Glen Tetley (1926-2007) Named Practitioner 1 Flashcards
What was the context of the 1960s for Rambert at the time?
- Going through their reform of changing from being entirely ballet focused to now pursuing a policy of returning to their creative routes with a reorientation towards modern dance.
- Downsized the company from 33 to 17 +- 2 dancers, reduced mercury ensemble, and moved to performing at Jeancetta Cochrane theatre
- Reduced amount of touring from 35 to 25 weeks (15 abroad)
- Marie Rambert aimed to combine new composers, designers and choreographers like she experienced herself at the Ballet Russe, to become the ‘Tate gallery’, making them stand out from all other large scale classical companies. “Showing works from modern masters and the rising stars of tomorrow” . Achieved by collaboration projects + DFND
- Rambert adapted the American modern dance model, consisting of no hierarchy of importance, with all dancers being of soloist standard
Describe Glen Tetley’s choreographic style, providing examples from his works.
- Choreographic style is the common traits and unique way that a choreographer deals and presents subject matter using constituent features, seen across multiple works.
- He is innovative with his use of set design and the interaction between movement and set. (For e.g as seen in Pierrot Lunaire (1967) Pierrot begins the work by being hooked over and around the top poles of the tower creating a crescent shape, and rocking gently forwards and backwards highlighting his obsession and child like behaviour)
- Modernist approach with his choreo being indicative of the early American modern dancers influence on him. He may react against certain classical restraints, embrace new forms, abstract treatment of movement.
- Theatricality and characterisation, derived from Graham and Holm
- Complex response to music, often using music visualisation, motif development and narrative. Music supports mood and emotion of dance.
- Episodic structures
Describe Glen Tetley’s movement style
- One of the first choreographers to blend Graham technique with ballet technique
- The fusion is seen in a way that ballet steps like pirouettes, leaps and arabesques coexist with the falls, floor work and torso movements of Graham.
- Legs anda feet balletically elongated, with torso arching
- Whole body embraces the extremes of tension and release of Graham’s technique
- Angular gestures and contractions with lyrical qualities
- Eclectic movement vocabulary
- “I have always existed in both worlds”
- “I look for meaning in movement”
Who was Glen Tetley influenced by and explain the impact they had and examples seen in any of his work of their impact?
-Martha Graham: her new unique technique which she developed is evident throughout Tetley’s works whilst being combined with classical ballet technique. Her technique inspired Tetley to focus and explore the meaning behind the movement and the abstract expressionism portrayed through these movements.
=Seen in Pierrot Lunaire (1967) through elongation of torso when Pierrot is rocking back and forth in a crescent shape at the very start
-Antony Tudor: his classical ballet technique and movement is also seen blended together with Graham technique. This blend was very important as when Tetley was helping Rambert make their reform, his works still demonstrated ballet which made the transition for audiences easier.
=Seen in Pierrot Lunaire (1967) when Pierrot is at the top of the tower and extends his leg backwards into an arabesque, elongating his arm forwards at the same time.
-Hanya Holm and Ánges de Mille: Impacted Tetley through their use of theatricality and characterisation of his dances and their characters
=seen in Pierrot Lunaire (1967) through the 3 characters inspired from Commedia de larte. Columbine stomping off stage with a frown on her face is very theatrical and expressive
-Margaret Craske: Tetley’s ballet teacher where he trained in New York
What events resulted in Tetley working with Ballet Rambert?
- Tetley had a high standard of dance training in both ballet and Graham technique making him admired and wanted to help teach this fusion
- The success of Two brothers (1958) by Norman Morrice provided ballet Rambert with confidence and an insight into their potential, making them want to change their orientation but needing help to do so
What impact did Glen Tetley have on Ballet Rambert and their audiences?
- Was a major part of their success and progression from a ballet company to a small scale modern dance company, providing an early model of ballet blended with modern.
- He offered weighty, pelvic driven, fluid, expansive luxurious movement qualities as a new idiom
- He introduced new ways of working into the company through his use of eclectic starting points and improvisation
- He introduced new ways of conveying emotion throughout pieces= graphic, erotic, + violent with a blend of vocabulary
- Design became integral to piece through help of Nadine Baylis, John b.Read and Rouben Ter Arutnian
- Influenced the soundscape of the company with his choice of 20th century composers and using dissonance and text
-Audiences were more diverse as new works were more open and a blend of many different elements which drew in a larger audience
What impact did Glen Tetley have on Christopher Bruce?
- Bruce was made a star as a dancer in Rambert after performing the role of Pierrot in Tetley’s Pierrot Lunaire
- He inspired Bruce in his use of: thought provoking subject matter, hybrid classical and contemporary style, dramatic interpretation, characterisation
What were Glen Tetley’s starting points for his dances?
- Emotional and psychological conditions are the underlying feelings of his works
- Examines human relationships and their complexities
- Shows interest in oriental concepts and Eastern religions with his works having a universal spiritual undertone
- Current (20th century) concepts, themes and trends
- Range of things going from sculpture, characters, tai Chi and abstract movement qualities
What are the themes which are evident and occur across some of Tetley’s works?
- innocence, sexual awakening, growing up, personal relationships, erotic tension, emotional entanglements (all seen in Pierrot Lunaire)
- Text and images from Shakespeare (seen in The Tempest)
- Dream figures, mythic ritualistic allusions (seen in Rag dances / Zigguart)
Describe what Glen Tetley’s relationship with Ballet Rambert was like.
- began in 1967 when Norman Morrice invited him to work with the company during their reform
- he mounted 3 of his own works on the company and helped to create new original works for Rambert
- due to Tetley’s first hand experience training with Graham and following her abstract expressionism approach, whilst also having strong ballet technique he was able to help Rambert seamlessly make their transition into modern dance and improve their dances as a whole in terms of design with help from Baylis and Read
