Lecture Notes - Dance As An Art Form PDF

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Dance as an art form...

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Dance as an art form ● ● ●

Dance is an art form that is displayed through the human body using the medium of movement Dance has a primary purpose to be the expression of inner feelings and emotions However, dance is often performed for social, ritual, entertainment, and other purposes

Functions of Dance ● emotional experience ● nonverbal communication ● means of establishing social unity ● expressive of the unconscious of a society ○ grows out of history, traditions of myths, legends & fairy tales (heroes and ogres) ○ example: knock on wood ● reflection of political climate and social commentary ○ example: world war II ○ example: civil rights movement ○ example: war in Iraq ○ example: 9/11 Value of Dance ● the fact that dance has existed for thousands of years is clear evidence of its value ○ rock/cave painting and drawings ● dance is a means of communication: ○ in the absence of language, people used bodies to express thoughts, feelings and actions ● gestures ○ replace a word ○ imitate actions ○ demonstrations of emotion ■ body language ● dance as a way of life: ○ dance used as a celebration of life’s passages or milestones ○ throughout history, dance was bestowed with magical powers ○ MILESTONES: ■ birth ■ coming of age ■ wedding ■ death ● new orleans funeral ○ second line - dance/walk & twirl parasol or handkerchief in the air as they follow the band ○ magical powers: ■ hunting ■ planting ■ harvesting ■ fertility ■ invocation of and/or protections form elements: ● sunshine, rain, snow, wind, etc.

Aesthetics

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Definition: ○ of or pertaining to the beautiful ○ as distinguished from the merely pleasing, the moral, or the useful; ○ responsive to the beautiful in art or nature ● aesthetics are defined by: ○ culture ○ ethnicity ○ social status ○ economic background ○ age ○ gender ○ time, etc. Primitive Period to 3000 B.C. - All information ^^ is in this time period ● Verbalization ● rock and cave paintings/ drawings ○ paleolithic age ■ grance, giza, sicily ■ used basic movements (locomotor movements): ● walking, running, hopping, jumping, leaping, etc. ● swaying, stomping, clapping, etc. ○ childrens natural movement ● imitated animals, forces of nature, the gods ● conscious of internal rhythms: ○ beating of the heart ○ rhythm of walk or run ● external rhythms in nature, such a cycle of day and/or seasons Definitions: Check on blackboard for definitions - under materials under exam 1 ● world concert/ritual dance ○ ● folk dance (BbL) ○ definition: Ancient Period - 3000 B.C. to 400 A.D. ● India - world concert/ritual dance ○ has one of the oldest and richest histories of dance in the world ● bharata natyam (500-300 B.C.) ○ Barata (5th c. sage) ○ one of the oldest known dances ○ temple dance still practiced/performed today has concert dance ○ includes elements of sensuality ○ sexuality/sensuality viewed extremely different from most western religions

Ancient Period - 3000 B.C. to 400 A.D. (continued) ● Japan - world concert/ritual dance

○ 3 classical forms: ■ bugaku, noh, and kabuki ○ Bugaku - oldest form, began in the 7th century ■ when first developed, reserved for nobility and important guests ■ entertainment for the imperial palace ● performed exclusively by men; serve as both dancers & musicians ■ accompanied by type of music - gagaku ● meaning: “graceful, authorized music” ■ Bugaku and Gagaku are historically noted: oldest regularly performed dance & music in world today ○ NOH - 2nd oldest Japanese dance drama form ■ combines dance, music and acting ■ distinguishable trait - uniquely slow way performance unfolds ■ several centuries later, used as inspiration by western playwrights ● ireland’s renowned poet/playwright, W.B. Yeats ○ Kabuki ■ world concert/ritual dance ■ 3rd japanese dance form (17th century) ■ combines dance, drama, music ■ employs very stylized movement, quicker, more acrobatic than predecessors (i.e. Noh) ■ spectacular presentation ● elaborate scenery, costumes, makeup ■ has allowed contemporary ideas to be introduced ● not exposed to the world until after WWII World Concert/Ritual in Africa (BB) ● most countries regardless of region: ○ bare feet - gliding, dragging, shuffling steps ○ crouch, knees bent, body bent at waist ○ imitates animals ○ improvisation ○ hip movements ○ most significant: performed to ■ propulsive rhythm ■ percussion ■ drums Ancient Greece/Ancient Rome ● sometimes referred to as the “classical period” ● both cultures have a direct connection to the development of the arts in Western Civilization (Europe, United States) ● both cultures held dance in high esteem

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Ancient Greece/Ancient Rome - continued Ancient Greece ○ greeks known for their art, theatre, drama and dance

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○ divinely inspired (The gods); ○ linked to the stars and the planets ○ dance was integral to all aspects of life: ■ education ■ theatre and the arts ■ military training ○ plato said to sign and to dance well was to be “well educated” ○ western theater still utilizes specific elements related to greek theater ■ for example, the greek chorus, costuming, thematic material… ■ martha graham ● 20th century modern dance/choreographer ○ the use of masks ■ comedy ■ tragedy ○ theater as popular entertainment ○ pantomime (quick change artists) ○ juggling, singing, music, dance ○ acrobatics ○ bull dancing (very athletic); slaves ○ wild and passionate dances (men & women) ○ Dionysus: ■ greek god of wine & fertility ● listed in various ways: god of vegetation, revelry, etc. ■ roman god; bacchus is identified with the roman god liber and greek god dionysus ○ Dithyramb: ■ dance worshiping Dionysus ■ initially, improvised music & dance with use of circles ■ evolved into more of a competition ■ later, described as orgiastic and ecstatic rites ○ Dionysus/Bacchus ■ dionysian/bacchanalian: ● orgiastic; ● involving drunkenness ● sexual activity ● a carouser (player) Ancient Rome ○ The Roman empire ■ 27 B.C. - 395 A.D. (approx.) ■ romans conquered the greeks ■ adopted many of its customs: dance and theater; however, less formal training and sophistication ■ early educated Romans spoke Greek; ■ had tutors in arts and literature directly from greek culture ■ military conquerors; far more interested than pure theater ■ great organizers and lawmakers vs. artists and creators ■ early roman dances were often coral and/or communal honoring the gods ● pantomime, (“the rock stars”) directly from Greek theatre, was universally appealing as Rome was a ‘melting pot’

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maypole dance - dance of fertility; harkened back to primitive times; still performed today ■ cultural decadence ● dance/entertainment reflected this; spectacles would include torture ● arenas help up to 350,00 people ○ roman coliseum - 50,000 - 70,000 seats - various sources ■ emergence of Christianity; take as slaves ● gladiators ● chariot races ● lions/christians ● fire ■ ‘thumbs down’ ■ nero and caligula - roman emperors known for cruelty, particularly persecution of the christians ○ the fall of the roman empire ■ decadence of latter part of Roman Empire led to eventual collapse ■ coincided with advent of Christianity ■ this corruptio led Church to condemn all Roman entertainment activities as “pagan” ● example: dance, pantomime, etc. ■ pagan = a term *often with negative connotations) describing anything not related to God as related to Christianity and/or Western religion; linked to the gods of ancient times ○ dance in western religion ■ dance is least represented art form in western religion ■ direct result of persecution of christians by romans ● who reveled in pantomime and dance ● also, shunned by church because it is the specific art form where the body is the instrument ○ therefore, suggestive of physicality and sexuality ■ there are references, however, that dance did exist on some level in christianity ● including old testament, ecclesiastes Dark Ages 6 A.D. - 400 A.D. ● human development at a low point ● a transition between great civilizations ● economic structure was at a minimal while social structure suffered with disease, poverty and overwhelming sense of futility Medieval (or middle) ages 400 A.D. - 1400 A.D. ● church was sole custodian of learning, education and the source of morals ● development of dance almost non-existent in the Church except of Los Seises ○ from 1400’s ○ still performed in Seville, Spain ■ “The Lord of the Dance” (choir boys)

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medieval ages ○ church pretended not to “see” dances ■ (folk dance, and otherwise)

○ coincided religious dates with former pagan holidays ■ lent/mardi gras also known as carnevale ● means “farewell to meat”because it precedes time of fasting; Italy, South America ■ Halloween/harvest/All Saint’s Day ○ Bubonic/black plague (c. 1347) ■ killed ½ population of Europe / 75 million people ○ preoccupation with death/dying ○ superstitions (still exist); witchcraft ○ dance epidemics to ward off evil spirits: ■ danse macabre (14th c.) - kissing (dances of death) ■ dark dances ■ danseomania ■ ring around the rosie ■ pied piper ● “a grim democracy” ● knights/chivalry The Renaissance - 1440 A.D. - 1700 A.D. ● renaissance = rebirth ● the de Medici Family - Italy ○ patrons of the arts ● Catherine de Medici (1519 - 1589) ○ married Henri, King of France ○ brought several dance masters from Italy ○ introduced a new type of dance, later to be known as court ballet (ballet de cour) The Renaissance and court ballet ● Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx (1535 - 1587) ○ head dance master ○ commissioned by Catherine de’ Medici to choreograph what is considered 1st court ballet ○ ballet comique de la reine (1581) Renaissance ● Louis XIV (14th) (1638 - 1715) ○ King of France (1643 - 1715) ○ continued supporting the arts ○ known as the Sun King ○ great lover of dance ○ appeared in several court ballets ○ **granted permission to established 1st academy of dance ● Pierre Beauchamps (1631-1705) ○ first ballet master of the academy of dance ○ created the five feet positions used today ○ developed the technique of “turn-out leg” ○ devised system of dance notation ○ French is the official language of ballet ○ 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th position ○ plie ○ releve ● Jean Baptiste Lully (1632 - 1687)

○ first director of the royal academy of music and dance ○ elevated status of opera and ballet from entertainment to professional art forms ○ later known as Paris Opera ■ still in existence today ● renaissance - court ballets ○ spectacles - opulent ■ ship ballets ■ equestrian (equine) ballets ● lipizzaner - spanish riding school ○ Thoinot Arbeau ■ wrote orchesographie ● pre-classic music (& dance) forms: ○ pavane, allemande, galliard, sarabande, courante, etc. ■ solidified the French influence on dance ● From court ballet to theater ○ Proscenium arch - end of 16th c. ■ by the end of 17th c. ballet recognized as viable art form ● turn-out/leg rotation ● established new vocab ● separation; concentrated focus classical ballet vocab ● Plié – the bend of the knees (used in all 5 positions) ● Relevé – rise of elevation to the balls of the feet, or toes if in pointe shoes, with straight legs (used in all 5 positions)...