Watts Humphrey

. I had never noticed my poor arm alignment until it was brought to my attention. One of my peers, Joy Scott, advised me to lift my elbows to the ceiling while in different positions such as first and second. She also mentioned if I did not feel anything engaged, I was not doing it right. From that point on, I was determined to adjust my arm alignment as it became evident to my professor. I received feedback during my midterm conference and I continued to work on my arm alignment in and out of…

Martha was inspired by St. Denis performance at the Mason Opera House and enrolled in an arts oriented junior college and later at the Denishawn School, which was founded by Ruth St. Denis and her husband Ted Shawn to teach techniques world dance. She worked a period of time with Ted Shawn and Martha improved her dancing skills. She is recognized for her first role of an attacked Aztec maiden, “Xochital” and a dance made for her by Shawn. By 1923, eight years after entering Denishawn, she found…

“I wanted to begin not with characters or ideas, but with movements. I wanted significant movement. I did not want it to be beautiful or fluid. I wanted it to be fraught with inner meaning, with excitement and surge” (Martha Graham). Martha Graham is considered the inventor of modern dance, her impact on dance was staggering. Throughout her career, Graham choreographed 181 masterpiece dance compositions and many new age choreographers are challenged to be as great as Martha herself. At the time,…

An individual's woman experience with dance therapy was examined in the case study conducted by Lee (2014). The author chooses of a 56-year old patient diagnosed with major depression, established the treatment as one 60-minute session a week for 2 years, except during the holiday Chinese New Year. It was an extensive treatment with specific psychiatrist supervision and documentation. Lee (2014) researched dance movement therapy as a tool to discover the deep feelings of the patient. During…

On January 29, Caroline Herring performed a concert at Oxford College. Caroline Herring is a folk and country singer and songwriter. She performed songs mostly she composed herself, although there was one song she performed she did not write. Herring’s song covers the topics of real-life events. Including the ones, she performed at the concert including “Mistress”, “White Dress,” “Black Mountain Lullaby,” and “Camilla.” Herring’s songs were very entertaining, and her writing took some research…

Betty Marie Tallchief was a great dancer. Things that made her a great dancer was the stories her grandmother told her. Some other things that made her a great dancer was her determination and passion to deny the racism and negative criticism she faced as a ballet dancer. One last key factor was that she told her heritage in her dances. Betty Marie Tallchief Has alway lived in her heritage. I think this because, passage stated, “Since most professional ballerinas at the time were white and…

Dance has always been seen as naturally therapeutic. It has physical, emotional, and spiritual components unlike most other therapies or sports. Because of this, the role of dance as therapy is supported by the fact that dance connects the individual to the community on a larger scale while also enabling the individual to express their inner thoughts and feelings within the group. Marian Chace, an early pioneer of DMT began as a dancer herself in the Company of Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn in…

Brenda Ways and KT Nelson choreographed/curated Boulder and Bones with Lucy Lippard Escape Attempts by allowing themselves to create a conceptual performative art that was “free to let the[ir] imagination run rampant.” (p.7 ). In order to move away from the traditional conventions of ballet and obtain inspiration and organization for Boulder and Bones, the choreographers collaborated with artists of different mediums was put together which included: Andy Goldsworthy, Zoe Keating, and Rj Muna.…

Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts, because it is no mere translation or abstraction from life; it is life itself.(Ellis, Ch.2) There are many styles of dancing, the basics being ballet, tap, and jazz. They are defined, unique styles, but they are all considered a form of art. It’s all very dynamic and visual like art. All styles are defined by their steps, technique, and training, but they’re all the same in that they are a visual form of self-expression.…

If I say “Casablanca” what is the first thing you think of? The movie, a variety of famous quotes, or the actual city? I am betting it was one of the first two, and doubt it was a look of total confusion because of the popularity of the movie ever since its release in 1943. Many people who were a part of its production believed it would be a flop; however, they couldn’t have been more wrong. Both the movie and the actors involved won a variety of awards including Best Screenplay, Best Director,…