Monday 24th September: Week one
Today I have learned about twerking. Where did it originate from? What was is for? How has it been adapted? Why has it been adapted?
Twerking traditionally originated from several West African dances. Also known as Mapouka, part of the fertility dance in Ivory Coast. Usually performed as a female village dance.
Mapouka: “Also known as Macouka, it is a traditional dance from the area of Dabou in southeast Côte d’Ivoire, sometimes carried out during special ceremonies. It is also known as, “La danse du fessier” or “the dance of the behind”.
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/05/cote-divoires-mapouka-dance-roots-of.html
Over many years these movements have been adapted and are now used socially. It is also very diverse and isn’t only performed by females. The ‘Twerk’ often practices as a social dance instead of a native ceremonial performance. One similarity between then and now is that it still has a very sexualized movement. The twerk involves
“shaking the buttocks sideways vigorously”
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/05/cote-divoires-mapouka-dance-roots-of.html
To perform this movement correctly you should isolate the hips and upper body and only allow the lower body to move. Also, the easiest way to perform this move would be to remain in a low second position with bent knees.
Considering how popular this new edition of the ‘Twerk’ is, even Google has adopted the results and what pops up when you search; where does twerking originate from? the first result is regarding Miley Cyrus and is pretty much giving her all credit to the movement. Twerking is also very popular in dancehall and fusion, sometimes also in commercial dance styles and music videos. For example; ‘Back that Add Up’ by Juvenile;
I have also researched into my influences and I feel that I know a lot more about them than I knew before. My influence is Matthew Bourne purely because his dance style combines both classical ballet styles and different contemporary techniques such as; release.
Mathew Bourne has many influences from various sources such as; books, playwrights, movies, and people. His main influence was Fred Astaire because he was inspired by his stage presence. Also, by his use of facial expressions.
https://prezi.com/0v9w7ze-jibq/matthew-bourne-and-his-influences/
He was also influenced by the early styles & techniques of ballet then combining them with contemporary. After finding this out it thought, where did Ballet come from? And why was it created?
https://www.sasschoolofdance.com/history-ballet
Monday 1st October: Week two
Today I have learned about King Louis XIV. I also read and answered questions regarding the Volinsky’s The Vertical article about the natural form and how it has changed to become what it is today.
A.K. Volinsky article
‘The Vertical: The Fundamental Principle of Classical Dance’ (1925)
King Louis XIV was a pioneer in his era, he created a dance form which is known as Ballet. He invented it to represent the dishes that were being served as part of the banquet for the royal wedding. It gained popularity in the 15th century when King Louis himself appeared on stage as a dancer. Since then it has slowly been developed to what it is today. To continue my research, I decided to visit the Louvre in Paris which as was the main residence for Louis before he moved the royal residence to Versailles and turned the Louvre into a gallery which contains some of the most prestigious works of art. For example; the original Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo Da Vinci during the Renaissance. The main motive for Louis moving to Versailles was because he had grown up watching the turmoil in Paris develop and he wanted to take advantage of the situation.
King Louis XIV was a very manipulative and controlling person, we know this because when he moved to Versailles, he invited the aristocracy to live with him, the reason behind this wasn’t because he liked them or enjoyed their company, but because he knew that he could control them. Upon receiving their invitation to live with him on scenic grounds of the newly renovated Palace of Versailles many aristocracies took the opportunity straight away, this meant that Louis himself would be safe but also the aristocracy couldn’t overshadow him.
https://socratic.org/questions/why-did-louis-xiv-change-the-capital-of-france-from-paris-to-versailles
Monday 15th October: Week four
Born in 1877 in San Francisco CA, Isadora Duncan. Also known as the mother of dance. Her contribution towards dance as an art was influenced by the social activities happening at the time. (Romanticism, Victorianism & modernism) She was born into a Catholic family, however, sadly her parents’ marriage soon began to break down. This was as a result of her father being a fraudster and completely betraying their trust and going against their religious beliefs. Isadora and her siblings used music and dance as a distraction from what was happening in their household. From a young age, she was used to listening to works from phenomenal composers such as; Shakespeare.
When she was a child dance was entertainment and wasn’t taken seriously unlike music, art, and sculpture. Although she came from an aesthetic background, she remained very spiritually motivated. She used dance to explore her spiritual plane and express how she felt. She completely jumped away from the norm, which was Ballet, Burlesque, and Ballroom.
http://www.duncandancers.com/romanticism.html
Monday 22nd October: Week five
I have decided to research further into George Balanchine, his early ambitions & characteristics. To do so I studied ‘George Balanchine – The ballet maker’. I decided to focus on chapter 10; ‘The Man’ (Robert Gottlieb) pages 185-188.
Balanchine didn’t think that he would ever become such an icon in dance history. Although we know that other people knew this would happen. His originality and perseverance to be different to everybody else wouldn’t be unnoticed. We know this when Gottlieb quotes “It’s unlikely that he ever articulated even to himself so grandiose an ambition” (page 187) Alliterating on this, Balanchine wasn’t a very ambition person. However he knew where he wanted to go and what he had to do to get there, Whilst also being aware of his capacities.
He was a very obnoxious person and didn’t respect many other choreographers at his time, this was because he believed that they weren’t at his level, but one person that he saw as a rival was Frederick Ashton. They had a very tense relationship, this was because he always felt the need to seek praise which resulted in Balanchine acting very proud of his achievements and his bettered understanding of music. This is shown when quoted “defined by a desire for approbation on Ashton’s part and certain hauteur on Balanchine’s” (page 187).
From reading these two pages, I am developing an understanding that George is a very deceptive and fake person. He appears to have very strong opinions against other choreographers, but he will not express this to them but only in private. This could also be as though he is showing full respect to them and keeping his negative opinions to himself. We know this when quoted “he was impressed enough with Peter Martin’s first ballet”, then “In private, however, he was not reluctant to express his opinion of other choreographers” (page 188). In conclusion, he seemed to be judgmental, envious, but also very career driven.
Monday 29th October: Week Six
Isadora Ducan – a combination of Greek and Renaissance art, walking and running. Very natural and use of being barefoot. She traveled from America to Russia and brought freedom through her movements. She was a Pioneer. Broke ground and created something new. She saw herself as a creator and inventor. An artist. She was very influential however she wasn’t classically trained. There was a huge emphasis on health and the body and your hierarchy.
Ruth St. Denis combines pop culture and dance. She was different. Former showgirl from new jersey. She performed exotic dances. Proud of what she was doing, she reworked her idea of traditional Indian clothes, we know this because she didn’t get an opportunity to travel to see exactly what they looked like.
Ted Shawn: very different style, it was seen to be a celebration of masculinity.
Martha Graham used mythical stories combines with Japanese culture and costumes. Her father was a psychiatrist. Her sources for movement were from her own conscious state. A whole sculptural use of the body. The main core technique was the use of the back, contractions and the weight of the body and gravity were emphasized. Pulsating and polyrhythmic movements.
Monday 5th November: Week Seven
I have decided to study deeper into Ruth St. Denis. Known as “one of the greatest women of all time”, Dance Heritage – coalition by Thom Hecht (1879-1968). The American dancer & choreographer was a pioneer of her time, her influences were major to the development of American modern dance. She combined her passion of dance with her spiritual practices.
Her spiritual fascination revolves around mother nature, this was as a result of living on a farm from a young age. She also had a fixation on Indian culture and rituals which was influenced by her first public performance ‘Incense’, she named most of her pieces Indian dances rather than having actual Indian names. She was seen to have been multicultural even though she hadn’t traveled purely because she wasn’t challenged regarding the situation.
At the age of 36, she co-founded the Denishawn school of dancing in Los Angeles CA, it was a school that allowed thriving choreographers to perfect their skills. It was also the first dance school in the United States that produced a professional dance company. It was the home to some of the most phenomenal pioneers know today, such as; Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey.
Monday 12th November: Week Eight
Modernism in Western art – Rejection of the past. Ie. The use of technology, lighting, and film.
Sergei Diaghilev was interested in visual arts. Loved all art forms not only dance. His key contribution was that he had a talent for seeking out the best collaborator and fostered the best environment for them to work in.
He founds ‘The Ballet Russes’. They became a permanent touring company between 1911-1929.
Ballet Russes choreographers:
- Michel Folkine (1909-1912)
- Vaslav Najinsky (1912-1914)
- Léonide Massine (1914-1920)
- Bronislava Nijinska (1921-1924)
- George Balanchine (1924-1929)
Their work causes a riot at the opening of the Rite on Spring in 1913.
With modernism, we’re adapting something to make it more relevant for a modern society. Ie. The music, costumes and even the style of the movements. We can also like this too who they chose for their dancers.
The Ballet Russes was a legacy because they expanded ballet beyond one country.
Bauhaus art school. Between WWI and WWII before the Nazi’s deemed it unacceptable. Bauhaus was about exploring and experimenting what limits there were. Combining art with craft to see what was made.
In 1928 George Balanchine composed ‘Apollo’ for The Ballet Russes to music composed by Igor Stravinsky.
In 1932 The Ballet Russes then opened for their first season touring with Balanchine as master of ballet.
One year later (1933) Balanchine collaborated with Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht In Paris and composed as a trio ‘Seven deadly sins’. (Balanchine’s Two Productions of the Seven Deadly Sin’s, 1986, S. Manning)
March 1934, Balanchine began to choreograph a new ballet ‘Serenade’ which was choreographed around the abilities of his new American company. Focusing on the experimentation of different spacing. He worked with what he had and was very simultaneous with his work. This is depicted when quoted “how he incorporated into its action a girl who came late one day (Annabelle Lyon)”. (George Balanchine ‘The Ballet Maker’, 2004, R. Gottlieb)
Later in 1935 Balanchine developed a new company in America whom soon after beginning their first season.
A decade later Balanchine marries Maria Tall chief which sees two of the most renowned stars in the US ballet scene come together. (Balanchine, 2006, DVD, Merrill Brockway)
Two years later Balanchine’s New York City ballet company claims residency in the city center for Music and Drama.
Monday 19th November: Week Nine
What makes something a musical?
A musical is a combination of dance, singing, music, dialogue, and often comedy. This is usually created to either tell a story or express the talents of the writers, performers, and composers involved with the production. Telling stories through music and dance dates all the way back to the Greeks which were frequently used as part of the comedies and even tragedies in 5th century BC. It was not long after when this was adapted by the Romans and again in the Middles Ages. By the 1700s musicals were popular in both Britain and France, however, they were only performed as either a ‘Ballad operas’ or ‘Comic operas’ where they would use popular songs at the time but rewrite the lyrics to fit with the musical.
https://www.musicals101.com/musical.htm
Monday 26th November: Week Ten
Today we were discussing different artists attitudes toward the history of dance. We then split into groups based on our opinions around dance history. The group that I was in was based around not really having any interest in dance history. We had a debate where we had to discuss and explain our opinions on the question. As a group, we decided to make paper aero planes with everything that we have learned so far written on them. My opinion toward this discussion was that although I’m not overly interested in dance history, I still learn lots and take everything in. I feel that the main reason I have little enthusiasm towards dance history is that personally, it doesn’t feel like any of the lectures link together, but also, I get very tired at the end of the day and all the information just goes in and straight back out again.
Monday 3rd December: Week Eleven
DV8:
Founded by Lloyd Newson in 1986. The main motive for the physical theatre company is based on Newson’s personal interest, being social, psychological and political issues. The company use mostly physical theatre but also often use contemporary dance styles in their works. In 1985 Newson left ‘Extemporary dance theatre’ To develop his passion for choreographing and went on to collaborate with Michelle Richecoeur, then soon he worked with Nigel Charnock on ‘My Sex; Our Dance’. Later that year DV8 was founded.
When casting for his pieces he considers the suitability of his dances and the number that he needs depending on the project as they are all highly content based. As a result, DV8 don’t have a set company of dancers that have permanent contracts to perform with them.