The story of this groundbreaking summer dance program is told through the voices of staff, faculty, and students. Administrative director Mary Josephine Shelly's previously unpublished writings form a key summary of eight of the nine summer sessions. The Bennington School of the Dance held classes from 1934 through 1942 at Bennington College in Vermont, with one summer spent at Mills College in California. Its effects were far-reaching in the development and dissemination of modern dance as an original American art form. The school produced unique choreographic works by teachers in residence: Martha Graham, Hanya Holm, Doris Humphrey, and Charles Weidman. Leading choreographers of the later 20th century such as Merce Cunningham, Anna Halprin, Jose Limon, Alwin Nikolais and Anna Sokolow participated at the school. The largest portion of students were high school and college level teachers who would spread modern dance across the country and abroad.
Embracing dramatic similarities, glaring disjunctions, and striking innovations, this book explores the history and context of dance on the land we know today as the United States of America. Designed for weekly use in dance history courses, it traces dance in the USA as it broke traditional forms, crossed genres, provoked social and political change, and drove cultural exchange and collision. The authors put a particular focus on those whose voices have been silenced, unacknowledged, and/or uncredited – exploring racial prejudice and injustice, intersectional feminism, protest movements, and economic conditions, as well as demonstrating how socio-political issues and movements affect and are affected by dance. In looking at concert dance, vernacular dance, ritual dance, and the convergence of these forms, the chapters acknowledge the richness of dance in today’s USA and the strong foundations on which it stands. Milestones are a range of accessible textbooks, breaking down the need-to-know moments in the social, cultural, political, and artistic development of foundational subject areas. This book is ideal for undergraduate courses that embrace culturally responsive pedagogy and seek to shift the direction of the lens from western theatrical dance towards the wealth of dance forms in the United States.
History of Dance: An Interactive Arts Approachprovides an in-depth look at dance from the dawn of time through the 20th century. Using an investigative approach, this book presents the who, what, when, where, why, and how of dance history in relation to other arts and to historical, political, and social events. In so doing, this text provides a number of ways to create, perceive, and respond to the history of dance through integrated arts and technology. This study of dancers, dances, and dance works within an interactive arts, culture, and technology environment is supported by the National Standards in dance, arts education, social studies, and technology education. History of Dance: An Interactive Arts Approachhas four parts. Part Iexplains the tools used to capture dance from the past. Part IIbegins a chronological study of dance, beginning with its origins and moving through ancient civilizations and the Middle Ages through the Renaissance. Part IIIcovers dance from the 17th to the 20th century, including dance at court, dance from court to theater, romantic to classical ballet, and dance in the United States. Part IVfocuses on 20th-century American dance, highlighting influences on American ballet and modern dance as it emerged, matured, and evolved during that century. History of Dance: An Interactive Arts Approachincludes the following features: -Chapter outlines that present topics covered in each chapter -Opening scenarios to set the scene and introduce each time period -Explorations of dancers, choreographers, and other personalities -Explorations of the dances and significant choreography and dance literature of each time period -History Highlight boxes containing unusual facts, events, and details to bring history to life -History Trivia, providing insights into how dance relates to the history, art, and society of the time period -Web sites to encourage further exploration -Developing a Deeper Perspective sections that encourage students to use visual or aesthetic scanning, learn and perform period dances, observe and write performance reports, develop research projects and WebQuests (Internet-based research projects), and participate in other learning activities -Vocabulary terms at the end of each chapter Each chapter in parts II through IV provides an overview of the time period, including a time capsule and a historical and societal overview. Each chapter focuses on major dancers, choreographers, and personalities; dances of the period, including dance forms, dance designs, accompaniment, costuming, and performing spaces; and significant dance works and dance literature. The chapters also feature a series of eight experiential learning activities that help students dig deeper into the history of dance, dancers, and significant dance works and literature. These activities are presented as reproducible templates that include perceiving, creating, performing, writing, and presenting oral activities infused with technology. Teachers can use these activities as optional chapter assignments or as extended projects to help apply the information and to use technology and other integrated arts sources to make the history of dance more meaningful. History of Danceis an indispensable text for dance students who want to learn the history of dance and its relationship to other arts of the times using today's interactive technology.
This comprehensive and up-to-date dictionary provides all the information necessary for dance fans to navigate the diverse dance scene of the 21st century. It includes entries ranging from classical ballet to the cutting edge of modern dance.
History of Dance, Second Edition, examines dance from prehistoric times to today. It focuses on the dancers and choreographers, dances, and significant dance works from each time period and offers an instructor guide, test bank, PowerPoint presentation package, and student web resource to reinforce learning.
