¶ … Dorrance Dance's ETM: Double Down
The Dorrance Dance Company is the brainchild of MacArthur Genius Grant Winner Michelle Dorrance. Although the viewer might presume that tap-dancing is a relatively traditional, even hackneyed form of American dance, Dorrance infuses it with new life and gives it a hip-hop beat. As noted in its review of the most recent Dorrance Dance production by the NY Theater Guide, ETM: Double Down at the Joyce Theater takes the viewer by surprise every moment. "The dancers walked onstage in semi-darkness, dragging along the floor a something that is either a crate or piece of scenery. It turns out to be a combination of both -- an electronic tap board designed by musician/choreographer/dancer Nicholas Van Young" (Contino).
While most dances are rigorously choreographed (many ballets, for example, uses dance steps that have existed in a particular fashion for more than a century), one of the signature aspects of the Dorrance Dance company's output is the manner in which it infuses contemporary dance with jazz-like improvisation, even in the middle of a performance. "For example, Warren Craft's solo was built around falling, with the last obvious one with his foot dragging behind him serving as a cue for...
Tap Dancing The ways that humans express themselves artistically often reflects the social, political and religious contexts of the times of their development. Tap dancing and its evolution is no exception to this rule and the many interesting components that are contained within this artistic tradition indicate a rich history of this performance art. The purpose of this essay is to discuss and analyze the art of tap dancing by exploring
Dance Final Summer Solstice Festival Ideally, this festival will take place during the summer solstice. The solstice is generally regarded as taking place on June 21. Due to popular demand and the intense international reputations that Davis Jr., De Keersmaeker, and Baryshnikov have garnered during so many years of enchanting audiences, the festival will take place during a three-day span -- from Friday through Sunday -- beginning on the 19th and culminating
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Strangely, the sense of freedom is observable even as the viewer consciously recognizes that it is not really present in the dance. Rainer's complete and continued avoidance of the camera's gaze mimics the original relationship between the dancers of Trio A and the audience, and the feeling it gives is one of avoidance due to oppression rather than the dancer's choice. In many ways, this sort of controlled freedom can
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