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    Dance and Its Audience: Appreciating the Art of Movement
    Dance and Its Audience: Appreciating the Art of Movement
    Dance and Its Audience: Appreciating the Art of Movement
    Ebook120 pages1 hour

    Dance and Its Audience: Appreciating the Art of Movement

    By Tami White

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    About this ebook

    This book was designed for use in a one-semester dance appreciation survey class. As such, I have attempted to limit the information provided to that which can be covered comfortably. This means that many noteworthy choreographers and dancers do not appear in this text. Teachers may wish to add other important contributors to the art of dance, particularly in Chapters five, six, and seven.

    Tami M. White is an adjunct faculty member with the Dance Department at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. A graduate of the Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts, she holds B.A. and M.S.Ed. degrees from Old Dominion University and an Ed.D. from the University of Virginia.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThe Educational Publisher/Biblio Publishing
    Release dateMay 2, 2013
    ISBN9781622490820
    Dance and Its Audience: Appreciating the Art of Movement

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      Book preview

      Dance and Its Audience - Tami White

      Dance and Its Audience

      Appreciating the Art of Movement

      Tami White

      Published by The Educational Publisher, Inc. and Biblio Publishing at Smashwords

      Copyright © 2013 Tami White and The Educational Publisher, Inc

      ISBN: 978-1-62249-082-0

      A Note to Instructors

      This book was designed for use in a one-semester dance appreciation survey class. As such, I have attempted to limit the information provided to that which can be covered comfortably. This means that many noteworthy choreographers and dancers do not appear in this text. Teachers may wish to add other important contributors to the art of dance, particularly in Chapters five, six, and seven. I welcome your comments and feedback on this first edition, which can be made via email to tmwhite@odu.edu.

      Tami M. White is an adjunct faculty member with the Dance Department at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. A graduate of the Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts, she holds B.A. and M.S.Ed. degrees from Old Dominion University and an Ed.D. from the University of Virginia.

      Acknowledgements

      I would like to thank my fellow teachers at Old Dominion University, particularly Marilyn Marloff and Amanda Kinzer, for their assistance in preparing this work. I also thank Deborah Thorpe at the Governor’s School for the Arts for encouraging me in the field of dance and beyond. I dedicate this book to my parents, Louis and Susan Marconyak, for their endless support of my dance endeavors, and to my family, Brad, Susan, and Gunner White, for giving me two nights a week to do what I love.

      Cover Photo

      Cover photography was taken by Katie Tuebner and features dancers Amy Scaringe and Wayles Haynes.

      Chapter 1

      Introduction

      What is dance? Webster’s dictionary defines dance as a series of rhythmic and patterned bodily movements usually performed to music. Must dance always be performed to music? How much of the body must be moving in order for us to consider the movement a dance? Perhaps more helpful is to look at Webster’s definition of art: the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects. Rather than producing aesthetic objects, however, dancers and choreographers create aesthetic movement.

      Take a moment to consider your own exposure to dance. Most people have participated in dance at a club, party, or wedding reception. Many people have watched popular movies and television shows that showcase dance as a form of competition or entertainment. The majority of people, though, have had far less experience with dance as a fine art. Because of this limited exposure, interpreting, evaluating, and responding to dance can seem daunting. In this chapter, you will learn to evaluate and discuss dance in terms of its function, choreographic elements, and theatrical features.

      Considering the Functions of Dance: Ritual, Social, Political, and Concert

      When viewing dance, one of the first things to consider is what function the dance serves. Dance has four major purposes: ritual (or religious), social (or folk or ethnic), political, and concert. Our understanding of the function of a particular dance, as well as its history, can aid us in evaluating and interpreting the dance. For example, we would have difficulty evaluating an Indian temple dance and classical ballet in the same way.

      The primary purpose of dance in ancient cultures was ritual. Ritual dances in many world cultures have been handed down from generation to generation just as stories and legends have been. Ritual dances generally portray or reinforce religious values and traditions and may be either literal (such as the acting out of a successful hunt) or abstract (such a series of steps, poses, and patterns with no apparent meaning). We will discuss ritual dance in more detail in Chapter 2.

      Social dance is performed primarily for the entertainment of participants. While there may or may not be an audience, the entertainment value of these dances is in the performing rather than the viewing. Social dances serve a primarily recreational purpose, although another important purpose of social dance is courtship. In cultures around the world, social dance serves as a way to meet and evaluate suitable partners. While social dances may take place on special occasions, they can be differentiated from ritual dance in that they are not a central part of the special event. For example, in 21st century America we often participate in dances as part of a wedding reception. These are social dances. In a culture with a ritual wedding dance, the dance would actually be considered part of the marriage ceremony. We will discuss social dance in more detail in Chapter 3.

      Political dance is almost as old as ritual dance. This type of dance was used to honor and entertain kings, pharaohs, chiefs, and emperors. In different cultures, from France to Japan to Ghana, dance was used to reinforce the power and might of the ruling class. Political dance generally includes elaborate costumes, theatrics, and a sense of propriety and decorum. In several cases, political dances evolved and developed into concert dance forms. This is due largely to the financial support or patronage of the royal courts. We will discuss political dance in more detail in Chapter 4.

      Concert dance is dance with an artistic purpose. Trained dancers perform concert dance with the purpose of entertaining or engaging the audience. Concert dance is dance as a fine art and includes genres such as ballet, modern dance, and jazz dance. Chapters 5 through 7 cover various types of concert dance.

      Finally, while we have discussed four specific and discrete functions of dance, it is important to remember that many forms of dance blur the lines between two or even all three categories. The Spanish flamenco, for example, originated as the social dance of the Spanish gypsies. Today, audiences attend flamenco shows in theatres around the world, blurring the line between social and concert dance. BharataNatyam, a specific type of Indian classical dance, was originally performed only in Hindu temples for ritual purposes. Today, BharataNatyam is also performed in theatres for public audiences, blurring the line between ritual and concert dance. Increasingly, concert dance choreographers may use social or ritual dance influences in their concert dance choreography. Now that we have a basic understanding of the functions of dance, and how these functions can change and evolve, let us consider the elements that are used to create dance.

      Considering the Choreographic Elements of Dance: Body, Time, Space, and Effort

      Visual artists consider shape, form, texture, and color in their creative processes, while musicians consider harmony, rhythm, and tempo. What, then, are the artistic tools of the dance choreographer? How exactly is a dance formed? Rudolf Von Laban, a movement theorist working in the first half of the 20th century, suggested that all dances are formed by the manipulation on four elements: the body, time, space, and effort. These four elements allow us to describe and discuss dance by answering the following four questions: Who is dancing? When do the dancers move? Where are the dancers moving? How are the dancers moving?

      The Body: Who is dancing?

      A dance choreographer may select dancers based on their ages, genders, training, or some combination of these. The choreographer selects dancers who will ultimately be able to convey his or her message, idea, or intention to the audience.

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