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Book Review: Frederick Ashton’s Ballets: Style, Performance, Choreography

March 6, 2013 by 4dancers

by Emily Kate Long

My most recent paper-bound treasure is Geraldine Morris’s Frederick Ashton’s Ballets: Style, Performance, Choreography, an analysis and discussion of six of Ashton’s works. Having limited exposure to Ashton’s ballets, I approached it as a primer on his work—characteristics, influences, and their place in the repertories of companies today. I came away with much more information and many more questions than I had bargained for. Morris professes one of her goals to be “to promote greater understanding of both dance movement style and choreographic style, so that the book is not only interesting and useful for performers but also for dance academics and committed dance audiences.”  I consider myself belonging to all three categories, and though I haven’t reached understanding yet, Ashton’s Ballets has provoked my interest intensely.

The ballets themselves Morris considers in pairs: A Wedding Bouquet (1937) and Illuminations (1950), two ballets featuring spoken words; Birthday Offering (1956) and Jazz Calendar (1968), non-narrative works; and Daphnis and Chloe (1951) and A Month in the Country (1976), two narrative ballets.  By comparing works made on dancers of different backgrounds and at points throughout Ashton’s career, Morris determines that some of the defining characteristics of Ashton’s style are the use of what are typically transition or minor steps as major motifs, complex epaulement including the invisible pathways drawn by the limbs in space, unexpected changes of direction and dynamic, and different rhythms occurring simultaneously in the upper and lower body.

In addition to providing detailed descriptions and comparisons of the six ballets, Morris offers background concerning Ashton’s influences: Petipa, Duncan, Nijinska, Pavlova, the stage dancing of the 1920s and ‘30s, and the dancers of his ballets. In other words, he made use of what came before him, what was in front of him, and what was within him. (Morris states that Ashton was “concerned to understand temperament and sensibility.”)

Tracing chains of influence through time and changes in the treatment of a static entity (in this case, codified ballet technique) over time are central to Morris’s arguments. Repeatedly, she emphasizes the extent to which much of today’s dancing favors line and shape over motion. She maintains that such emphasis is stylistically detrimental to Ashton’s works, which depend on movement and dynamic over shape or position.

Morris’s discussion of influences on Ashton extends both inward to the analysis of each ballet she addresses and outward, beyond Ashton’s work. For example, in her breakdown of Daphnis and Chloe, Ashton’s, Ravel’s, and Fokine’s treatment of the Greek myth are acknowledged. Where Jazz Calendar is analyzed, Morris highlights the contrast between Balanchine’s and Ashton’s treatment of similar influences: stage dancing and African-American movement. Similarly, each of these two choreographers were strongly influenced by Petipa, yet each paid tribute in decidedly different ways. I find this quality of her book tantalizing—it invites endless exploration of the interconnected web of dance history and the present day. As an audience member, to be conscious of references and allusions in choreography enriches my viewing experience. As a performer, knowledge of influences and stylistic traits enhances my ability to interpret style with more integrity, in turn allowing the audience to view work as the choreographer intended it.

At its heart, this book poses questions of relevance, reverence and preservation. To what extent must ballets evolve to stay relevant? To what extent must dancers adapt their own movement style to suit choreography? Ballet is a live art whose present is better understood and enjoyed by examining its past, and whose future is being shaped by past and present. Morris sums herself up best:

“To survive, past works need to respond to the changing world and this is particularly difficult in dance: both aesthetic values and dancers’ bodies alter and sources for reviving past works are limited…So how can movement, which was made during an earlier era and was embodied by dancers with very different training, be revived or even reconstructed, whilst keeping faith with the spirit of the work? …My suggestions will inevitably be challenged and contested but I hope they will add to that debate which centres on choreographic style and its survival.”

Useful links:

The Ballets of Frederick Ashton 

“Celebrating Ashton”

A Month in the Country full version 

A Month in the Country pas de deux

Step-by-step guide to dance: Frederick Ashton

Another discussion of Ashton’s Ballets on DanceTabs

Filed Under: Books & Magazines Tagged With: choreographer, choreography, dance book, frederick ashton

“Dancers Among Us” – An Interview With Photographer Jordan Matter

November 13, 2012 by 4dancers

Jordan Matter is a portrait photographer in New York City who has had work featured on the Today Show, Tyra Banks, MSNBC, NBC, MTV, BBC, ZDF TV, NY Daily News, Washington Post, Oprah Magazine, Dance Magazine, Huffington Post, and in newspapers, magazines and blogs around the world. He has photographed the past two advertising campaigns for the Paul Taylor Dance Company, and now he is also the force behind the new book Dancers Among Us.

DAU reached the NY Times extended best seller list in its first week, despite having only been on sale for part of the week. Also, it sold out on Amazon in 48 hours, and was #1 on Reddit last Friday. Just as I was sitting down to put the interview and photos together to run on 4dancers, I looked up to see this book spotlighted on my nightly news in Chicago. Clearly it’s a hit–and not just with the dance community.

As I scrolled through the photographs to select the ones I would use for this post, I found myself smiling the entire time. Matter has managed to capture dance in a way I have never quite seen it before. It’s fresh and fun, and it really must have been something to be involved in the shoots pictured in this book. Let’s take a peek behind the scenes–

How long have you been photographing dancers, and what got you started on this subject matter in the first place?

I’ve been photographing dancers for the exact amount of time that I’ve been photographing “Dancers Among Us,” which is about 3 ½ years. I had no dance photography experience when I started this project. Jeffrey Smith of the Paul Taylor Dance Company hired me to shoot his headshots, and I told him about my idea of photographing dancers in everyday situations. He loved it and convinced ten PTDC company members to collaborate with me, despite the fact that I’d never shot dancers before.

You recently published a book, “Dancers Among Us”. How did the idea for that project come about?

I was watching my three-year-old son, Hudson, play with a toy bus, and I was struck by his enthusiasm and intensity. As we grow up, most of us seem to lose this ability to be wholly in the moment. I thought it would be exciting to create photographs that celebrated the joy of everyday life, seeing the world as if through the eyes of a child.

What was the process like of getting the photography together for this book?

It was thrilling. I spent the first two years shooting in NYC, and the last year traveling around the US. I would tweet and Facebook my destination, and the dancers came out in big numbers. Everywhere I went dancers were excited to volunteer their time, often traveling great distances to participate. I photographed well over two hundred dancers, and I owe each of them a huge debt of gratitude.

The most difficult part was cutting photographs- knowing that dancers would be left out of the book through no fault of their own. It was heartbreaking. I wrote a blog about that process, “I’m a Piece of S#!T… and I’m Sorry”, which you can read on my blog.

jordan matter photo from dancers among us
Rachel Bell, Baltimore, Photo by Jordan Matter

Can you share an interesting “behind-the-scenes” story about one of the photos in this book?

Sure. In the back of the book there are behind-the-scenes stories for most of the photos. Here’s an example-

“Surrender” (Rachel Bell)- Is this pose as unsafe as it looks? Yes, in more ways than one. Not only is Rachel hanging off a cannon at a great height, but we shot in 105-degree weather: That cannon was steaming hot. Just so you don’t think I’m completely heartless, I found a very strong man in the crowd that had gathered and asked him to hide behind the cannon and hold her left leg. (He crouched in a way to obscure himself from the camera’s view.) I entrusted Rachel’s life to a complete stranger, so maybe I should take back that heartless comment.

jordan matter photo from dancers among us
Evan Ruggiero, Sloane Kettering, Photo by Jordan Matter

What is the greatest challenge in photographing dancers?

Dancers are used to being rigidly choreographed, and they’re not often encouraged to collaborate in the creative process. As a result, dancers often wait for direction rather than throw out ideas. I consider the dancer an equal partner, and those who embrace the creative process are often asked back several times. Also, dancers can be extremely critical of themselves, and they get very frustrated if they don’t meet their expectations (which are often set impossibly high). A choreographer with a major company once told me that dancers live in a constant state of negative reinforcement, and it takes a strong personality to rise above it.

What is the most rewarding part about this type of photography?

Just look at them. Dancers are unbelievable-they’re the perfect subjects to photograph. They’re beautiful, athletic, expressive, and willing to try anything. I quickly realized that if I could imagine it, the dancer could probably do it. I can’t believe that photographers all over the world aren’t raiding their local dance studios.

jordan matter, dancers among us photo
Jamielyn Duggan, San Francisco, Photo by Jordan Matter

What do you think has helped you the most in becoming a dance photographer?

Being completely ignorant of the dance world, so I could approach my work with a fresh eye, unburdened by expectations. I actually don’t consider myself a dance photographer-I’m a photographer who uses dancers to tell stories. The quality that helped me tell those stories is a willingness to trust serendipity. Almost every photograph in the book came together through serendipity. I rarely ever had a plan- the dancer and I would explore the environment until I discovered something that excited me. Then I would ask, “What is the story? What’s the scenario?”

Usually dance photos are either pretty pictures in a studio or pretty pictures outside. I wanted to break away from that mold and create images that could resonate with everyone, not just dance fans. I tried to take slices of life that are easily recognizable and imbue them with joy and passion. However, it wasn’t always easy to trust that things would just work out when I had four dancers who just drove five hours and are waiting for me to make a decision. As we walked around, seemingly aimlessly, I would usually say, “Don’t worry, this is the process. The shot is right around the corner somewhere. Just stick with me.”

jordan matter photographer

Is there a particular method you have come up with to capture a dancer’s personality through a photo?

The dancer’s personality comes through in the scenario. It’s much easier for dancers to show that they’re funny, sexy, intense, or whatever if the story highlights that quality. It’s much more difficult in a studio setting. When I’m considering a scenario, I always see the dancer as an individual and try to gauge what interesting characteristics he or she will bring to the photo. My favorite is humor-I just can’t get enough of dancers who have a sense of humor.

What is coming up on the horizon for you?

I’ve been obsessing over this project for the past three years, so that’s primarily where my focus is right now. I haven’t announced this yet, but there will be a 2014 wall calendar (I guess I just announced it!). I hope to expand “Dancers Among Us” beyond the USA. Why would I ever stop shooting this? It’s my nirvana!

Visit Amazon if you are interested in purchasing Dancers Among Us.

Here’s a behind the scenes video that gives a glimpse of what the process was like:

Dancers Among Us goes around the USA in Ninety Seconds from Jordan Matter on Vimeo.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: dance book, dance photography, dance studios, dancers, dancers among us, jeffrey smith, jordan matter, paul taylor dance company, photographing dancers

Young Adult Dance Book: Pointe Of No Return

November 9, 2012 by 4dancers

pointe of no return

by Amanda Brice

“Glissade, pique arabesque, and now pull into retire en face!”

And thus begins the second chapter of my second book, Pointe of No Return, which features a kidnapping (and search for the missing girl) during Nutcracker rehearsals at a performing arts boarding school. My heroine, freshman ballet student Dani Spevak, is assigned to understudy her rival Hadley Taylor as the Sugar Plum Fairy, when Hadley goes missing. And in typical Dani fashion, he sets out to find her.

I’ve never solved mysteries, but Dani and I have several things in common. First of all, we love to dance. Okay, that’s a given. You probably share that with us as well, if you’re reading Catherine Tully’s wonderful 4dancers blog.

We both consider Nut season to be “the most wonderful time of the year” (even though my 3-year-old told me yesterday she can’t go see Nutcracker because she’s allergic to nuts). And we’ve both ended up getting to perform in a ballet even when we thought we’d been relegated to understudy status.

In my case, I was understudying a performance of Gaite Parisienne and one of the older girls in the company got hospitalized with bulimia. It was a weird feeling for me. A real paradox. On the one hand, I was super excited to get to perform, but that meant that Rachel was very, very sick. And you can’t exactly celebrate that, you know?

Same thing with Dani. Hadley’s missing, and it’s actually not in her best interest to find her – this way she gets to dance – but how can you really celebrate that (even if Hadley is the meanest girl in school)? You can’t.

So I took that awkward feeling and built a story around it. Only I changed the basic facts as to why my heroine got to dance. Because while a story about eating disorders might be relevant from a social commentary standpoint (and I do weave them in as a subplot), it probably wouldn’t make for a very good plot. (Or at least not the type of plot I write.) [Read more…]

Filed Under: 4dancers, Books & Magazines Tagged With: amanda brice, ballet student, breaking pointe, bulimia, bunheads, choreographers, dance, dance book, dance studio, dancing with the stars, nutcracker, pointe of no return, satin slippers, So You Think You Can Dance

Book Review: The Cranes Dance

April 17, 2012 by 4dancers

by Emily Kate Long

Meg Howrey’s novel The Cranes Dance (Vintage Contemporaries, on sale May 15) is the twisted portrait of New York ballerina Kate Crane, as told from Kate’s point of view. She is funny, stubborn, jaded, guilty. She is a dancer. She has a sister. She lies to herself. She questions her own sanity. She is trying to decide what she wants and who she should be. Even when I didn’t like her, I still liked her because I knew her. Reading this novel, I felt about Kate the way you would feel about your sister or a longtime friend, which is appropriate considering Kate’s love/hate/jealousy/admiration/guardian/saboteur relationship with her younger sister Gwen.

The reader is plopped down right in the middle of what turns out to be a pivotal season in Kate’s career. Howrey opens her novel with a hilariously irreverent description of Swan Lake: “…here we are in the Village Green of Wherever filled with people who like to greet each other maniacally every ten seconds and then in walks Prince Siegfried…” Kate’s description is that of someone who has become disenchanted with ballet’s magic on the one hand but on the other hand cares desperately about her work, although she isn’t always sure why.

We are introduced bit by bit to Kate’s sister Gwen, though Gwen as a character is never fully fleshed out. Kate alludes to Gwen’s final breakdown, at which point Kate feels compelled to call their father to take Gwen back home to Michigan where she is treated for an unidentified psychological condition. As the story progresses (related as Kate’s day-to-day mixed with flashbacks and background information concerning the events leading up to Gwen’s departure) Kate’s world is turned upside down with each discovery she makes about her role in her sister’s breakdown, her own mental state, and whether or not any of her relationships actually matter. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 4dancers, Books & Magazines, Reviews Tagged With: dance book, emily kate long, meg howrey, the cranes dance

Review: Learn To Speak Dance

October 14, 2011 by 4dancers

I just finished reading Learn to Speak Dance and I was pleasantly surprised at how well this book was put together, as well as how interesting it was. It is very current in that it speaks to kids as they are today–with contemporary language and a warm, engaging tone. Geared for children between the ages of 9-13, this 96 page dance book covers a lot of ground.

The author, Ann-Marie Williams speaks with serious authority. She is the director of the Movement Lab, a dance school for kids, and she is also a certified RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) instructor–and she has also written for The Dance Current. Williams has a knack for simplifying the information she shares about dance while still being interesting–a tough combination that she pulls off with considerable skill.

Some of the topics covered in this book include: what dance is, how to make dances, performing, promoting a show, making costumes and dance videos and information about several styles of dance, including ballet, contemporary dance and flamenco. Peppered throughout are a bunch of quotes from professionals in a variety of fields, which is a cool way to add interest to the book for kids of this age. It’s educational–but it’s fun too.

The language is right–hip and cool without trying too hard, and I think it addresses a lot of the questions that children this age may have about dance–especially if they don’t have a lot of prior experience or aren’t sure how to get started. The book helps to make dance accessible rather than mysterious, which I loved. It really was written in an encouraging tone.

The illustrations by Jeff Kulak were a nice touch as well. Visuals definitely help bring concepts to life, and the imagery worked very well here.

All in all I think this is a great book with mass appeal for the age group it was intended to serve. There’s a lot of information packed into the pages, and I think it is quite readable. A great resource for the dance community–and for parents.

Learn more about the book or purchase it for your child.

If you’ve read it–I’d love to hear what you think!

Filed Under: 4teachers, Books & Magazines, Dance Gifts, Reviews Tagged With: ann-marie williams, dance book, jeff kulak, kids dance book, learn to speak dance, movement lab, rad, royal academy of dance, teen dance book

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