Dance History – Page 5

Andros On Ballet

October 27, 2009 by 4dancers

andros Andros on Ballet is a wonderful resource for dancers and teachers alike. The author, Dick Andros has been involved with dance for over 50 years and he has a wealth of experience to share with readers. Here you will find pieces on history, vocabulary and an extensive biography area that features dancers such as Cynthia Gregory and Anna Pavlova.

(Just a little warning–you could spend a lot of time browsing on this site, so you may want to save it for when you have a little bit of time to sift through all of the information that is there.)

The George Balanchine Foundation

October 26, 2009 by 4dancers

gbf

I’m a huge Balanchine fan, so today I’d like to share a great resource with 4dancers readers…The George Balanchine Foundation. If you haven’t heard of this website before, be sure to take a look–especially if you are a fan as well. Besides information about the man himself, you will also find a database of all the dance works that he created. You’ll be able to see such details as when the dance was first performed, revisions and information about visual records if they are available. This is a massive undertaking and I have great respect for those that put it together.

Remembering Rebecca Wright

October 22, 2009 by 4dancers

wright When I was a young girl I was cast as an angel in the Ruth Page production of The Nutcracker in Chicago. It was a small part, and after I danced I had to sit on stage–on a hard wooden stool–all the way through the second act. There was only one thing I looked forward to during these perfomances…seeing Rebecca Wright dance the Sugar Plum.

Ms. Wright was the picture of femininity as she floated across the stage. She made me hold my breath when she danced, and she could turn faster than anyone I had ever seen. I still remember the beads of sweat flying off of her as she spun madly around the stage–the lights catching each drop and lighting it up for those of us who were close enough to see… [Read more…]

The Dance Notation Bureau

September 13, 2009 by 4dancers

The Dance Notation Bureau is a membership organization that seeks “to advance the art of dance through the use of a system of notation”. The Bureau uses Labanotation as the method that they employ to record dances. The notation process itself is interesting. A “notator” comes out to the rehursals for the dance and records the steps, but the documentation doesn’t stop there. Other things that are recorded include historical information, production information and marked musical scores. The cost for this service can vary widely, and it is based on things such as how many dancers are involved, how long the work is and the complexity of the movements.

American Tribal Belly Dance

July 30, 2009 by 4dancers

Belly dance is a form of movement that many women find liberating. One style that has gotten a lot of attention in recent years is a style called American Tribal Belly Dance. I wrote a bit about this dance form for an article which can be seen online at Her Circle E-Zine. Here is an excerpt from the piece:

“One of the first dance styles I photographed was American tribal belly dance. This form is largely improvisational and eclectic and it borrows elements from different dance styles, such as Flamenco and Egyptian belly dance, and blends them together in a beautiful, unique form. Interestingly, this dance style echoes the history of the United States in that it is both fairly new, and it is also a “melting pot” of styles, but with a distinct stamp of its own.”

Belly dance is just one of many dance styles that will be featured periodically on 4dancers. Check back often for updates and new posts. We aren’t just about one dance style–because there are so many to experience. Upcoming posts will look at everything from Irish Step Dance to Indian Dance.

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