Theatre Test 2 Flashcards
Understand the four distinguishing characteristics of sound in music.
- Pitch
- Dynamics
- Timbre(tone color)
- Duration
Define sound(noise):
Sound(noise): anything that stimulates the auditory nerve, exists in waves.
What is the definition of pitch?
Quality that allows us to classify a sound as relatively high or low
Review cycle. What classifies a cycle? How do we measure a pitch with cycles?
Cycle: one complete vibration of the sound wave
Pitch is measured by cycles per second or Hertz(Hz)
Pitch A440 equals 440 cycles per second
What is the difference between an interval and an octave
Interval- space between two pitches (half or full step)
Octave- interval between two duplicating pitches
Define Timbre
What is fundamental
What is harmonics
Timbre (tone color): quality of a tone that distinguishes it from another tone at the same pitch
Fundamental: the frequency you clearly perceive.
Harmonics: other frequencies found in the pitch
Define duration
Duration: length of time a vibration continues without interruption
What is a beat
a. What is Meter?
b. What is accent?
Beat: individual pulse, basic unit of time in music
Meter- beats clustered into regular units, double, triple, quadruple meter
Accent- emphasis on particular beat
Define harmony:
2 or more tones sounding at the same time
What is the difference between dissonance and consonance?
Dissonance- harmonies that sound tense and unstable
Consonance: harmonies that sound pleasant and stable
Understand the difference between monophony, homophony and polyphony
- Monophony: single line without accompaniment(same notes, same time, in unison)ex. The sound of Silence
- Homophony: chords accompany one musical melody
- Polyphony: “many sounding” 2+ melodic lines of relatively equal interest performed at the same time
Define A Cappella
Music created using only the human voice
Which family of instruments is most numerous in the orchestra?
Violin family
What are the three methods for playing a woodwind instrument? Which woodwind instruments can be found in each category?
Played 3 ways
Air blown directly through instrument
Air blown indirectly through a reed
Air blown indirectly through 2 reeds clamped tightly together with a small space between
What instruments can be found in the brass family?
a. What is the function of the valves?
b. What instrument does not utilize valves in the brass family?
French horn
Trumpet
Trombone
Tuba
Valves control the amount of airflow to achieve varying pitches
Trombone does not use valves
Define definite pitch and indefinite pitch as found in the percussion family and which instruments are found in these two categories?
Definite pitch- produces a clear fundamental pitch, can be sung (bells, xylophone, marimba)
Indefinite pitch- produce no recognizable specific pitch (drums, triangle, cymbals,gong)
How is sound produced from a piano, a harpsichord and an organ?
Piano- percussion
Harpsichord- plucked string
Organ- wind
Define repetition pattern
Relationship of movements to each other as the dance progresses.
What is the difference between mime and pantomime dance?
Mime- suggests movements we associate with people or animals or employs any sign language
Pantomime- movement is “acting-out” dramatic action without words. Dancer takes on a character.
What are the three main types of dance, and what does each do?
Narrative
-tells a story
Abstract
-expresses aspects of human emotion or condition
Divertissement “diversion”
-the absence of narrative or abstract ideas.
What are the five elements of dance discussed in class?
- Body(main outlet for communication in dance)
- Action&Energy(any human movement included in the act of dance.. Quality of force used in movement)
- Space(physical area in which the body moves)
- Time(beat,tempo,duration,rhythm)
- Relationship(overall cohesiveness of dance elements to produce a unified work)
Define mise-en-scene
Visual theatrical elements that support a dance
Define Labanotation
Written system of movement notation
How is line and form achieved in dance?
The dancers body creates line and form
Define dynamics in dance
Dynamics in dance can invoke different ideas or emotions from the same movements.
What are the 3 court dances we watched in class
Pavan- processional dance, means “peacock” for the ladies dresses
Galliard- more lively dance, includes hops and leaps
Volt- more suggestive, women lifted by men
Define locomotor and non-locomotor
Locomotor- body moving from one place to another
Non-locomotor: body moving while anchored to one spot
What are pathways in dance?
The route/movement taken from A to B
Who was Catherine De’ Medici, and how did she contribute to the development of dance?
Queen of France 1547-1559
She Introduced Court Ballet; a program that included dance, decor, costume, song, music and poetry
Who was the monarch that loved dance and frequently danced in court ballets?
Louis XIV(1638-1715)
Who is credited with inventing (or codifying) the 5 basic positions in ballet?
Pierre Beauchamp
How did the proscenium stage change ballet?
Separated the dancers from the audience
Emphasized the importance of turnout
Women allowed on stage 1681
What is Marie Camargo known for?
Known for speed, agility and executing jumping stems previously only done by men
Raised skirt to show off foot work
What is Marie Salle known for?
1730’s left Paris for London
Costume innovations: discarded masks, headdresses, hoop skirts and jewels
First woman to choreograph dances she performed, integrated music, costume and choreograph with theme of ballet
During what era or time period did the ballerina become the dominant figure in ballet?
Romanticism (late 18th century to late 19th century)
What is Marie Taglioni known for?
Most famous ballerina of the Romantic era
Perfected en pointe technique
New costume: calf-length tulle skirt and sleeve-less bodice
What was modern dance revolting against?
Formalized movement
What technical area of theatre did Loie Fuller advance w/ new innovations?
Inventor- stagecraft lighting(chemicals for gels, slides, and luminescent salts for lighting color and effect)
What is Isadora Duncan known for? (1877-1927)
Credited as first dancer to present modern dance to the public
Drew inspiration for movement from nature
Danced in flowing, Greek tunic-like garments
Expressive dance: movements were expressing the inner-man/soul.
What school did Ruth St. Denis found with her husband?
Ruth & Husband(Ted Shawn) created Denishawn School: first great American dance company
What is Mary Wigman known for?
Choreographer of German Expressionism
Extremely connected to space: dancer engages the forces within herself with those forces that press in from the outside
No movement is bad or ugly
Emancipated dance from music
- silence
- percussion
What is Martha Graham known for, and what dances did she create?
Considered mother of modern dance
Sharp, abrupt, angular movements
Contraction and release technique based on breathing. Focuses on the body on tight contraction.
Explored the psychological conditions of American life- man vs. society or man vs. himself
What is the main difference between World Concert/Ritual and Folk dance?
Folk- A dance that originated among, and what transmitted through, the common people of a region, country or specific group of people
Main Focus: To provide social activity, often a community participation activity.
Preserve cultural heritage of community
WORLD- Concert and ceremonial dances specific to a country and culture
- specific music
- often ceremonial function:ritual dance
Main focus: often performed for an audience. The audience DOES NOT participate
What are the roots of Jazz dance?
Bob Fosse(1927-1987)
Grew up tap dancing in burlesque clubs: infused his dance with sexuality and dark humor.
His own body image issues informed his dancing
Katherine Dunham
- Studied ballet
- study anthropology at Unicersity. Her dance is an anthropological look at a people’s culture through their dance heritage
- The Dunham technique: fused movements of Caribbean and African dance culture with European ballet.
What influenced Bob Fosse’s style?
Infused his dance with sexuality and dark humor
His own body image issues informed his dancing
What choreographer took an anthropological perspective on dance?
Katherine Dunham
What is tap dancing a mix of?
Born out of African drum rhythms mixed with traditional European step dancing.
Uniquely American art form
