Stripping The Emperor Poem Analysis

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”.

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

Alvin Ailey was an accomplished dancer and choreographer whose African-American heritage influenced his works in the 20th century. His successful dance career has gained international recognition and acclaim thus rendering a significant legacy. Ailey’s background as a dancer and choreographer had many strong influences from social, cultural, economic and political aspects during his early life. His African-American heritage has greatly influenced his works. Alvin was 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

From the article "I Don't Want to do African … What About My Technique?:" Transforming Dancing Places into Spaces in the Academy by Raquel L. Monroe, the author discussed about problems that currently occur in dance space of a higher institution. The terms ‘technique’ has become problematic when the Monroe pointed the fear of the future dancer if they took dance class that is different from ballet or modern. The article further discusses by using excerpt and interviews from teachers and students on defining what ‘technique’ is. She also touches the topic on racial injustice in dance from the stereotypes of certain movement that denoted a group of people and classification of ‘high’ or ‘low’ art. This further support her argument when she critiques

Although Bausch’s dances show influences of both the German expressionist tradition and and the formalism of American dance of the sixties, she effectively disempowered both systems. In Bausch’s work, formal gestures become subjective as they accumulate the performers’ personal interpretations and new meanings with each

Dance has always been the focal point in which Africans are able to let free through movements of emotion. In this essay I will discuss the history of African Dance and its importance to the African Culture. Also will be discussing the general information of African dance, the different types of African dance and the ones that I like the most. Dance in the African culture is something that cannot be taken advantage of in the African Culture because it holds such a strong meaningful moment at the time of any occasion.

“Go within everyday and find the inner strength so that the world will not blow your candle out” (A Quote by Katherine Dunham 1). Once one of the most successful dancers in both American and European theater, Katherine Dunham, a dancer, anthropologist,social activist,and educator, continues to inspire people throughout the world. Named America’s irreplaceable Dance Treasure in 2000. Dunham remains a name heard regularly in dance schools across the world (“Katherine Dunham Biography” 4). She is known for always trying to make a difference and in the process she has become of the world’s greatest humanitarians (Osumare 5). Katherine Dunham’s work in African American rights in the dance world and her creation of new styles of dance makes her an important figure in American dance History.

Sally Banes is an American writer and dance historian and critic. She is also a professor of theater history and dance studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Banes has written multiple books and contributed to many documentaries and films. The book Moving History / Dancing Cultures, which Banes contributed to, includes the article “Choreographic Methods of the Judson Dance Theater”. This book was published in 2001.

The San Diego Trolley Dances took place on October 3rd 2015. An assortment of dance pieces all come together to furnish the city with dance in non-traditional and often unexpected settings. A program that has been established for fourteen years, the annual Trolley Dances traveled from downtown San Diego to Balboa Park. However modern or classical the pieces may in Trolley Dances appear to be, the combination of observation and research can provide a different perspective. Africanist Aesthetics are principles in the qualities of African dance, as well as other African art forms. The aesthetic of the cool is one of five Africanist Aesthetics. It embraces the principle of a contrast between bodily movements and facial presentation and expression. This aesthetic also has a large component of visual values; dancers are confident of their performance and offer themselves as such. Three moments within the collection of pieces presented in Trolley Dances excellently embody the Africanist Aesthetic of the aesthetic of the cool, in the penumbras of potential danger, physical strain, and unexpected collisions.

The Paramount Theatre Houston, Texas. A beautiful theatre with elegant architecture, and well-crafted sculptures, that provides a warm and inviting atmosphere. It has a convenient location with easy navigation in addition to spacious parking. Arriving at this appealing theatre helped set a positive tone about how the evening would go, which was nothing less than I had expected. I watched two performances in which I will be evaluating in this paper. The first one I will discuss is Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games. It is an Irish step dance that was choreographed by Michael Flatley and performed by the Riverdance Irish Dance Company. The second performance is an African dance choreographed by Etiene Cakpo, Kokou Gbakenou, and Jimu Makurumbandi called the African Journey. This dance was performed by Gan Sango Music and Dance.

I must say that my hole spring quarter has been dedicated to deepening my overall understanding of West-African dance alone. In preparation this to study with the Urban Bush this summer I wanted to make sure that I was able to develop a stronger foundation in my West-African dance technique this quarter. My Mondays and Wednesday from 2:00-6:30 were dedicated to Professor Parker's ( Makeda- Kumasi) West-African dancing and drumming classes held at UCR. I also seeked outside the classroom to gain a community experience of this dance genre so that I could compare and contrast the similarities and differences I found. My goals were to truly embody the many elements that are associated in this dance genre. In my discoveries I was able to

Scope: Dance Research Journal, Vol. 39, No. 1, (2007), pp. 3-24 Published by Congress on Research in Dance

Over time, revolutionary experiments of a choreographer may be reevaluated. Ruth St. Denis’s introduction of “exotic” culture has turned out to be a vestige of imperialism, as a form

The authors talked about the importance of African Dance and their functions. The author quoted

The live performance I decided to go and see was called “Celebrating 20 Old New Borrowed Blue.” This production was put up by the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company also known as MET dance. During this production, there were four different choreographic works, “Stirring Simple Gifts in Shades of Blue”, A Tribute to the Jazz Man called “Steven Boyd Tribute,” “Air”, and lastly “New Second Line (2006).” All four of these works were equally great, but the two that significantly stuck out to me were “Air” and the “New Second Line (2006)”. Throughout this paper, I will delve to describe the different type of elements amongst the two different works of art, for example, choreography, music, customs, and lighting.“Air” was uniquely put together; the audience was able to see the choreographer’s concept very clearly. Before this choreographic works were presented, there was a lady that came on the intercom providing us with safety instructions as if we were on a plane getting ready to take off. This signified the attention to which this performance was accorded. Once the curtain opened and the dancers began to enter the stage, everything started to take place. The dancers entered in unison though in a line from a far right entrance to the corner that was open seemingly to give attention to the theme. Though early, I noticed that the exit was different from the entrance as it was on the opposite side somehow in line with the movement of an airplane. The background for this piece was