Cultural Influences - ROS

Question 1

M.V - Folkwang academy (Kurt Jooss)

Answer 1

• personal influence to P.B’s choreography
• german dancer/teacher
• known for naturalistic and pedestrian-like movement and gestures
• created own style, ‘ballet-theatre’ incorporating modern dance and ballet technique
• organic movement seen in large scale unison sequences
• characterisations in his works so audience relates
• founded ‘Folkwang Academy’ 1928
• train P.B at age 15
• seen when women perform a unison phrase, contract, squat, arms repeat with red dress at the front showing fear
• Jooss’s influence is seen in the large-scale and characterisation of the characters

Question 2

M.V - Nijinsky

Answer 2

• historic influence on the ROS
• russian ballet dancer
• known for jumps and strong movements
• trained in classical ballet
• ‘imperial school of dancing’ then the ‘Bolshoi Theatre’
• 1912, choreography
• choreographed original ROS 1913, included jumping, hoping, stomping
• P.B recreated in 1975 therefore an influence
• P.B has respect for Nijinsky, seen in similar motifs
• women in squat and bouncing a motif used constantly, showing the original ROS influence

Question 3

E.I - Folkwang academy (Kurt Jooss)

Answer 3

• personal influence
• ballet dancer and choreographer
• known for mixing ballet and theatre styles, known as ‘ballet theatre’
• established Folkwang Dance Theatre
• P.B was accepted at 15 and trained un Jooss
• Jooss disliked plotless dances like to focus on moral issues/addressing social, political issues (seen in P.B ROS)
• OG concept contrast to how P.B challenged these ideas
  P.B created a theatrical dance piece, addressing gender equality
• shown as she critiques the idea of male dominance as she suggests that women are oppressed and overshadowed by men shown in their differing movements and the contrast

Question 4

E.I - Donya Feuer

Answer 4

• an influential impactful
• modern-dance choreographer in the 60 and 50
• created experimental dance scenes with her company
• passion for psychological matters, commonly seen in her works
• 1959 P.B moved to NYC and collaborated with her on the ‘Phases of Madness’, shows the different stages of madness
• by collaboration shows the influence
• P.B showed the fear of original concept of ROS
• by bausch showing a deeper and darker side shows influence, as she shows the chosen one and the reality of that experience for women during the process

Question 5

P.A - Rolf Borzik

Answer 5

• personal influence
• studied graphic designs at Folkwang School, 1967 where he met P.B
• 1970 they lived together
• 1973 P.B head of dance Wuppertal Theatres therefore he went with her
• they both disliked the typical designs for works in the 70’s
• he wanted reality on stage, to capture the narrative of the work and the events happening, the marking and altering the stage after the work
• intention to create a relationship with the object and humans dancing
• collaborated multiple times therefore influence
• eg. the red dirt that covered the stage
• created a relationship as at the end of the work the dancers were marked by the dirt and the dirt was marked by the dancers, footprints showing influence

Question 6

P.A - pagan mythology

Answer 6

• religion pre-christian who believed in many gods
• also the connection humans had to the natural world, including rituals and sacrafices
• this is explored in ROS as a woman is sacrificed in anticipation of spring
• pagan mythology is portrayed in P.B ROS as in 1913 it was shown in original by Stravinsky
• however, P.B explicitly shows their beliefs eg, connection to land
• relationship seen through the dirt on stage, to bring focus to the nature with the sacrifice
• nude dresses further show the connection as it allows the marking of the dirt to be seen after the work, showing influence

Question 7

F - Stravinsky

Answer 7

• narrative form
• 1913 igor stravinsky created ballet and music, used by P.B in her work
• stravinsky saw the concept in a dream
  he created music in sections that represented elements of the form as it progressed towards the sacrifice
• P.B used same music therefore an influence, P.B follows the same structure of the music, creating the narrative form
• similar to Stravinsky, P.B stages different elements of the ritual in alignment with the pattern of the music
• eg, both built the composition in intensity that is resolved during the end music, representing the sacrifice of the chosen one
• a score-driven form displays influence

Question 8

F - Folkwang academy (Kurt Jooss)

Answer 8

• influenced narrative form
• Jooss known theatrical choreography, shown in works
• understood how to develop characters and the plot due to theatrical style and movement
• at 15 P.B attended the academy and trained under him explaning how the relationship turned to an influence
• the form is seen in sections that show the aspects of the ritual, as the performance build as it comes to the sacrifice
• two character groups builds the tension between men and women creating tension in the narrative, then being resolved in sacrifice
• character development is seen in the athleticism and exhaustion that increases in each section, giving audience the emotion and the experience they are feeling
• as the form is shown through the progression of character development it shows influence