“Training as the medium through which”, chapter 3, written by Melanie Bales is a chapter that is written on the theme of self-discovery and how as dancers we could apply the ideas to ourselves. Melanie Bales is a professor at Ohio State where she graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy. Bales also studied at the Joffrey School and was a Harkness Ballet Trainee. Throughout this article, I experienced different things for myself when going through and reading each section. A lot of references that were stated in the book allowed me to see dance through a whole new perspective.…
This had a huge impact on him because it led to his decision to take formal dance lessons with Lester Horton as the door to his foreseen future in dance. He was hugely intrigued by a dance he saw at the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo Dance Company perform and this inspired his dance debut. As a student of Lester Horton, after seeing Katherine Dunham’s Dance Company, an all-black dance troupe, Ailey then had a dream – to head his own dance troupe. Ailey trained at the Lester Horton Dance Theatre since 1950 after being personally recruited by Horton for being ‘the next big thing’.…
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of visiting the exhibit Diaghilev and the Ballet Russes, 1909-1929: When Art Danced with Music at the National Gallery of Art. But this was not my first experience with this exhibit, no for I had the opportunity to perform in honor of this exhibit this past summer where I performed right outside the entrance the to the showcase. I performed the roles of the Faun in Vaslav Nijinsky’s Afternoon of a Faun, and Prince Ivan in The Firebird.…
The Harlem Dancer is a short poem that focuses on a woman’s beauty and a scene inside a bar. The title indicates that the location of the bar is in Harlem which was considered a common place during the Harlem Renaissance. McKay has also described the woman in this poem to be a young, black prostitute and he observes the impact that she has towards the crowd. After a while the speaker notices that the dancer is unhappy due to the lack of respect she is getting from the audience. He incorporates the themes such as sex, youth, and promiscuity to successfully create the effects of an audience’s prejudice on the Harlem dancer, who suffers from cruel misinterpretations.…
Alvin Ailey became an inspiration, creating one of the world’s élite dance institutions, embracing all races. He said “Dance is for everybody. I believe that the dance came from the people and that it should always be delivered back to the people.” Alvin Ailey’s vision and creativity lead him to create one of the major art institutions of our time “Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre”. Through this company Ailey’s work continues to inspire and touch choreographers and dancers and audiences all around the world including me and his pieces have left a distinct mark in dance history.…
As the show progressed, more and more people danced to the front of the concert hall or even went on stage to dance with the band. The Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra was not an exclusive group, but they invited others to enjoy the music with them, which allowed the performers to become closer and more connected with the audience. This reflects the ideology of music in African cultures because the separation between the performers and the audience is nonexistent. The orchestra certainly allowed the opportunity for a bridge to be built to the audience. Another similarity between the performance of the orchestra and African music performance was the performer’s dance.…
Dubbed as the “man who saved tap dancing”, Savion Glover has provoked a stylistic revolution within tap dancing and has inspired many young dancers all over the country with his hip-hop-funk and jazz-infused rhythm tap dance style. How did a seven-year-old go from being a young drummer to one of the most inspiring, and influential tap dancers today? Tap dance is an art form that is characterized by its use of percussive sounds through the tap shoes striking the floor. Although the art of tap dance is native to America, its roots lie in the fusion of many ethnic percussive dance styles such as African tribal dances, Irish, English and Scottish clog dances, hornpipes and jigs [Britannica] and continued to alter as it encountered the influence of jazz dance in the West.…
Something happened on my dance team this past summer where I received an award for “Most Improved Dancer”. I was feeling discouraged as well as confused on what I wanted to do involving dance in general. The support from my directors and teammates could not have put a bigger smile on my face. All of the claps, hugs, and high-fives meant so much to me. .I was filled with pure happiness, but had so much uncertainty on whether I wanted to stay committed or remove myself from this group.…
The 1920’s also known as the roaring twenties was a remarkable decade where many different dances, music and art flourished. New dances and music were fast paced and lively. The most popular dances of the decade were the foxtrot, waltz, American tango, Charleston and many more. This era was mainly for the younger generation where they used their creativity and own original ideas of ways of dancing and use of music. E.g younger people toddled to the foxtrot.…
Fred Astaire The turn of the 20th century represented the beginning of a new era that beared a critical influence on the way we entertain. The American culture went through a drastic metamorphosis by pushing conventional ideals to the limit. The style of jazz music emerged, inspiring newer styles of dance including tap dancing.…
I have trained in most styles of dance. I have done hip-hop, jazz, tap, ballet, and more. Yet I haven’t received training that explains, clarifies and deepens my knowledge of modern dance. I anticipate receiving this knowledge at the Ailey School. I desire to live up to the potential that I have.…
On December 2nd, 2016 at the Constance theatre the dance department presented a show called Agbedidi. The show, directed and choreographed by Mohamed DaCosta and Trent D. Williams, Jr., displayed a combination of Traditional African and Contemporary Dance. The house buzzed with excitement as the start of the show approached. It is quite encouraged to see such a large audience at an event, but this audience also brought a positive, vibrant atmosphere for the dancers to soak up. I was curious to see what this year’s performance would look like.…
Alvin Ailey is such a great contributor to the dance world and his dance pieces are phenomenal. The purpose of Alvin Ailey 's dance pieces is to show the history of African American and the cultural heritage of African Americans. The history of African Americans and cultural heritage of African Americans is portrayed throughout Alvin Ailey 's amazing dances. Alvin Ailey’s “Revelations” portrays the hardship of slavery, christianity, baptism, and the reconstruction era. The lighting, music and costumes of the piece are inspirational to the people.…
For this essay, I will be taking a look at many different passages from the bible which either inhibits or encourages dance. I will be taking into account how Bethel feels about the experience, and lastly my personal beliefs of the topic, and how we as stewards need to encounter the secular and holy world. I will begin this essay with a verse from Ecclesiastes 3:4 which states, “There is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance(Bible).” The Bible Itself is a well-respected popular holy text for Christians, and non-Christians alike. The Bible has multiple views on how one should live the life we are given here on earth.…
The formation of dance has lived on this world for many generations as we continue to pass through history. When I went to the wonderful performance at Pierce College I experienced a whole new perspective on dancing. The concert had many types of students performing mixed dance projects of all types like solos and duets. There was an average size of one to eight dancers per project which made it the ideal size for the concert. I really enjoyed the creativity and effort put into this performance.…