Rambert

Question 1

Describe romantic ballet

Answer 1

Mid 1800s Paris
An escape, fictious, imagiation, emotion, expression
Folk, mime
Bell tu tu
Narrative
Supernatrual creatures

Question 2

Describe classical ballet

Answer 2

Early 1900s Russia
Corpse de ballet, always on pointe, simplicity, artistic restraint, technique, divertissement, straight tu tu, no new choreography or diversity

Question 3

Describe American modern dance

Answer 3

1900s America
Diversity, freedom of the body, self expression, American reflection of culture and society, never defined by a style
The fore runners and Martha Graham

Question 4

Describe Graham technique

Answer 4

Experiments with contraction, release and sprial
Exploring the raw nature of the body
Sharp angular movements
Starts on the floor
Opposes ballet in every way

Question 5

Describe Cunningham technique

Answer 5

Balletic quality
Seperation of music and dance
Chance choreography
Movement for movements sake

Question 6

AQA defenition of modern dance

Answer 6

a form of theatrical dancing which began in the early 20th C origionally in the opposition to the formality of ballet sometimes known as contemporary

Question 7

Describe american new dance

Answer 7

1960s america
Movement based of everyday behaviour, improvisation, non- dancers, no technique

Question 8

Describe 1960s Britian

Answer 8

Rapid social, political, cultrual change in Britian
British pop culture exploaded and was exported around the world
People wanting to be different from the norm
Rebellion of the youth against their parents

Question 9

Why did Rambert have the policy changes in 1966?

Answer 9

Graham and modern dance was coming to Britian and they needed to adapt to keep up with the changes
Audiences were looking for an alternative to ballet
No time for experimental/ new work, touring under poor conditions, no time for teaching

Question 10

What were the policy changes?

Answer 10

Chamber orchestra
no corspe de ballet (smaller co)
less touring
new works whilst preserving the existing history
company class was extened to ballet AND graham technique

Question 11

What did Norman Morrice do for the company as AD?

Answer 11

1966 - 74
Bought in American choreographers
Went to America and reseached Graham and Cunningham
Began choreography workshops for dancers
Encouraged dancers to think more creatively
Retained old works in the company
Started Dance Unit - a small group of dancers teaching and performing ahead of the company to prepare audiences
Re introduced international touring
Bertram Battels sideshow - educational dance show for kids

Question 12

Summarise Marie Ramberts training

Answer 12

Unimpressed by the structure and performance of ballet
Joined the ballet russes under Diaglihev
Introduced to Eurythmics (improvisation exploring a personal relationship between movement and music)
Helped with Rite of Spring
In the corpse de ballet for Giselle and Swan Lake

Question 13

Describe Embrace Tiger and Return to Mountain

Answer 13

Glen Tetley 1974
Theme
Inspired by chinese calisthenics, aims to develop mental and physical well being
Aural

Visual
Silver, mirror- like floor which reflected the lighting
Blue fabric which the dancers could emerge from
Fitted lycra unitards to show off the movement in pink, yellow and orange, the same for male and female to remove any heirachy
Movement
Balletic style - pirrouettes and leaps
American modern and tai chi styles
Dancers
10 male 10 female (equal)

Question 14

Describe Pierrot Lunaire

Answer 14

Glen Tetley 1967
From Itallian comedia dell arte two stock characters Pierrot and Columbine exploring their relationship
Visual
Metal scaffholding resembling a childs climbing frame relating to the childish nature of his character
Cosutme - white clown like costume and make up with white painted face and dark eyes
Aural
German poems from the origional Pierrot Lunaire composition spoke- sung which connect to his character
The piece begins with singular twinkling piano notes showing his dreamy character, as the poems begin more instruments layer each other creating chaos and tension by the random plucking of insturments like a violin
Movement
Hangs over backwards over the top pole creating a C shape with his body rocking back and forth (repeated motif) , jumps in between gaps in the frame in an acrobatic way
He reaches out to her as he watched her dance on the floor from the top of the frame showing his unrequited love which is emphasised by the distance between them
Graham technique is seen in the contraction and relsease of the torso when he is on the floor kicking his legs mimicking a child having a tantrum - showing his childish personality as he can’t get what he wants (Columbine)
Dancers

Question 15

Analyse the first poem of Pierrot Lunaire

Answer 15

The first poem, ‘Moondrunk’ talks of an obsessive dreamer: “skyward he directs his dizzy head, then reeling, gulps and slurps down…” This directly correlates to the reaching and grabbing gestures Pierrot performs at the start, where he looks up to the sky and cups his hand as he reaches upwards, zig-zagging his hand back down towards his mouth, as if he is catching moonbeams and gulping them. This is further supported by the blue lighting which washes the stage and gradually lightens as a white spot fades in, setting a relaxed evening scene as if the moon was really above, showering Pierrot.

Question 16

What are the key stylistic features of rambert in 1966 - 74?

Answer 16

ballet and modern (graham) style
less traditional set and costume
less orchestra music
closer collabiration between sound and movement

Question 17

What did John Chesworth do for the company?

Answer 17

1974 - 80
Introduced technology for the company - creating works for flim and the BBC
Introduced matinee performances
Continued Morrices ethos of nurturing choreographic new talents and encoraging dancers to be more cretaive
Invited Robert North and Siobhan Davies from LSCD
Continued Bertam Battels sideshow but re branded it as take a running jump (education and entertainment)
Set up Rambert academy which was a training school linked to the company. Pro training in ballet and contemporary and A levels in several subjects

Question 18

Describe Cruel Garden

Answer 18

Christopher Bruce 1977
Evening length piece made into a movie
Based on the life and writings of a Spanish playwright’s life whose poetry expressed his ideas on fascism and oppression of minority groups represented through a bull fighter who stands up against the crowd just like he did in his life
The title ‘Cruel Garden’ refers to a painting showing a dying bull decorated in flowers. It explores the pain and suffering but beauty of death. Cruel Garden suggests that in order for something to flourish there has to be some suffering. This is what Lorca (poet) did by dying he increased awareness of oppression of minority groups.
VISUAL
Performed in the roundhouse theatre in London with a bull- ring set – rounded sides to create a claustrophobic feeling
Made of blood splattered wood
Smoke machine, flickering strobe lighting, dappled lighting for the garden
Face masks used like in Italian commedia de’larte
Prop – banderillos a Spanish sharp stick used in bull fighting to kill the bull
AURAL
The music included spoken text in Spanish of Lorca’s poetry – Spanish themes including flamenco and catholic religious music
Use of sound affects such as birdsong and a machine gun
MOVEMENT
Starts with Lorca climbing over the wall and crawling on the floor. This shows Bruces style of characterisation through movement trying to portray him as innocent and childlike but also suspicious.
Mime work – he brings his hands to his mouth like he is giggling, the bull brings his hands above his head to create horns – characterisation through gestures
The bull – charges at Lorca with leaps representing the Spanish fascists, ‘stabbed’ by the poet with the banderillos (stick used in bull fighting)
The bulls hold Lorca’s limp body in the air, his limbs are floppy, and he has no control over his movement as he is dead

Question 19

What are the stylistic qualities of Christopher Bruce?

Answer 19

Motif development, strong symbloic movments and repeated images

Question 20

Describe the Tempest

Answer 20

Glen Tetley 1979
A film based on the Shakespeare play - a fleet of English vessels run into a hurricane
Movement
Ballet + graham fusion - contractions with lyrical qualities (fluid movment)
Visual
Massive white sheet covering the floor of the stage used to created stretched abstract shapes and made to look like clouds - he told the dancers to experiment with the silk and then he chose what he liked
Also linked to the sails on the ships in the origional tempest
Aural
Used the origional music from the play

Question 21

What did Robert North do for the company?

Answer 21

1981-86
Continued the ethos of preserving the classical foundations of the company whilst nurtuing new talent
Believed Rambert should be a strong musical company - he had a strong interest with music being a starting point and design coming later, the music dictated the emotion of the movement
Employed overseas choreographers (Cunningham)
The Rambert school offered scholarships and merged with the academy
Became the time of focusing on BRITISH work on a BRITISH company
Encoraged more complex visual design
Experience with an eclectic range of styles - jass, flamenco as well as graham and ballet
Wanted works to be more accesible with plotless works and traditional/ universal themes
Continued education - did performances at school matinees

Question 22

Describe Lonely Town Lonely Street

Answer 22

Robert North (1980)
Theme
Brings to life the characters from Picasso paintings, about a lonley person in a big city
Movement
Jazz, inspired by soul music
Pedestrian and gesture - walking around the city, patting on the back
Dancers walk around in a grid formation to represent the structure of American cities
The dancers are all in a line and one girl tried to break through but they all turn their backs to her - lonliness
Visual
Set - run down city in America, buildings, shops, benches, rubbish on the floor, neon signs
Costume - casual, colourful, symbolic of urban life
Dancers
young dancers
Aural
American pop music - Ain’t no sunshine

Question 23

What did Richard Alston do for the company?

Answer 23

1980-92
Shifted towards an abstract, modernist aesthetic inspired by Cunningham
Developed a distinctive house style - painterly set designs and contemporary music
Invited American modern choreographers - Trisha Brown and Cunningham
Introduced the idea that dance should be created for its own sake and not to support a narrative
Co founded Strider which was a small independant company from larger established ones which allowed them more choreographic freedom and exploration

Question 24

Describe Soda Lake

Answer 24

Richard Alston (1986)
Theme
A choreographic response to Nigel Halls sculpture
Visual
White intense light needed for recording
black leotards, flared trousers and bare feet - designed for a male or female role
Movement
The dance reffers to the lines and shapes of the sculpture - standing under the circle and tracing it with his hand
Cunningham technique
Movement refferes to small desert animals in the Mojave desert like small rapid flurries of movement and the senital pose like an animal looking over its teritory
Bird pose - in attitude with arms up like a bird
The scultpure acts like an anchor for the dance as when the movement goes out into the space it always comes back
Aural
Performed in silence so the movement can be focused on

Question 25

Describe Wildlife

Answer 25

Richard Alston (1984)
Theme
Inspired by differernt cultures with indeginous folk dance, the set represetning a jungle
Visual
Lighting used to define the kites to cast shadows making them look bigger and more 3D
Costume - geometric designs, vivid colours, fitted so can see the dancers body - cunningham influence
Set - zig zags of red and white oversied kites
Movement
Dancers can move inbetween the kites and choose to be seen or not
Cunningham, graham technique
Aural
bird sounds

Question 26

Describe section 1 of Pulcinella

Question 27

What did Christopher Bruce do for the company?

Answer 27

Revived it and returned it back to its heritage
Wanted to return it back to its respected place in dance by inviting guest choreographers and targeting big names
The high demand for work at the time bought the company back financial stability
Contributed choreorgaphy with political themes and social observations and nurtured new talent still

Question 28

Describe Rooster

Answer 28

Christopher Bruce (1994)
Themes
1960s Britian (autobiographical)
Gender battles
Visual
Minimal staging so it doesn’t get in the way of movment
1960s dresses and suits, colourful velvet for the men with individual clashing colours but the same dress for the women
Movement
Rooster strut, jumping and flapping wings
Men grooming themselves
Aural
Music by the rolling stones which split the piece up into eight differernt sections clearly marked. Music links to the movement and the story line of the piece

Question 29

What is Glen Tetleys background?

Answer 29

American
Began dancing on broadway
Trained in modern dance under Graham
Trained in ballet

Question 30

What is Glen Tetleys choreographic style?

Answer 30

A blend between ballet and modern
Wanted the emotion of modern dance mixed with the light airy movement of classical ballet
Uses movement to convey his ideas on themes from myth, music, theatre and litrature

Question 31

Describe Alstons choreographic style and what influenced it

Answer 31

Alstons choreography is balletic and contemporary sometimes with acrobatic/ gymnastics features. He had an interest in set, spacing and archetecure as seen in soda lake with Nigel Halls sculpture and in Wildlife with the kites. He likes the choreography to speak for itself and belive it doesn’t need to be supported by a narrative which is seen in Soda Lake which is performed in silence so the movement can be foucsed on.
Alstons abstract set and movement was inspired by Cunninghams work when he went to work at Merce Cunningham dance studios. Strider allowed him to explore choreographically and freedom being an independant small company.

Question 32

Describe how the music in pierrot lunaire connects to his character

Answer 32

When he comes off his scaffholding there is a big crash sound on the piano and the music gets louder and faster. This shows he is anxious and scared being out of his comfort zone off the scafholding

Question 33

How was Nigel Halls sculpture created?

Answer 33

The veiw of hte Mojave desert was drawn over and over again becoming more simple until it was only a couple of lines which was then made into the scultpure

Question 34

Describe Ghost Dancers

Answer 34

Christopher Bruce (1981)
Theme
Day of the dea, mexian culture, political oppresion, ghosts represent the bad dictator and the villagers suffer
Movement
graham, ballet, folk, pedestrian
Aural
South American music, sound effects of drips and wind
Visual
Set - backdrop of the mouth of a cave - the audience are in the cave looking out
Costume -