Lecture 1 Flashcards
what was isadora duncan inspired by
ancient greek dance
did isadora duncan recreate the dances of ancient greece
no
what about ancient greek dance interested isadora duncan
the philosophy of the dance
isadora duncan was trying to create dance that was…
prayer and expressed the natural movement of nature
what are the two connections of the dance of isadora duncan and that of ancient greece
- dance as a prayer
2. movements of nature
dance as a prayer connection of the dance of isadora duncan and that of ancient greece
dance was a sacred art in ancient greece
she wanted to create dance that expressed sacred ideals
- art wasn’t entertainment at that time, it was religious and was not art if it wasn’t religious
what was art if it didnt have a sacred component in ancient greece
a mere commodity
t or f: isadora duncan was religious
false, but did believe there was a higher power and sacred aspect
movement of nature connection of the dance of isadora duncan and that of ancient greece
- greeks evolved their dance from nature
- duncan created movement that was inspired by nature and was natural for the body
hellenism
art and culture of ancient greece, as well as the philosophy
when was hellenist movement popular
turn of 20th century
where was the hellenist movement particularly popular
california
- they influenced this trend heavily
who were hellenists
cultured intellectuals who held anything greek in the highest esteem
- liberal
- sartorial sign (wore toga to signify you were a hellenist)
what new craze developed in america in 1880
delsartism
what was delsartism based on
francois delsarte
-a frenchman who linked posture, gesture, and vocal expression to the emotions
how were the ideas of delsarte carried on
by his disciples who opened the schools of expression in america
who was it particularly fashionable for to study delsartean gesture
society ladies
- dressed in togas
the pursuit of what was very popular for women at the turn of the century
physical culture
what did delsartism play a major role in the development of
physical culture
isadora duncan integrated whose method of connecting the physical and emotional into her philosophy of dance
francois delsarte
modernism
movement in art that emerged at the beginning of the 20th century
when did modernism continue until
the 50s and 60s era of post-modernism
what were the 2 strands of modernism induce in the early 20th century
naturalism
neo-romanticism
what was the naturalism movement manifest in
the dance of duncan
what were the 3 ways in which that naturalist movement was manifest in duncan’s dance
- nature as a source of inspiration
- natural dance movement
- natural costume and set design
nature as a source of inspiration way in which that naturalist movement was manifest in duncan’s dance
- her dance movements were based on patterns found in nature (like waves)
- developed the wave principle
wave principle
movement which has no beginning and no end
natural dance movement way in which that naturalist movement was manifest in duncan’s dance
walk, run, skip, gallop, jump, lunge, fall, spin, kneel
- did not believe in training the body in movement that was unnatural
what style of dance did duncan consider unnatural
ballet because its purpose is to create an illusion that gravity does not exist
- she thought we should feel gravity
how did duncan describe ballet
degenerate and a living death
- thought the training led to the deformation of the beautiful women’s body
t or f: duncan’s style of dance was improvised
false
natural costume and set design way in which that naturalist movement was manifest in duncan’s dance
- believed the naked body was natural and should not be concealed by layers of costumes
- her costume barely covered her body (bare legs, no shoes)
- set was a blue carpet with blue curtain hanging behind
was the natural costume and set design in line with or against the hellenistic movement
in line with - they too say nakedness as beauty
was duncan’s costume similar to others at the time
no, very different from say ballet costumes (tight tutti, pink tights, point shoes
when had dress reforms for women began to emerge
at the end of the 19th century
t or f: duncan’s costumes were not shocking
false, they were quite shocking
was duncan’s style of costume sexual
no, it was sacred and spiritual, a celebration of the human body
- aspect of naturalism
where did duncan perform
not always in theatres, sometimes in salon in high art and cultured home
(took her curtains and carpets with her)
when did the neo-romantic movement emerge
mid 19th century
what did neo-romanticism emphasize
emotion over reason
- feelings and intuition were more important than ideas and thoughts
- emotional expression
how did neo-romanticism see art
only having value when it stimulated the emotions of the viewer
what was the resurgence of romanticism in the 20th century
neo-romanticism
t or f: duncan was called a neo-romantic
true, she inspired great passion in her audiences
duncan’s critics
were either passionate admirers or cynical and rejected her
- never dispassionate or indifferent
where was duncan most popular
europe rather than the US
what did duncan try to separate the idea of dance as
entertainment and as art
why was duncan not very popular
she was too ahead of her time, people weren’t ready for her approach to dance (entertainment vs. art)
t or f: duncan was an early feminist
believe that women could have children before wedlock, she danced when she was pregnant
what was duncan’s dance school
isadora duncan dance school in germany
students of duncan’s dance school
18-20 girls age 4-10 were boarded and educated free of charge
- basically became family to her
who taught at duncan’s school
her and her sister elizabeth
when did duncan’s school close
1908 (open 5 years)
duncan’s second school
isadorables
- created with her and 6 girls from the original school
isadorables
toured and danced with duncan
who did duncan adopt
the 6 girls from her school that helped form her second school
what were duncan’s major contributions to dance
- one of the founders of the modern dance movement
- pioneer of dance movement based on natural and spiritual laws
- first to promote the idea of modern dance as a serious art form, not just entertainment
what became a major theatre dance form in the 20th century
modern dance
what was duncan’s style of dance called
the barefooted aesthetic dance
what styles of dance were there at the time of duncan
just hers and ballet
what would not have happened without duncan
the modern dance development would not have developed
did duncan enjoy entertaining people
no, if they didn’t like it, she moved on
