...Shirlesa hunt Dan 344 Video Response Episodes, performed by Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, is a piece that can best described in one word, torn. Standing at a fork intersection, trying to decide which way is the correct way for you to go. Ulysees Dove portrayed this through the idea of a relationship forming between two people where they give up being individuals to become a unit, a team. Initially the female is experiencing a struggle within herself where she is trying to explore something that she is curious about. But by not keeping in mind of her initial goals, she becomes conformed to the relationship and ultimately a slave because of how dependent she is to the male. Subconsciously, allowing the male to control her and set limitations due to the distraction of lust and the need of his presence in her life....
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...style of Classical Ballet. Modern dance is very vivid, ever changing and full of expression. Dancer’s like Alvin Ailey helped upgrade modern dance as we now see it. Alvin Ailey was born January 5, 1931. He spent the first twelve years of his life in various Texas small towns with only his mother to provide for the family since his father abandoned them when Alvin was only six moths old. Ailey grew up in the stereotypical black, impoverished south, constantly surrounded by religion. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, his professional dance company, and his audiences. African American art, in any form, is the combination of a variety of influences, which Ailey viewed as American culture. African American dance itself is a combination of movement and cultural influences from West African culture, Afro-Caribbean culture, and Euro-American culture 1958: First Performance of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater 1960: Alvin Ailey's Masterpiece Revelations Is Born 1962: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Goes On International Tour 1965: Judith Jamison's First Performance With Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater 1966: Ailey Performs in Inaugural Arts Festival in Senegal 1971: Alvin Ailey Choreographs Cry 1972: Judith Jamison Receives Dance Magazine Award 1974: Ailey Leaps From the Stage to the Screen 1974: Ailey Performs at the Duke Ellington Festival 1976: Alvin Ailey Creates Pas de Duke 1977: Ailey Performs For President Carter and...
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...Alvin Ailey (1931-1989) by Thomas F. DeFrantz Alvin Ailey, the founder of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (1958-), galvanized and stabilized an African American presence in theatrical dance. An outstanding performer, choreographer, company director, and mentor to scores of dance artists, Ailey oversaw the growth of his small, pick-up group of seven dancers into a large, carefully managed, internationally-renowned enterprise including several ensembles of dancers and a thriving school in New York City housed in the largest building devoted to dance in the United States. Along the way, Ailey changed the landscape of modern dance by developing new audiences for its performance through a consistent combination of exceptional artistry and wellcoordinated community outreach programs. In all, Ailey invigorated the art of dance with his distinctive creative imagination, his “blood memories” of cultural formations he witnessed as a child-- including the jook joint and the black church --and the strong survivalist ethic he learned as an African American man born in the depression-era South. Emergence into Dance Born in Rogers, Texas, the only child of workingclass parents who separated when he was two, Ailey moved with his mother to Los Angeles in 1942. Shy from his itinerant Texas life, Ailey reluctantly turned to dance when a high-school classmate introduced him to Lester Horton's Hollywood studio in 1949. In dance, he found the terms of self-expression that high school athletics...
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... Whether that art form is a painting, a theater show, or a dance performance people have a changed viewpoint of the world after watching art in motion. Alvin Ailey didn’t just create art, but he embodied art. He not only influenced millions of people, but he impacted the African-American community through his art and his voice. By creating Alvin Ailey© American Dance Theater he opened up doors for an entire community of people. According to Ailey and Bailey, (1999), the goal of the company was to take African-American roots and embed them into modern dance. Alvin Ailey wanted to celebrate dancers that weren’t just technical dancers but had something different about them. He uplifted the black community by creating a new image of what it meant to be a dancer. He showed young black children that a ballet dancer could have an afro and wide hips. He didn’t speak in front of large crowds or become a politician to be an effective leader, but he made a change within communities around the world. He changed people’s perception of what it meant to be a black woman or man in art and in society....
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...3300 April 21, 2013 Ailey, Revelations, & Their Legacy One may ask why a dance company’s founder, most renowned piece in its repertoire, and the impact it had on the world would be a subject worthy of a historical and cultural analysis. It is because dance, and a society’s reaction to it, are important and cultural indicators. As a part of culture, dance is both acted upon by other aspects of a society and acts upon those same aspects. Because dance is a part of culture, it is subject to the same forces of change as any other aspect of culture. Therefore, social change, both great and small, can be seen in the dance created by a society. Much about change in dance form and culture is applicable to culture change in general. In some cases, dance is a readily observable microcosm of what is happening in the larger social and cultural context. For these reasons, dance is a valid indicator of collective people’s experience within a society and can be used as a historical tool to aid in the understanding of social change. Dance is a form of communication; it is body language taken to a greater extreme. In all societies, the physical interaction between people can be as important, if not more important, than the verbal and written communication, which takes place. Dance is this physical interaction, this body language, intensified. As with other expressions in a society, dance tends to be a testament of values, beliefs, attitudes and emotions. Dance, like other arts is a...
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...Alvin Ailey was one of the most famous dancers in the world who wanted everybody to be able to dance. His main goal in life was to have his own dance company in which African American choreographers and dancers could display their work. After Alvin passed away, his company became the most popular place for people to watch and enjoy dances. The primary goal of his dances was to make everyone understand the lifestyles of black people in America. He put in a lot of effort in his choreography and he made sure that his dances sent out emotions which everyone could understand. Alvin's childhood took place during the Great Depression. He was born in 1931 in Rogers, Texas where he lived with his parents, grandparents, and relatives. When he was four years old, he lost his father and he and his mother moved to a farm where they did a lot of work. Since he and his mother attended church every Sunday, the spirituals which he heard made him want to create choreography notes for some pieces. Even after they moved to Navasota, Texas, they continued going to church. There, Alvin always visited the Dew Drop Inn where everything he saw and heard helped him to create his first piece of work, Blue Suites. Even though he liked Texas, his mother figured that it was better for them to be on...
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...was working on research as she was studying anthropology. Dunham always tried to find ways of connecting dance to what she was studying because dance was her passion. She traveled to third world countries such as Haiti, Martinique, Africa, Cuba, and she toured many other places as well with her dance company. Her purpose was to look further into the meaning behind dances, the purpose, the technique, and the cultural significance. What she did was she created something new rather than trying to perfect something long-standing, turning away from traditional...
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...formed his own dance company called the Lester Horton Dancers * Horton choreographed several films, such as Moonlight in Havana 1942 and Phantom of the Opera 1943 * Horton trained a number of significant mid-twentieth century dancers such as Alvin Ailey, Janet Collins and Joyce Trisler * His interest in dance was encouraged after watching tribal dances in a Wild West show * He was also among the first choreographers in the U.S. to insist upon racial integration in his company Lester Horton Technique The Horton Technique combines several cultural elements, such as Afro-Caribbean elements which explain the hip movement, or hip circles and Japanese arm gestures which explains the straight arms and Native American folk dance which may explain the type of music use to dance to. The technique emphasizes a whole body, anatomical approach to dance that includes flexibility, strength, and coordination for a healthy dancer. The fortifications are considered the core of Horton technique. They establish a framework of movement mechanics, of muscular development and coordination, elasticity and range. Horton technique focuses on the use of tilt lines, lunges and straight lines throughout the body, which means parallel legs and arms, and flat backs, flat enough for you to be able to put a cup of tea on. It also incorporates stretching on opposite directions. Jazz is a good preparation for the specifics listed above and is used to prepare for a Horton dance class. It is...
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...My Evening with Linda Celeste Sims Last February, my mom took me to an Ailey 1st production at The Kennedy Center in D.C. and I sat on the edge of my seat during the entire performance. My eyes were fixed mainly on dancer Linda Celeste Sims. Her movements across the floor were so graceful that she looked like an angel. I was inspired by her elegant walk and before the evening was over, I was determined to meet her. I really did not know how that was possible but I knew for certain that my mom would make it happen. Fast forward to two weeks later and my amazing mom gave me the news! Mrs. Sims is coming to our house! The director of my dance school had arranged the date for us and I was beyond excited. Linda Celeste Sims was born in 1977 in Haiti. She grew up in Bronx, N.Y. after she was adopted by an American family. She is one of the primary dancers with The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in N.Y. She is one of the most loved and admired dancers in the company which she joined in 1996 at the age of nineteen. In that same year, Mrs. Sims was honored with an award from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and in 2009 she was highlighted in Dance Magazine as one of the “Best of 2009”. As a little girl, Linda Sims had aspired to become a professional dancer. Her goal was to be part of a renowned dance company. She excelled in school while taking dance classes five days a week. Her parents taught her that hard work is necessary to achieve one’s...
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...lengthy after he began to work for sculptress Kathleen Stuberg. Producing wax figures and Horton painted faces on the window mannequins. In 1926, he grew to be accustomed to Clara Bates. She was worried in producing and directing theater. Bates and Horton curiosity merged, when Bates developed a pageant centered on Longfellow’s poem The tune of Hiawatha, carried out in 1926 and 1927. Horton arranged the dances, did probably the most staging, created costumes, and performed the function of Hiawatha....
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...educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Born on April 4th, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. Angelou was raised in St. Louis and Stamps, Arkansas. In Stamps, Dr. Angelou experienced the brutality of racial discrimination, but she also absorbed the unshakable faith and values of traditional African-American family, community, and culture. As a teenager, Dr. Angelou’s love for the arts won her a scholarship to study dance and drama at San Francisco’s Labor School. At 14, she dropped out to become San Francisco’s first African-American female cable car conductor. She later finished high school, giving birth to her son, a few weeks after graduation. As a young single mother, she supported her son by working as a waitress and cook, however her passion for music, dance, performance, and poetry would soon take center stage. In 1954 and 1955, Dr. Angelou toured Europe with a production of the opera Porgy and Bess. She studied modern dance with Martha Graham, danced with Alvin Ailey on television variety shows and, in 1957, recorded her first album, Calypso Lady. In 1958, she moved to New York, where she joined the Harlem Writers Guild, acted in the historic Off-Broadway production of Jean Genet's The Blacks and wrote and performed Cabaret for Freedom. In 1960, Dr. Angelou moved to Cairo, Egypt where she served as editor of the English language weekly The Arab Observer. The next year, she moved to Ghana where she taught at the University of...
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...Dance The performance art that will be the topic of this paper is dance. Dance has been around since the beginning of time. It was also used as a basis of communication in many cultures. Dance has also been used in religious ceremonies and rituals, the telling of folklore and sometimes a recording of historical events. Dancing is also not restricted to humans. Some animals also use dance as a way of communication. Examples of the include mating dances and some dance to prove their superiority. Dancing is defined as moving rhythmically usually to music, using prescribed or improvised steps and gestures (Sporre 2009). Dancing is also divided onto various genres such as ballet, modern, and urban dance styles. Ballet dancing is technical formalized classical dance style that started during the Italian Renaissance. Ballet is first on this list because billions of people around the world are enchanted by this style and line up to see performances. Ballet comprises a highly theatrical dance presentation consisting of solo dancers, duets, and choruses. Unlike other disciples and forms or dance besides break-dancing ballet demands extreme focus, strength and flexibility. Mostly all practitioners have to start ballet at a very young age to develop the gracefulness that takes decades to master. Ballet is comprised of three different types classical ballet, neoclassical ballet and contemporary ballet. Classical Ballet is the type you mostly see in traditional non-modern performances...
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...that they caused the death of others (her mother’s boyfriend) and as result choose not to speak at all. While living with her Grandmother, she responded with the following words: “Sister, Momma don’t care what these people say, that you must be an idiot, a moron, ’cause you can’t talk. Momma don’t care. Momma know that when you and the good Lord get ready, you gon’ be a teacher.” As a teenager, Dr. Angelou’s love for the arts won her a scholarship to study dance and drama at San Francisco’s Labor School. At 14, she dropped out to become San Francisco’s first African-American female cable car conductor. She later finished high school, giving birth to her son, Guy, a few weeks after graduation. As a young single mother, she supported her son by working as a waitress and cook, however her passion for music, dance, performance, and poetry would soon take center stage. In 1954 and 1955, Dr. Angelou toured Europe with a production of the opera Porgy and Bess. She studied modern dance with Martha Graham, danced with Alvin Ailey on television variety shows and, in 1957, recorded her first...
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...businesses were torched or looted, including 167 groceries (most of which would never reopen). Newark's reputation suffered dramatically. It was said, "wherever American cities are going, Newark will get there first." Newark is home to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, located near Military Park, which since its opening in 1997 has become one the most visited in the United States. Included among the artists appearing on NJPAC stages in its first thirteen seasons are the Boston Symphony Orchestra; Yo-Yo Ma; Bob Dylan; Ballet Nacional de Cuba; Lauryn Hill; Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Twyla Tharp Dance; Dance Theatre of Harlem; Israel Philharmonic; the Berlin State Opera Orchestra; the Royal Danish Ballet; Hilary Hahn; Bill T. Jones; Itzhak Perlman; the Vienna Boys Choir; Midori; Sarah Brightman; Sting; Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo; Elvis Costello; National Song and Dance Company of Mozambique; Don Henley; the Afro-Cuban All-Stars; Audra McDonald; Buena Vista Social Club; Melissa Etheridge; the Czech Philharmonic; Bette Midler; The Chieftains; Herbie Hancock; Sweet Honey in the Rock; and Diana Krall....
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...Dance-Related Injury Causes Page Break Abstract In any physical activity, injuries are almost always inevitable. For dance, these injuries could be just as life threatening as those from contact sports, even though no one is constantly running after them. With this being said, there are many precautions in place to prevent these injuries. Why aren't there less people with no dance-related injuries? This study discovered the causes behind dance-related injuries. High school seniors and undergraduate students were participants of a one-on-one interview discussing their dance history, specifically the events that correlated with their past and current injuries. Two dancers have never experienced a dance-related injury and...
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