness of St. Denis that " dance should be spiritual instead of simply entertaining or technically skillful " Experience St. Denis' "new emphasis on meaning and the communication of ideas" by using themes previously considered too philosophical for theatrical dance. Reflect on the work done in class IV Main Lesson 1 Warm Up Alignm...
REVIEW Watch the following video. Analysis Students discuss among themselves Mary Wigman's ideas about dance. Using the questions below as prompts, they write about them and post their reflections on Discussion Board. Mary Wigman Question 1 Write your response to Wigman's dance performance in this video. I Unit: Expressionist Dance Theme: Ceremonies, Movement, Dance and Word II Introduction Kurt Jooss and Mary Wigman were both students of Rudolph Laban. While Wigman left Laban and created her own movement theory, Jooss continued collaborating with Laban until he created his own company. Kurt's most international piece, The Green Table, was inspired by the medieval artwork “Lubeck’s Dance of Death” and Germany’s collapsed economy. III Learning Objectives Understand the application of the idea of " dance as a ceremony" Explain how " naturalistic movement, large-scale unison and characterization" bring to ...
Review Space Space: refers to the space through which the dancer's body moves ( general or personal space, level, size, direction, pathway, focus ). Time: is applied as both musical and dance elements (beat, tempo, speed, rhythm, sudden, slow, sustained). Directions Levels I Unit: Elements of Dance Theme: Size, Focus, Pathways II Introduction Rudolf Laban ( 15 December 1879 – 1 July 1958), was an Austro-Hungarian dance artist and theorist . He is considered one of the pioneers of modern dance in Europe as the "Founding Father of the Expressionist Dance" in Germany. He is considered to be one of the most important figures in the history of dance. Today, we will discuss Laban's concept of choreutics by exploring directions, levels and space. III Learning Objectives Understand the elements of dance: size, focus and pathways Explain how size, focus and pathways relate to choreutics Gain awareness of the ...
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