Cry - Alvin Ailey Essay

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”.

The opening scene where close up is used showing the trembling fingers whilst placing the record onto the player leading into the tilting shot of Billy jumping up and down showing his excitement emphasises Billy’s love for dancing and symbolises the way in which it embodies him. Long shot of Billy making him look much smaller on the screen is used to foreshadow the harm and prejudices Billy might get from the society as he pursues his dancing career. The swinging door at the gym symbolises a barrier as well as an opportunity of his dream. Panning of the camera,close up and the low angle shots passing ballerinas feet before focusing on Billy’s reinforces that he is different as well as emphasising his preparedness to take risks for him to be able to pursue his dream. Shifts on the expressions of Billy and Jackie while they were arguing about ballet as well as the close up shot of Jackie grabbing Billy and holds him against the door highlighted Jackie as both physical and psychological obstacle of Billy’s

The journey of Cry is driven by three expressive intentions. The accompaniment in Cry is divided into sections that complement the A,B,C formal structure. For example, section one creates images of slavery, hardship and the struggle that the African American women experienced. Ailey has incorporated a length of fabric into the work to create symbolic meaning and imagery. Section one starts with Manning standing, overlaid with her white leotard and skirt, holding the while fabric to the sky. Manning slowly lowers the fabric, holding it out in front of her as she walks toward the front of the stage to place the fabric center front on the floor. Manning the tosses one end of the fabric to the side then sharply contracts to the side with her arm bent over her head, to then gently caress the material. This is then repeated on the other side. This change in dynamics and sharp angles shows her pain and fatigue as she is forced into labour. Manning creates images with the material as she scrubs the floor and ties herself down, standing on the ends of the material with it wrapped

This piece drew inspiration from the African American music of his youth. Years after his death, Ailey continues to be an important figure in the field of dance through the ballets he formed and the organizations he

The use of contractions help to show the strength that it takes them to try and be free but are still not strong enough to get away as it is shown when the women sink to their knees whilst performing a slow contraction. In the closing phrase of this sub section there is a rapid change of levels as the tempo speeds up the dancers perform a manic spiralling to drop down to make an obvious abrupt end.

The choreographic intention of “Emergence” was the exploration of merging diverse elements together to see what comes from it, like the emergence in relation to arrangements and structures made in nature. The choreographic intention expanded from the idea of concealment. This was clearly identified in the beginning trio where the female dancer is shown trying to escape from her hiding place. In appraisal, the choreographic intention of “Image” was a more simplistic interpretation, one that explored identity and how it is made up of personal experiences we endure and that along the way we are influenced and sometimes inveigled, which can make revealing who we really are at the core oppressive. In comparison to “Emergence”, the movement in “Image” was more vague and indefinite in relation to linking movement to the choreographic intention. Through manipulation of structural devices such as groupings, stillness, tempo and dynamics, the

Ordinary courage is a book that tells the story of an ordinary man who is inlisted in the continental army in the revolutionary war. Joseph Plumb Martin is the young man fighting in this war, at the time he entered he was just a mere 16 year old kid but by the time his time in the continental army was up he became a man. This is a first person memoir of what it was like for a regular person living in a war zone, and dealing with the everyday fears of food shortage, low morale, and danger of attack. This is something that many people in todays world could not handle because even some of the old guys in the

When the men of Agamemnon come to take Briseis, Achilles gives her up without a fight, despite how heavy his heart is at the thought of losing her. Once she is gone, Achilles withdraws from his companions and sobs, praying to his mother to understand why he is treated the way he is, why he isn’t treated with respect. His mother, hearing his laments, comes to console him, telling him that she will visit Zeus and try to sway him towards helping the Trojans and destroying the Achaeans, to make them pay for disrespecting the son of Thetis.

The dancers represent how they are all moving together to a rhythm that binds them together, not as dancers, but as human beings. It represents how everything is bound together, but this connection is lost by many of the characters. They distance themselves from their connections to relatives and to the Earth through the actions of the government and their own decisions.

The movements of the happy dancer are joyous and tells a story of how he accomplishes his dream. The sad dancer is mopping around for the first minute of the dance, until he catches onto the happy dancer and begins copying the joyous moves, then he has a solo part of him getting motivated and accomplishing his goals, then the two dances in harmony and happiness in the

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.

Since I have finished the book, I think it was a very good book. I was amazed at the plot, it was amazing and it always kept me on my toes. I did enjoy the story, I would probably read this book again. Some issues of the family was that Papa was hurt badly and couldn't go back on the railroad, while Mama was fired from her teaching at Jefferson Davis School, so they had to rely on the cotton and Uncle Hammer. But then Papa burned one-fourth of the cotton to save T.J.. The community problems were was that the Wallace's were racially discriminating the Blacks that were shopping there, also they would give alcohol to the teens and adding it on to the family bill. Another community problem was that Harlan Granger was raising the cotton prices on

Michael Eric Dyson has played many roles in his life, but in his sermon/book, Tears We Cannot Stop, he plays the role of a pastor. Dyson preaches to white American about the ignorance white Americans have about racism towards the black community. This racism is deep-seeded in America’s history and has been perpetuated by white innocence, white privilege, and a refusal to learn, despite rebuttal claims that racism is dead in America by white folk. Dyson put forward the idea that racism is not just calling a black person the “n” word, blatant discrimination, or cops unjustly shooting and killing blacks, but is also the lack of whites to do anything about it, think about it, or even gain more knowledge about the turmoil, fear, and

In Alan Paton’s “Cry, The Beloved Country” he uses landscape and setting to effect the characters. Mary Shelley also does this in “Frankenstein.” In “Cry, The Beloved Country” Paton describes the landscape in the first chapter as lush and habitable but then it becomes barren land because more and more people are going to the city which cause there to be less people taking care of the land. In Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” she also uses the city as a place that changes people. In “Frankenstein” nature is a big theme just like in “Cry, The Beloved Country.” In “Frankenstein” Victor, the mad scientist, is pure when he is in nature but when he goes to the city he becomes corrupted and turn away from nature and from God and tries to create life. In “Cry, The Beloved Country” Stephen Kumalo is pure when he is in his village but when he

Her crown could also be decorated with rainbow for all we know she could actually be the whole rainbow. Her cloths is rainbow or white maybe even gold. The staff could be used for getting attention by pounding it on the floor. But it also probably is a speaking stick. In a group the staff would be passed to the person who wants to speak and only the person with the staff is allowed to speak.