Complexions Contemporary Ballet Analysis

The stage travels, and outbursts, many swirling, dazzling colors, followed by a stampede of footwork accompanying the sound of the mariachi. Envision it. Mesmerizing isn't it?

The influence behind the dance company is what makes them so “widely acclaimed” when they perform internationally, for their distinct and unique music, choreography, movements and costume designs. The choreographers inspire the dance pieces, by the traditional stories and movements of various Australian Indigenous communities. Some of their best works include the performance productions of Ochres, Skin and Our Land People Stories.

Watching a video of a dance piece called “The Moroccan Project,” choreographed by Alonzo King was quite impressive. Living in San Francisco and taking dance classes brought me to Lines Ballet which is King’s dance studio. I have seen a great deal of different types of dance at the studio waiting for my Ballet classes and there are some great dancers. It comes as no surprise that Alonzo would have such great dancers. It appears that Alonzo King is exploring different cultures in dance in Contemporary Ballet. His near-perfect choreography is articulate, passionate, and graceful- he brings diversity in dance to San Francisco and other parts of the world. This piece articulates the expression of the two dancers coming together yet dancing apart at times- it is a fusion of several different types of dances into one using video editing to create a story about the coming together of two individuals.

The bronze material of the Dancer creates drama through shadow and light; areas where the fabric is pulled taught emerge into the foreground, while softer shadows send the pleated fabric into recess. Each fold and pleat evolves out of the movement of her body, no line or curve runs separately from the others. Tracing the folds of her clothing draws the eye to all areas of her figure: her foot extends from her hip, which is molded out by the veil, and the veil reveals her eyes which gazes back down towards her foot. Both her foot and head are titled outside of her center, but this is offset by the opposing motion of her arms held up on the other side of her body. Likewise, the dress and veil are gathered up in one hand to reveal her pointed foot, but flare out in an oval on her opposite side.

Almost everyone in the world feels a need to belong. When searching for one’s own identity, the questions of where power lies and who disperses it derive. The choices to separate, conform and individualize play the most significant role in identity because those choices refer individuals to the people they associate with. Deirdre N. McCloskey’s “Yes, Ma’am” and Alice Walker’s “Beauty: When the Other Dancer is the Self” relate in finding an identity and self-accepting oneself.

always been known for the risky and powerful movements which are often why dancers retire from the company. The dancer’s movements were often very intense and emotive, such as the “throws” across the stage in which the dancers would, almost violently, launch themselves across the stage in different forms (leaps, falls and flips to name a few). Another section where the movements were emotive is where the dancers were thrusting their hips in different positions to perhaps show sexuality in “self”.

As a piece of choreography, “La Petite Mort” expresses the motifs of sexuality and death through the contrasts between levels of energy, confidence, and elevation. Translating directly from French to “little death”, the phrase “petite mort” also serves as a French idiom representing sexual climax. The comparison of the supposed pleasure of a sexual act, and act associated with creation, with death evokes strong emotions for both dancers and audience members alike. The piece runs for approximately seventeen minutes and consists of twelve dancers, six males and six females, and a wide array of symbolic props, including swords (foils), dresses that stand without support, and more. The tension and lack thereof between dancers and between a dancer and his or her prop can be felt palpably by the audience. Between sections of the piece, the male dancers carry an enormous cloth which glides through the air gracefully like a scarf, and the lights dim, creating a sense of mystery which is consistent with the feelings of the audience in trying to figure out how to deal with these two conflicting ideas.

To prove everyone wrong, an interest was sparked in supporting ballet to show the world that American artists are just as competence as its foreign competitors. Unlike the Russians who have already established their mark in the ballet world, Americans were not commonly associated as talented ballet dancers. Thus, in 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower set aside $2,250,00 to fund dance, theatre, music, and sports tours to showcase American talents around the world. One of the funded dance tours was a ballet tour by New York City Ballet’s in Western Europe and the Soviet Union in 1962 (Croft, p. 425). New York City Ballet was a company founded by Balanchine and Kristen so their ballet performances reflected the innovation style of American ballet while maintaining its classical grace. Before their tour in the Soviet Union, the dancers were prepared for criticism and even booing during the performance due to the tensions between the two countries. However, all political differences were pushed aside, as “three thousand Soviet ballet fans rose to their feet to celebrate

Mrs. Farrell’s book is quite technical when it comes to the lengthy descriptions of the dances she rehearses and performs; from a dancer’s view these varied conclusions of the types of movements she was dancing is quite astonishing. In fact, it adds a whole new level to the imagination that can come alive in a person’s thoughts when they read an expressive book. Although the technical explanations will excited, astound, and reveal how much passion and deep meaning ballet had in Suzanne Farrell’s life, but a reader, who may not be involved in the arts will be unfamiliar with the ballet and musical terms in

There are many major obstacle facing African American dancers that contribute to racial segregation in the dance world. For instance flesh coloured shoes with pink ribbons are the traditional foot wear for ballet which dates back the 1820’s. Many African American dancers have questioned major dance wear companies who use this tradition as an excuse not to provide all the different skin tone dance wear. It is not only the dance wear companies refusing to adapt to modern societies idea of equality but other white dancers and companies as well.

Whether we look at a romantic ballet like La Sylphide or a classical ballet such as Sleeping Beauty, audiences are constantly mesmerized by the gracefulness and weightlessness of the ballet dancers. They seem to defy the laws of physics, which is greatly possible due to the use of the pointe shoe. However, many masterworks that were created in the Romantic era did not solely rely on the pointe shoe to help convey messages. Instead, the choreography, dancers, scenic elements, subject matter, and music all helped shaped masterworks such as La Sylphide, Napoli, and Giselle. Similarly, in the Classical era, these elements all played a role in shaping famous ballets like La Bayadere, Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake. But once we take a closer look at these ballets from the Classical era, we can see how much ballet evolved. Nevertheless, it is important to note that the Romantic era was the stepping stone for this pure art form that we have been able to preserve for more than 160 years.

The Repertory Dance Company Fall Dance Concert was held at the Mannoni Performing Arts Center. The dancers involved in this dance concert are part of the University of Southern Mississippi Dance Department meaning they are either pursuing a degree in dance or teach dance at a university level. Both students and faculty had the opportunity to present work during adjudication to be chosen to be presented at this concert. I particularly enjoyed this concert because, while all of the dances presented were a part of the broad genre of modern dance, each dance had such a unique aesthetic so the concert still provided a great amount of variety to keep the audience captivated. The two pieces I have chosen to review represent this variety very

At the age of three, I was exposed to the wonderful art form of dance that is shared by so many around the world. It is questioned as to how dance, specifically Ballet, is still relevant in modern culture. The simple reason is that it is loved by so many artists, who have shared their passion for ballet on to generations of students who are eager to understand and master this complicated art form. I was lucky to be immersed into the dance world at such a young age. It is difficult for me to imagine a life without it.

Dance of the Hours composed by Amilcare Ponchielli’s from his opera La Gioconda takes us on a journey through the hours of the day. We will be reviewing three versions of this composition where the ballet through dance and costume, the orchestra through music, and staging or film techniques assist in representing the hours in a day (dawn, morning, twilight and night). These three previously recorded versions in review are in the forms of classical, modern, and Disney’s Fantasia version of the ballet.

All six dances in the ‘black and white’ ballets are based on sexuality. The male