1
Inside Out is
a dance choreographed by Diana Schuemann. It is paired with video and design by
Jessica Moritz, a mixed media artist. Though Diana Schuemann could not perform
this piece at film festivals scheduled in Spring 2020 due to the Coronavirus
outbreak, she nonetheless posted the video online for people to watch and
enjoy. The dance is performed in a storefront window for the public to see from
the sidewalk and street.
The dance moves
are very dramatic, architectural, slow moving, and almost robotic. The piece is
not very graceful, but it is nonetheless a very inspiring and eye-opening
piece. It seems to show that the dancer is confined to a small box, and she
cannot move as freely as she would like. Therefore, the choreography is
squeezed into a small box so that the artist has less range to move around. The
lighting in this video is casted by the natural light from the street. The
glare on the windows is evident, and cars even occasionally pass by, reflecting
their images onto the dancer. Though this can seem somewhat distracting, it
also shows the rawness of the dance. The dancer seems as though she longs to
escape the trapped world that she is in, but the busy public keeps passing by
and does not let her free. In the piece,
Diana Schuemann wears all black while performing; this also sends the rather
grim message that the dancer is confined and unable to express her true self.
The lack of music in the piece also makes this dance almost uncomfortable to
watch due to its lack of grace and rhythm.
The dance, though
unique and made from a combination of styles, is likely considered Modern
dance. Modern dance has a much more freestyle form than ballet; it also favors
movements that come from the expression of the dancer’s inner feelings. In this
piece, there is clearly emotion and feeling. Modern dance began in the late 19th
and early 20th centuries as a rejection of classical ballet. It
arose from both the United States and Germany during this time. Modern dance
grew throughout the mid 20th century and is still prominent today.
It created new ways to move and prompted rebellion against what one originally
thought of as “dance.” During the early 20th century, many other
historical uprisings took place against the typical “rules” of society, which
likely was reflected in the dance styles of the time.
Sleeping Beauty
New York Kathak Festival was created by the American Kathak community, in projection to inspire creative exchange between diverse New York audiences and local Kathak artists. The first of its kind, the New York Kathak Festival was intended to bring the Kathak community together so that they could learn, share knowledge, and connect in the free event with discussions dance styles, concerts and workshops. The recent New York Kathak Festival was conducted to present and promote scholars, dancers, and practitioners of Kathak dancing style. It is a classical dance with roots traced to India. The aim was to produce a festival which would bring together renowned and emerging artists from across the United States and all around the world.
2
Kennedy Stewart
Dr. Morejón
Dan 130 – 54
April 13, 2020
Sleeping Beauty Online
Because of our current situation due to COVID-19, I chose
to watch the State Street Ballet’s: Sleeping Beauty online. I picked
this specific performance because as a child I loved this movie and Aurora was
always my favorite princess. The performance begins with very fairy-tale like
music and a partnered dance. I believe the music choice for this entire
production was very appropriate. It allowed you and its audience to feel more
than one specific emotion. It made the scene either peaceful, energetic and fun
but also made some dramatic and intense.
I felt like I could be there with
them. Their outfits were very classic and simple. They had some sweet looking
costumes as well as very time specific traditional villager and noble men/women
costumes. You clearly could tell who the main characters were regardless of
watching the entire performance or not due to the detailed elegance each
costume provided us with. The lighting and stage pieces were very simple and
basic, just a few “multicolored glass stained windows” in the background,
however it’s understandable due to their premiere being canceled. However, it
was performed with the same attitude I would have predicted they all would have
had on their actual opening night.
It did not seem like a practice run at all.
I honestly didn’t even notice the “lack of” stage pieces and decorations. I was
too focused on the dances themselves. The movements were all so technically
correct it made my heart smile. From the lifts to the twist and turns to kicks
and dips, everything was so precise and flowed so easily. They had to have
spent weeks practicing to get everything looking the way it did. There were
solos, duets, and group pieces; each performed with such passion. The timing of
their movements were so in sync it was so pretty to watch. You could follow
along to the story-line as the dances and show moved on. I believe this production
was obviously a ballet and easily could have been performed during the Italian
Renaissance in the fifteenth century. At the end of the entire performance, you
could tell all of these dancers were incredibly proud of them and the
production they put on as they should’ve been.
3
DAN130
Name:
Siyi He
Professor:
Morejon Jorge
Date:
April 21,2020
Review Paper: Saint Matthew Passion
Ballet is one of the most popular dances in
the world. It is one of the most beautiful and graceful dances which can easily
catch the attention of anyone. I used to see ballet dances from kiddie shows,
and it caught my attention. Seeing those illusions of a flying princess or
prince, I know that every dance moves of every ballerina tell a story. Those
stories behind every ballet piece fascinate me. Since I am passionate about
ballet, I decided to write a paper about ballet; particularly the dance
entitled “Saint Matthew Passion” by John Neumeier, its
origin, current practice, and how it affects me personally.
The “Saint Matthew Passion” like
any ballet classic has a unique history and development. This ballet piece now
popularized by John Neumeier is originally a Hamburg ballet classical by Bach.
It tells about an essential religious subject matter, the Passion of Christ.
The story that the dance piece portrays is deeply sentimental that when
Neumeier saw it, he was moved (Stahl, 2020). He promised himself that he would
choreograph that beautiful masterpiece someday. Fortunately enough, Neumeier
realized that dream and by staging his version in New York. From a great work
performed in a church in Hamburg, Neumeier brought the dance in a big
theatrical production (Kisselgoff, 1983). Another re-production of the ballet
performance was scheduled this month at the Hamburg State Opera, but has been
cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a popular ballet dance with a deep story
to tell, the current practices of the dance have changed over time. Neumeier
successfully created a danced mystery play that fits this secular age
(Kisselgoff, 1983). As I watch the short clip of the dance online, I am
impressed with how the choreography translates to a beautiful rendition of the
suffering of Christ. With a new generation of dancers, every movement has
excellent intensity and conviction that became a vehicle of expressing a
memorable part of the bible story of the Christians. Owning his version of the
dance, he gives the spectators an American view of everything and an American
modern-dance production (Kisselgoff, 1983). Although he kept the platform steps
that provide an over-all dramatic effect, he introduces his concept in the
dance through the dancers wearing white, plain-garb (Stahl, 2020). With that, I
can see the efforts of Neumeier for his version of the gospel of Saint Matthew.
Looking back at my interest in ballet since
then, the ballet dance version of Neumeier added to that interest. Even if
people will not know the names of the characters portrayed by each dancer, but
very glide and moves represent a moving story. The dance reminded me of when my
teacher took us through some basic ballet moves in class. As I practiced the
moves, I feel in love with the dance. The interactions in class as we executed
some basic steps were truly memorable for me. So, when I watched the short clip
of the ballet dance version of Neumeier, it strikes an excellent memory to me
again. I know it takes a lot of hard work and discipline to execute every
ballet moves. That is why it gives me the impression that ballet is genuinely a
dance that entails so much training, not just of the grace of movements.
Indeed, a ballet dance quickly stood out
among other dances. While watching the “Saint Matthew Passion” by
John Neumeier, it captivated me. Its history, development, current practices
have given me a favorable impression of ballet in general. I may not become
like a graceful ballerina, but surely I will continue to be passionate about
ballet. And like the ballerina, I will embrace the value of discipline and hard
work that ballet characterized ballet dance.
References
Stahl, J. (2020). The Dance Performances That Have Gone Online.
Dance Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.dancemagazine.com/dance-performances-online-26455010.html.
Kisselgoff,
A. (1983). Ballet: Hamburg gives
Neumeier’s ‘Matthew Passion.’ New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/29/arts/ballet-hamburg-gives-neumeier-s-matthew-passion.html.
4
Shulin Wu
Professor Jorge Luis Morejon
DAN130
04/14/2020
Dance review
I have been learning dance since I was a
child. I really like to watch dance performances and I always pay attention to
some great dancers like Siting Qiu. Although I rarely practice dancing because
of heavy schoolwork, I always watch dance shows because I enjoy the feelings
brought by watching other dancing. One of the dance performances I watched
recently was a dance competition called “Dance Smash”, which gathered lots of great
dancers who performed in different dance types and competed with each other to
be the winner. There are various types of dances in this competition such as: Ballet,
Modern Dance, Classical Dance, Latin Dance, and Street Dance. My favorite performance
in the competition was a Ballet show called "Light Chaser".
Ballet which was originated in Italy in
the 15th century. Ballet used to be a court dance and was usually
performed for celebrations. The King of France Louis XIV loved Ballet and
promoted it in France. He even set up a dance school to teach Ballet. The
culture of Ballet gradually spread to the whole Europe and later to the whole
world. Ballet as a type of pure art, has another characteristic of being dramatic.
Ballet shows are valuable for people to watch since most of the shows are
created based on a story, with beautiful songs as backgrounds, which could
always bring the audiences a sense of enlightenment.
In the competition, the Ballet show I
loved was a dramatic Ballet dance brought by Yifan Zhang and Hongyi Fu. The
dance intends to show a story that a boy loves a girl who is as bright as a
star, and would like to follow her and accompany her even the girl never look
at him. The overall dance is formed by some classical techniques of Ballet,
such as lifting and spinning, to express the feelings of detachment. Since it
is a dramatic dance, the audiences can feel that the boy is following the girl,
but the girl never pay attention to him. Although the two dancers provided an
excellent show and did a good job on bring people into their sad love story, I feel
that they still need to improve their dance skills. All
in all, Ballet’s charm attracts me continuing watching dance shows, and enjoy
the beauty of it.
5
Jorge
Luis Morejon
Dan
130
April
24, 2020
Live Performance Critique:
Waldeinsamkeit
Waldeinsamkeit
I have watched the video of Hoyoung Im’s rehearsal of Waldeinsamkeit in the link. It is an amazing modern dance
piece, and it is a solo performance by a male dancer in a dancing room. In the
introduction, it is unbelievable that the whole dance piece such as music
choreography and performance all are completed by himself. Therefore, I choose
to watch this video and pay attention on three elements of this performance
which are music, choreography and dance abilities. All of the three elements
are critical in creating an atmosphere of sadness.
About
the music of this dance, it creates a sad atmosphere with mainly piano playing.
It also includes another instrument which is the cello in the middle part of
the music. The melody is really soft and peaceful with slow rhyme, which
emphasize the sadness of the atmosphere. This music and dance blend with each
other perfectly.
About
the choreography, all the movements are emotional and expressing the sadness. This
is what learn in the class, many dancing styles are telling stories and express
the thoughts, emotions of the dancers. The movements are in variety but some
are unified, and the flow are really beautiful. Most of the movements are
groundwork, he falls, lies and rolls on the floor. There are also some
movements on the middle and high level. For example, in the beginning, he slowly
withdraws backwards with small several steps. Also, he kneels on the ground and
he creeps backwards in quick steps. These movements all showing he is
struggling and wandering in pain. Then the audience can feel his emotions in a
clear way.
About the
dance abilities, he has flexing bodies and strong basis of dancing skills. He
also understands how to use his skills and bodies to show his sorrow. He is also
proficient in catching the rhythm and adjusting the speed of the actions. When
is in the struggling, he slows down his movements and stay close to the ground.
But when he changes the level of the actions, he changes and doing the
transition action in a quick way, which is flowing and also express the small
emotions changes.
In
conclusion，I really enjoy this dance
piece and appreciate his talents as a musician, choreographer and dancer. Even
though the costumes, the lighting and the sets are really simple. He dresses the
black long-sleeved T shirt and sweatpants. About the lighting and sets, he
rehearses in a natural light in the dancing room during the day. In my opinion,
it can be in a dark environment and only shines a bright light following him
during the formal live dance on the stage. But his environment is also a key
feature of free modern dance. I have learned from a blog, which tells
simplicity and focus on dance as symbols of the dancing style. The lighting I
suggest is what I learn from the theatre performance in the class. All the
elements are focus on conveying messages and evokes empathy in the painful
atmosphere. He is really doing well in paying attention on dancing with the
music.
6
Leyao
Zhang
DAN
130
Youth
With You II: The Eve
Link: The Eve
Last
weekend, I saw a live show on the internet called “Youth With You II”. In this show, one
of the dance performances named “The Eve” was so impressive. This dance was performed
by seven girls, however, the original version was performed by men. The genre
is Kpop dance.
Kpop is Korean pop music which is a
combination of Korean, electronic, dance-pop, and hip-hop music. In the early
stages of k-pop formation, the emotions were mostly fanatical and flashy. The genre showed the rebellious psychology of
young people as it represented the aspirations of many young people. Most songs
have a fast rhythm and a strong sense of rhythm, suitable for dancing. They
often sing and dance at the same time, and the choreography is an important
factor in their popularity.
In addition to the fast-paced dance
genre, there are the slower lyric songs, which are better at expressing
emotions. In this
specific piece “The
Eve”, it somehow breaks the stereotype of women by showing their possibilities
in male band dancing. All of them were cool, and powerful in each movement. They
were showing perfect balance of sexy and handsome
styles. They were all wearing black and white costumes, which were very
uniform.
Since the dance is men’s team dance,
in order to staying cool, it requires lots of practice and basic skills. For
example, their crotches have to be sufficient to do the body wave and ensure
that the movement is not deformed as well. The stage lighting changed based on
the lyrics. There is one verse
that says “Through the thunder and lightning in the storm”, through which the
lighting kept blinking to mimic the thunder. Then the bright white light
disappeared, changing to red and purple. By using these warm colors, all the
audiences were brought to the climax of the dance.
The dancers showed eye contact with
the audiences. Even I, who was not watching the performance live was able to
feel a strong emotional connection with them. They were trying so hard to show
girl power and girls’ possibilities in every kind of dance. Thus, besides their beautiful movements,
the thing that inspired me the most, was their emotions behind the dance. From
their action and eye contact, I could feel their hard work and bravery in the face
of challenge.
7
Jiawei Yang
Jorge L. Morejón
DAN130-54
2020.5.4
Sleeping Beauty
I watched the “Sleeping Beauty” performance by State Street Ballet, and
really enjoyed it. It’s always said that, for a successful ballet performance,
the music, the dance movements, the gorgeous costumes, and the splendid stage
setting are indispensable. I always consider that only in this way can the
audience follow the dancers and enter the fantasy fairy tale kingdom. After
watching this short performance, however, I somewhat change my mind. There is
no doubt that ballet performances always have high requirements for stage art
to create a better visual illustration of the story. The dance movements and
feelings expressed, however, are more critical and can genuinely catch the
audience’s attention.
To start, I enjoyed the adagio of this short performance a lot. The male
dancer holds the female dancer to complete the choreography and show various
dance postures. The female dancer rotates and leaps and dances very lightly.
Both the male and the female dancers dance gracefully to this lyrical adagio. The
variation is also fabulous, forming a sharp contrast with those previous slow
moves.
The female dancer performs a series of fast dance steps. Dancing lightly
and gracefully, the female dancer perfectly combines complex and challenging
skills with the music. I think in the opening duo dance, both the male and the
female dancers are well-coordinated. Making harmonious movements together, they
both achieve seamless integrations of the entire dance performance. Even though
the stage settings are simple and crude, the dancers still manage to convey
their emotions, providing me with this fantastic experience.
Reference
Stahl, Jennifer. “Watch: Carolina Ballet.” Dance
Magazine, Dance Magazine, 4 May 2020,
www.dancemagazine.com/dance-performances-online-2645501079.html?rebelltitem=15#rebelltitem15.
8
Minghui Sun
DAN 130
May 5, 2020
The New York Kathak Festival
New York Kathak Festival was created by the American Kathak community, in projection to inspire creative exchange between diverse New York audiences and local Kathak artists. The first of its kind, the New York Kathak Festival was intended to bring the Kathak community together so that they could learn, share knowledge, and connect in the free event with discussions dance styles, concerts and workshops. The recent New York Kathak Festival was conducted to present and promote scholars, dancers, and practitioners of Kathak dancing style. It is a classical dance with roots traced to India. The aim was to produce a festival which would bring together renowned and emerging artists from across the United States and all around the world.
This year New York Kathak festival concert was
performed and conducted online because of the various restriction measures that
have been put in practice by governments to contain the spread of coronavirus which
includes a ban of mass gatherings. It was conducted on Saturday, April, 2011,
1.00 PM live on all online platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The invited artists performed Kathak, Ritual and Ceremony song. Some of the performers
were Tanveera Alam, Anindita Neogy Anaam, Amita Batra, Shivangi, Priya Persad
and Amita. The host was Poosta Bhardway. The performance hall was
professionally organized with the performing stage set with a variety of
instruments such as piano and guitars.
The show got a good reception on social media
platforms for example on facebook it had more than 23 thousands viewers. The
performers offered a bit of everything; a mix of gharanas and diverse styles in
the repertoire. We also see how the
performers have used Kathak which is storytelling art to shape their own
stories around the unique circumstances we are facing today. Viewers had an
opportunity to interact on live chats and share different ideas which seemed
likable to many.
Most of the performers focused on hardcore classical
kathak; the inspired movements excited the audience. One of the popular
performances was Lat Ulji Suljaja Balam
which is an expressive piece and was performed by Pallavi Degwekar Shaikh. It
is a storytelling piece which takes the perspective of Swadhinapatika the
nayika heroine who has her lover within her subjection. Mullar from Singapore
presented Dhanak After the Storm,
sharing her version for life after the pandemic. Tanveer Alam, a dancer from
Toronto, presented an invocation and technical compositions in teental.
Shivangi Dave who is a Singapore based artist
presented a Tarana in Taal Ektaai with presion and grace. It was a composition
by the living legend Pandit Birju Maharaj. Priya Persad performed technical
composition in Taal Dhamaar. She is a talented young dancer from Trinidad and
Tobago. In addition to the dance performance, she was capable of playing instruments.
Sunena Gupta who is passionate about conceptualizing contemporary social
message through the traditional lens of Kathak also offered her dance piece.
Rain is often used as a metaphor for rejuvenation and life, thus she played in
the performance with the metaphor imagining how life would be after the current
coronavirus pandemic. Ruee Gawarikar who is a New Jersey based dancer and
painter presented Thade Rahiyo in Baithak bhaav which is an expressive
performance where the dancer was seated and performed in an intimate setting.
This was a special treat given that we often don’t get to see baithak bhaav’s.
composition by living legend Pandit.
9
Dan130
J.Morejon
Haiming Hao
5/2/2020
Dance and Music
Review of "La La Land"
In this part, the author
is to review a screening of the song and dance drama "La La Land"
that was carried out in this semester, and appreciate the contrast and
presentation of dance and music to the stage effect. The "La La Land"
depicts a love story through a coherent form of dance. The opening part of the
classic long shot dance is a dance performed by different dancers in a huge
traffic jam with roads and cars as the background. In this dance scene, the
dancers have fewer responses to each other. It can be seen that there is no
obvious emotional relationship.
On the surface, it seems
that it cannot form a part of the text narrative. However, it seems that it can
also be understood if it is observed from a broader perspective. This classic
long shot expresses a kind of space-time background of text narration. When the
shot is gradually withdrawn from the dance scene, with montage's technique, the
protagonist in the drama appears on the screen. Even in this dance image, it
can be understood that in this era, people's emotions are full of romance and
freedom from the internal point of view, but what reality brings to people is
the constraints and repression under social rules and urban civilization.
Besides, this dance is
also a metaphor for the emotional development direction of the hero and
heroine. In addition, the application of jazz music in "La La Land"
has also played a finishing role. The opening of the song and dance drama
"La La Land" vividly reflects the busy urban life in Los Angeles
through a period of jazz music. People walking down from the car are singing
jazz, going from solo to chorus, and then combining it with that form of dance.
They form a small climax, which makes the drama more dynamic and vigorous. It highlights the theme of the drama dream,
and vividly displays people's busy, but vigorous state in the city. With its
bright rhythm, jazz brings the audience an audio-visual shock in this song and
dance drama.
The breakthrough of a
drama lies in how to realize the daily life. "La La Land" does a good
job at this point, because it integrates the performance with stage play style
into life. With the contemporary Los Angeles City as the background of the
times, the dance and music elements in the drama blend perfectly together.
Through the changing light, subjective color, and clothing in line with the
mood of the characters, the atmosphere is created, and the plot development is
promoted step by step through the light, with the ups and downs of the
characters' emotions.
10
DAN 130
Corinne Shaw
Jumpin Jive by The Nicholas Brothers
Jumpin Jive is an energy packed tap and jazz combo to music by the icon Cab Calloway. The Nicholas Brothers performed this dance in a music hall for a live audience in a dinner show format; though, the dance is far from your average dancing and dining experience. Miraculously, they performed this dance with only one rehearsal prior to their performance. And the brothers can be seen tapping, jumping, and leaping to and from tables, chairs, stairs, pianos and the floor. Their
lively movements glide them across the room and engage the audience and
musicians alike.
To further validate the level of perfection in this
dance, an article reviewing the brothers states that Fred Astaire, one
of the most famous dancers of all times, stated that Jumpin Jive was some of the greatest dancing he had ever seen. My favorite part about this dance is the fact that the two dancers made their moves seem so effortless. They dance with ease which made them seem like they were having the time of their lives. This overall sense of enjoyment really made the performance memorable.
The show opens with a lively musical performance by Cab Calloway. Then, the two brothers emerge from a dinner table and start their dance. Their taps seem to be a conversation between each other and constantly mimic the movement of the other. The brothers do an amazing job incorporating their space into their choreography. Most
notably, the use a large staircase to change their levels and also
showcase some very hard skills.
The most exhilarating part is towards
the end of the dance when the two take turns jumping over each other as
they move down the staircase. The most interesting part, however, is that they land in a perfect split each time. This dance is overall and incredible example of technical skill, artistry, and performance quality. The
brothers are not only able to captivate the audience with their dancing
ability but also their personalities which are very evident throughout
this dance.
References
75 Years Ago, One of the Best Dance Routines Ever Was Filmed, Unrehearsed on the First Take.
https://twistedsifter.com/videos/nicholas-brothers-jumpin-jive-cab-calloway-stormy-weather/
https://twistedsifter.com/videos/nicholas-brothers-jumpin-jive-cab-calloway-stormy-weather/
11
Yi Gao
DAN 130-54
Professor Jorge
Apr. 14, 2020
Dance
Review: Beat Me If You Can
One of dance
performances that I recently saw is named Produce 101 II. The program is
set up to mainly provide stage and opportunities for 101 teenagers to become
idols through the task, training, and assessment. Leading them to enhance their
capabilities in dancing and vocal performance by star tutor training. The final
results are determined by cycle popularity vote, temporarily out of process,
finally by popularity vote for 11 male trainee, formed a group to debut new
idol of the story.
The dance form in the
performance is mostly pop dance, which can be traced back to 1980s. The
earliest exposure of Chinese teenagers to street dancing began with the
American film "Break Dance" in the 1980s. With the in-depth
understanding of hip-hop among Chinese teenagers, they gradually return to the
origin of hip-hop and practice hip-hop with their own vision and
characteristics. After years of development across the country there are
training hip-hop teenagers, in the streets of various cities square can be
their training figure. They also often organize small competitions (Battle,
ballroom-dancing, comb-dancing), and the best dancers can win a lot of
teenagers' appreciation.
My favorite piece of
the dance is called Beat Me If You Can. It was performed by 11 teenagers
and 1 girl. From an audience perspective, the whole piece of performance has a
perfect control of vocal, dance and rap. Their movements are super united, and
there is a specific storyline throughout the performance. I have to say that
performers have really high stage experience of the performance. In addition, the
costumes and stage lights were magic, and the rhythm of background music sounds
energetic, which makes me follow along with performers to move my arms when I
was watching the performance. All in all, it was a super great piece of pop
dance, and I really enjoy it!
