Exam 3 Flashcards
George Balanchine
NYC Ballet’s repertory is dominated by his choreography- created the company’s style
Distorted the classical technique using contemporary music- unexpected shifts of weight and energy- his choreography is American in spirit
His work was neoclassical- simple spacing, speed
Emphasized women- liked long legs and thin body
Costumes and sets were simple
Best known for his plot less ballets
The Prodigal Son
One of Balanchine’s two surviving works from the Ballet Russes
Composed by Prokofiev
Apollo
Part of Balanchine’s famous Greek Trilogy
Composed by Stravinsky
One of Balanchine’s two surviving works from the Ballet Russes
Orpheus
Part of Balanchine’s famous Greek Trilogy
Agon
Part of Balanchine’s famous Greek Trilogy
John Durang
Most important dancer in the 1700s
Know for his hornpipe dance
Mary Ann Lee
One of four major ballet stars in 1800s
Julia Turnbull
One of four major ballet stars in1800s
Augusta Maywood
One of four major ballet stars in1800s
Influenced musical theater
George Washington Smith
One of four major ballet stars in1800s
Partnered Elssler on her tour to America
The Black Crook
1866
story about a pact with the devil
success prompted many copies which toured
local dancers were hired for the chorus
had to be trained quickly, simple steps/patterns
Ballet Russes de Monte Carlo
The foreign rival to American ballet during the 1930s
Founded in 1932 by Rene Blum and Colonel Wassili de Basil
Presented old favorites by Diaghilev & new works by Massine
Was made up of some of the Ballet Russes dancers plus three baby ballerinas
Factions split off from company because neither founder had the skills of Diaghilev and fights over legal rights to ballets became an issue
After Diaghilev died, it split into 2 companies:
De Basil’s Original Ballet Russe
Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo- directed by Sergei Denham and choreographer Massine, loved by America
Both companies spread ballet in America but also contributed to the idea that ballet was foreign (foreign names)
Lincoln Kirstein
Known as the American Diaghilev
Novelist, poet, critic- not a dancer or choreographer
Wanted an American ballet company/school with American dancers and American style
Founded NYC Ballet
Serenade
Part of the NYC Ballet repertoire
Choreographed by Balanchine
Used dancers’ mistakes, a fall or a late entrance
On Your Toes
Broadway show choreographed by Balanchine
Stars & Stripes
Classic American ballet choreographed by Balanchine
New York City Ballet
In 1933 Lincoln Kirstein and Edward MM Warburg persuaded Balanchine to come to US to direct
School of American Ballet opened in 1933
Went through many name changed before NYC Ballet
Early performance were not well received by NY Times- said works were not American enough
Kirstein continued as general director after Balanchine’s death in 1983
Peter Martins and Jerome Robbins became ballet masters
American Ballet Theatre
Founded in 1939 as Ballet Theatre, as an outgrowth of the Mordkin Ballet
Established to present the classics and new works by Mordkin in the Russian style
Richard Pleasant
First director of American Ballet Theatre
Wanted the company to be a “museum of dance” with many examples of periods and styles
Lucia Chase
American dancer and wealthy widow
Cofounded Ballet Theatre in 1940 with Kirstein
Became sole director after Pleasant resigned in second season
Oliver Smith
Scenic designer who supported the emergence of American ballet
Became co director of Ballet Theatre with Chase in 1945 until 1980
Did scenic design for Rodeo and Fancy Free
Also designed for Broadway and film
Agnes de Mille
Was important to American ballet because of her American subject matter
Rodeo
Choreographed by Agnes de Mille in 1942 for Ballet Russe
Music by Aaron Copland
Ballet about a tomboy cowgirl
Fall River Legend
Choreographed by Agnes de Mille for ABT
Story of Lizzie Borden
Oklahoma!
Choreographed by Agnes de Mille
Most know for the dream ballet
Jerome Robbins
Greatly influenced the American style
Was THE MOST important native/American ballet choreographer
His ballets treat the dancers as people who interact intimately with one another and the audience and portray real emotions
Fancy Free
Choreographed by Jerome Robbins in 1944
About 3 sailors on leave during WWII
Dances at a Gathering
Created in 1969 by Jerome Robbins for NYC Ballet
Plotless ballet for 5 men and 5 women
Set to Chopin
Reveals different moods and interpretations
The Cage
Choreographed by Jerome Robbins for NYC Ballet in 1951
A horror story about female insects that kill their mates after copulation
Afternoon of a Faun
Revived by Jerome Robbins
Portrayed the 2 figures as dancers
The P2 was set in a rehearsal studio
Joffrey Ballet
Founded in 1956 by Robert Joffrey
Several dancers toured one night stands
Seasons eventually developed in NY and LA
Joffrey died in 1988
Dance Theatre of Harlem
Founded in 1968 by Arthur Mitchell
Prior to this, little opportunity for blacks to perform in ballet
Eventually, a few black dancers were accepted into major ballet companies
Arthur Mitchell
Founder of Dance Theatre of Harlem
Maria Tallchief
Born on Oklahoma reservation
Danced with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo
Major dancer with NYC Ballet
Balanchine’s 3rd wife
Jacques d’Amboise
Established the National Dance Institute for dance outreach into schools
Suzanne Farrell
NYC Ballet’s leading dancer in 1960s
Inspired Balanchine, known as his muse for many ballets
The Royal Ballet
Ninette de Valois
Went through several names and formats before becoming the Royal Ballet
Founded for the community, not just aristocrats
Fredrick Ashton became director in 1963
Ninette de Valois
A Ballet Russe dancer, but Irish born
Founded The Royal Ballet
Fredrick Ashton
Became the leading comic choreographer
Also did tender, gracious, lyrical works
Raised in South Africa
Became director of the Royal Ballet in 1963
Anthony Tudor
Choreographed for the Ballet Club under Marie Rambert
Moved to the US to work for Ballet Theater
Margot Fonteyn
Leading English ballerina from 1930-1970
Great at Ashton’s lyrical style
Known for her emotional expressiveness
Part of the most famous partnership in history with Nureyev
Bolshoi
Russian ballet company
Prides itself on flair
Kirov
Russian ballet company
Unequalled in purity of style
Isadora Duncan
Mother of modern dance
Rebelled against oppression of the human race and corseted ballet
Natural born dancer and free spirit, feminist
Went abroad to find appreciation
Inspired barefoot dancing in Europe and America
Costumes- simple tunics/robes, sometimes see through or danced bare breasted
Was able to stir audiences deeply- much emotion
Used rhythmic sequences and simple movements
Her and her children died in car wrecks
Ruth St. Denis
More disciplined than Duncan
Attracted to romantic/mystic styles, also show biz glamour
Egyptian Deities cigarettes inspired her Isis
Dance technique/style emphasized oriental life
Founded the dance dept at Adelphi College in NY
Ted Shawn
Took up dance as physical therapy
In relationship with St. Denis and formed Denishawn School with her
Started Jacob’s Pillow
Founded an all male dance company
Denishawn
Founded by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn
Denishawn style combined many techniques:
Stretching, ballet barre, free movement, oriental technique
Jacob’s Pillow
Annual dance festival in Berkshires
Founded by Ted Shawn
Mary Wigman
Most famous choreographer in Germany
Started as a musician
Known for representing Germans through modern dance
Style was very rooted to the earth
Works were dark and mysterious and had a fatalistic outlook: death, witches, war
Hanya Holm
Choreographed for Broadway (Kiss Me Kate, My Fair Lady)
One of Wigman’s dancers
Brought the German style of modern to US
Opened a branch of the Wigman school in US, renamed it Hanya Holm Studio
Wanted to disassociate herself from Hitler’s Germany
Martha Graham
Attended Denishawn school after her father’s death
Father was a psychologist and influenced her work
Technique based on breath, contraction, and release
Very sharp and angular, not fluid or flowing
Had very ritualistic classes
Had strict rules on attire, valued appearance
Many of her themes dealt with American culture
Would split central characters into multiple bodies to portray different emotions
Should have stopped performing, but had a hard time letting go
Doris Humphrey
Technique was based on fall and recovery
Attended Denishawn school
Opposite of Graham in personality and choreography
Liked to utilize many dancers on the stage
Author of “The Art of Making Dances”
Worked to balance work and family
Stopped dancing at 40, but still choreographed
Jose Limon
Studied dance with Humphrey-Weidman for 10 years
Formed the Jose Limon Dance Company in 1946 with Doris Humphrey as artistic director and co-choreographer
Provided a strong role model for men in modern dance
Works were usually based on a literary theme, translating the emotional high points into a choreographic form
Charles Weidman
Studied at Denishawn
Created Humphrey-Weidman Studio with Doris Humphrey
Worked with sculptor Mikhail Santaro to produce mixed-media pieces
Choreography was a blend of mime, comedy, and wit
One of the first to explore kinetic pantomime
His dances celebrated the incongruities of human encounters
Helen Tamiris
Dancer, choreographer, and director
Formed Tamiris-Nagrin Dance Company with husband Daniel Nagrin in 1960
Remembered for her dances based on Negro spirituals and contributions to American musical theater
President of New Dance Congress
Lester Horton
Formed the Horton Dance Theater and School in 1942. Was the first company that include blacks, Mexicans, Japanese, and Caucasian dancers
Choreography often related to social activism
Productions relied on costuming and décor for a sense of total theater experience
His technique expands the body’s movement range and builds a strong versatile dancer
Bella Lewitzky
Developed a movement technique with Horton which was codified in the 1950s
Katherine Dunham
Dancer, choreographer, anthropologist, teacher, and writer
Founded a student company at University of Chicago in 1931 called Ballet Negre
Founded Negro Dance Groups
Opened the Dunham School of Dance and Theater in 1945
Created a repertory of dances that explored diverse themes, folklore, and ideas
Wanted to make Negro dance a respectable art
Alvin Ailey
Known as the first chronicler of the black experience
Studied and performed with Horton and directed the company after his death
Founded Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958
Choreography uses Horton technique as a basis, with African overtones and jazz dance components
Alwin Nikolais
Did it all, choreography, composed electronic scores, designed scenery, and lighting
Started his study of dance at a Wigman branch
His choreographic content lies in the art from itself, as opposed to the work of earlier modern dancers
Used costumes to change the body’s shape
Dancers in his works were unisex, it wasn’t about the relationships among dancers. He wanted the audience to think of their relationship to the environment
Avant-Garde Movement
As modern dancer developed technique and schools, they became almost too polished and ballet-like
In the 1950s and 1960s, the avant-garde (forward thinking) style was developed to counter this
Broke down barriers
Merce Cunningham
Studied with Graham
Asked to choreograph Broadway piece but withdrew
Choreographic theories:
Chance and indeterminacy- prepared many dance sequences and flips coin to choose their use in piece
Stage space an open field-gives equal importance to all parts of the stage
Components of dance productions separate entities, music, choreography, costumes, lights don’t have to go together
Dance was about movement, dancers were expressionless
Paul Taylor
Started as a painter, didn’t dance until his 20s
Performed with Cunningham and Graham
Was a choreographic chameleon
Took company member’s personal qualities into consideration when choreographing
Pilobolus
Dance company, makes shapes and tells stories by molding their bodies together
Started at Dartmouth College
Group of 6 dancers who create collectively
Twyla Tharp
Came into the scene in the 1960s
Had a wide range of training all over the country
Danced with Paul Taylor’s company
Designs her pieces to work out a problem through structure
Uses sharply thrusting steps and off—handed shrugs in her work
Has choreographed for Broadway, TV, ballet, and movies
Most famous work- Movin’ Out
