Lecture 2 Flashcards
how did ruth st. denis approach dance
as a medium of religious expression
what was ruth st. denis inspired by
dances of many different cultures (egypt, india, china, japan, spain, etc.)
- she was inspired by the specific dances within these cultures
were the dance from specific cultures that inspired ruth st. denis authentic
no, as she never studied them by visiting the countries, and didn’t care whether they were authentic
description of ruth st. denis dances
spiritual themes with theatrical presentations
- charismatic
- mystic aura
- sensual
ruth st. denis knew she should be successful if she gave the audiences what
bright and colourful dance
- with spirituality but through a medium they could relate to
what is ruth st. denis referred to as
mother of modern dance
how did ruth st. denis study the dances of other cultures
from books and pictures
t or f: ruth st. denis was loved by her audiences
true
what did ruth st. denis use dance as medium to express
religious beliefs
- she saw dance as a language for communicating spiritual, divine messages to her audience
what did ruth st. denis believe in in terms of the body
the divinity of the body, the body as well as the spirit was divine
- you communicated spiritual truths with this body
Rada
one of the types of religious dances ruth st. denis performed
- very sensual, colourful, and theatrical
company ruth st. denis formed
the denishawn company
school ruth st. denis formed
denishawn school with partner ted shawn
denishawn company
highly successful productions
- toured widely in america and europe (sometimes an entire year)
- lavish
- huge (men and women)
what was the denishawn school the first american dance school respectable enough for what
children of upper and middle class families - ballet not seen as respectable prior t o
what did the students at the denishawn dance school study
all kinds of dance styles: gymnastics, oriental dance, egyptian dance, ballet, barefoot aesthetic dance, creative dance
t or f: students at the denishawn dance school studied denis’ style of dance
false, hers was all of the dances from many different cultures
where was the denishawn dance school
outside in LA
part of naturalistic movement
impact of the denishawn dance school
nurtured the next generation of modern dance pioneers in north america (Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Charles Wiedman)
ruth st. denis costumes and sets
elaborate, colourful, extravagant
what was ruth st. denis use of theatricality influenced by
vaudeville
vaudeville
mis of dances from different cultures
public response to ruth st. denis
highly successful both with audiences and critics
where did ruth st. denis tour
america, france, germany, england, austia, hungray
3 contributions of ruth st. denis
- founded a school + company that nurtured the next generation of modern dancers
- developed a wide audience for modern dance in the US
- made the study of dance a respectable activity for all classes
founded a school + company that nurtured the next generation of modern dancers contribution of denis
- became the vehicle for continuing this new form of modern dance
developed a wide audience for modern dance in the US contribution of denis
incorporated traditions and practices of the popular vaudeville into the world of serious concert dance
who started the first all male dance company
ted shawn: ted shawn and his men dancers
dancers at ted shawn’s company
very physical, strong, muscular
where did shawn get his dancers from
physical education faculties in universities in the US
where was shawn’s company staged
a farm house in Massachusetts: jacob’s pillow
what was shawn’s company responsible for
establishing a legitimate place for the male dancer as more than a porter of the ballerina
what did shawn give audiences that had not yet been seen before
a strong male physical presence onstage
how did shawn help male dancers
created a legitimate place for them onstage in modern dance
- revived the publics interest
where did shawn’s company tour
small towns
who taught at jacobs pillow
joe pilates
how were classes at shawn’s company taught
outdoors
what event occurs at jacobs pillow still today
the jacobs pillow dance festival and summer school
who was shawn married to
denis
though they separated when their school closed
what did both duncan and denis do
made contributions to the new art form of modern dance, though in very different ways
