Joffrey Ballet

Who is the mother of modern dance? None other than Martha Graham. Many believe that Martha Graham is one of the most influential dancers of the 20th century. Martha Graham was born in what is known as Pittsburgh, PA, on May 11, 1894 to Dr. George Graham and Jane Beers. Dr. Graham had a great deal of influence on Martha’s life. Dr. Graham specialized in nervous disorders who used physical movements to treat his patients. By the age of 14, Martha and her family moved all the way across the…

As I stated in my midterm, setting goals for myself only allow me to become a stronger dancer. This semester in Ballet II, I personally believe that I have grown tremendously as a dancer in ballet. With this being my first semester in Ballet II, I had a few ups and downs throughout the class. With this being the case, I set three different goals for myself so that I could focus on fully reaching my potential the areas. These goals included: fully executing my petite battements and completing a…

Martha believed ballet was mostly consisted of flow and grace, she wanted to change and improved the left violent traditions passions, by expressing emotional and spiritual themes that other dances ignored. She was able to achieve this through the repetition of sexual…

Powell, born November 21, 1912 in Springfield, Massachusetts comes from very humble beginnings. A shy Eleanor got her start in dance at the early age of 11 in an attempt by her parents to make her more sociable. She trained in only acrobatics and ballet initially, which many believe led to her specific grace and style. Her life changed drastically when visiting her relatives in Atlantic city where Gus Edwards, the head of the Vaudeville Kiddie revue, spotted her ability which lead to her stage…

Marie Salle the French Dancer and Choreographer Francoise Prevost stated in his early life “The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature” which inspired Marie Salle to become one of the prominent dancers of her time. Prevost was said to be a teacher of Salle. Marie Salle was most known for her expressive, dramatic choreography which made her a very popular figure during the eighteenth-century. Marie Salle was born somewhere in 1707 in Paris, France. It wasn’t said who her parents exactly…

Choreographers attempt to “expand breadth and increase the depth of performance,” by expressing an idea through the ever evolving art form, dance. Born in 1894 Allegheny- Pennsylvania, Martha Graham an inspirational choreographer, embellished historical American culture and woman rights. A revolution and adventure in itself. Graham establish new pathways in the field of choreography and performance through family influences plus through different eras. Graham, once described as “indomitable,…

Tahitian dance is exuberant and vibrant, and has a long history of cultural consequentiality. These dances are associated with certain events and occasions, and there are multiple dance styles. Tahitian dance has had an arduous history, but despite setbacks to this artistic expression, it remains a popular and recognizable aspect of Tahitian cultural tradition. In the early age of Tahitian dancing, performances were symbolic and consequential, not just an art form. Native people of Tahiti had…

“The human body is very beautiful and eloquent, it is to be treasured, honored, and disciplined”. This is how Martha describes the human body in the video “A Tribute Martha Graham”. Martha Graham is one of the greatest dancers to have graced planet earth. She makes dancing looks easy, delightful, and glamorous; she is such an awesome choreographer to watch on stage. According to Gregory Peck, Martha is absorbed in the magic of movement and her main goal when she dances is proper movement in…

that I am discussing today are both styles that tell a story on stage over multiple hours, introducing many different characters and having a beginning, middle and end. However, going to see, and training to perform in ballet and musical theater are two very different experiences. Ballet is one of the oldest dance styles and, while it tells a story, there is no speaking, singing or any other words to be said. You portray a story through very complex movements that take a lifetime of practice to…

Parsippany, New Jersey. This is where she grew up most of her life. By the time she was a teenager she was in the impressive “National Lampoon's Vacation” as Viki in 1983. Since then she has been in many Broadway and TV shows. She started dancing ballet at the age of three: she is now a trained singer…