Robert North Flashcards
When was RN named Artistic Director?
1981
When did RN resign as Artistic Director?
1986.
What were RN’s Key Contributions to Rambert?
Occasional invitations were made to overseas choreographers such as Merce Cunningham.
North was known as a populist, he developed a repertoire that proved to be popular with audiences at home and abroad.
Developed the physicality, musicality and dramatic quality of the dancers.
Continued Chesworth’s focus on dance education - he used episodes from Lonely Town, Lonely Street at school matinees to show ‘extended gesture’ in creating movement, which communicated the range of human emotion.
List Robert North’s Influences.
Ballet - He attended the Royal Ballet Upper School 1965-1967
Matt Mattox - Isolation and Rhythm.
Martha Graham - Studied Graham style as LSCD, then danced with her company 1968-1969.
Music - Usually sets the context, theme or narrative for the work. Movements are in Correlation with the music.
Art - Studied Architecture at Central School of Art. London in 1963.
Explain Robert North’s Choreographic Style and Features.
Movement material that reflects the structure of the music’s accompaniment without just imitating it.
Thematic, Emotice and Entertaining Subject Matter.
Episodic Structure.
Motifs are symbolic and are repeated and developed for dramatic effect.
Important production elements - set, lighting, costume.
Movement Style a combined Ballet, Graham and Jazz with musicality and rhythmic awareness.
Explain Robert North’s Early Training and Background.
1968-69 he studied at the Royal Ballet School.
1966 he studied Contemporary, Jazz and Composition part time at LSCD.
1968-69 he studied and danced for Martha Graham Company and studied Cunningham in the US.
He taught Contemporary dance at the Royal Ballet School from 1979-1981.
