Important People
Name 3 of the notable black performers in Stormy Weather
Lena Horne, Bill Robinson, Fats Waller, Ada Brown, Katherine Dunham, Cab Calloway, The Nicholas Brothers
What four elements of the film musical are always in dialogue?
Movement
Music
Narrative
Cinematography
This modern dance choreographer brought Afro-Caribbean dance to the U.S. and was known for using torso undulations, orchestral arrangements, multiple levels, male/female partnering, and modern and ballet styles
Katherine Dunham
Name three theater forms that inspire/inform musical theater?
Minstrelsy, Opera/Operetta, Vaudeville, Music Hall & Revue, Yiddish Theater, Burlesque, Silent Film, Broadway Book Musicals
Names two roles film musicals play in our society
reflecting dreams and ideals
reinforcing or challenging societal values (ie gender roles)
modern myth making
opportunity for escapism
Describe Bubsy Berkeley's style (at least 3 elements)
First to explore moving crane shots
Used overhead and ground-up camera angles to show kaleidoscopic patterns of choral movements and unique perspectives
Used simple movements in marching formations as choreographic structures for large musical numbers
Used Fabric instead of wooden set pieces for many of his set designs
Used moving platforms and adopted the use of multiple levels and staired sets from Ziegfeld
Explain the difference between diegetic and non diegetic sound
diegetic sound comes from the world of the film, non diegetic sound is outside (ie soundscore)
Name 3 facts about the presence or roots of short ballets in musical film
Short ballets originate with the Ballet Russes in Russia and cross over through Europe to the U.S.
Created shorter one-act ballets versus traditional full-length ballets
Brought together incredible talent that dispersed high quality training and choreographic perspectives throughout the world
George Balanchine was an important figure in American Ballet- we watched Slaughter on 10th Ave in class
Dream ballets appear in The Red Shoes, Singing in the Rain, An American In Paris, Oklahoma, and more
What sub genre is Gold Diggers of 1933? Name two characteristics of the sub genre
Backstage Musical
parallels the creation of art
rarely see older or younger people
draws audience in as voyeurs of the artistic process
travels between the worlds of the stage, backstage, and the city
uses popular music and dance
What did the Hay's Code Enforce (provide 3 details)
Prohibited: profanity; nudity; traffic of drugs; reference to sexual perversion; white slavery; miscegenation, scenes of childbirth, ridicule of clergy; among other specific points
Name 3 important facts about Jack Cole and his legacy
Used elements of Indian classical dance, Africanist dance, and Latin dance
Trained with Denishawn and was part of Ted Shawn's company at Jacob's Pillow
Used rhythmic syncopations, isolation, asymmetry, sensuality, and expressive solo performances
Codified a ‘Jazz Dance’ style and technique
Trained a company of superlative dancers in Hollywood and raised dance standards in film
Created rigorous group performances featuring small, tightly choreographed formations
Introduced camp and fluidity into gendered performance
Worked with Rita Hayworth, Danny Kaye, Betty Grable, Mitzi Gaynor, Jane Russell, and (notably) Marilyn Monroe
Name and explain 4 cinematic techniques
cuts, dissolves, framing, panning, dollying, zoom in/out, push in/out, split screen, layering, long shot, close up, +more
What was the name of the Harlem ballroom of the 20s-40s where the lindy hop became popular and which had integrated clientele
The Savoy Ballroom
Name a fairytale musical and 2 features of the subgenre
Top Hat, Disney Musicals, Moulin Rouge!, Teen Beach Movie, +more
exotic locales
upper middle class problems
union of the couples preserves the kingdom
older generation represents status quo
draws from operetta tradition
Name 3 changes WWII brought to the U.S. societally or in dance
The draft
OWI tried to unite diverse people in the war effort
Good Neighbor Policy
Pin Up and Cover girls + Playboy
Features of musicals: frenetic energy, self reference, blurring of racial, sexual, and gender identities, women both objectified and sexually empowered, use of nostalgia
This person mixed polyrhythmic African movement vocabulary with comedic gestures and high performative energy. They became a celebrity in Paris and throughout France.
Josephine Baker
Choose 1:
a) What did Fred Astaire contribute to filming dance
b) What did Gene Kelly contribute to filming dance
Astaire insisted on full body shots with minimal camera cuts and changes
Kelly is one of the first choreographer/directors
Kelly pushed experimentation in cinematography for dance (camera moving 3-dimensionally through space, animation with live action, layered images)
What are the five characteristics of Africanist movement?
embracing the conflict
polyrhythms and polycentricism
ephebism
high affect juxstaposition
the aesthetic of the cool
Name 3 distinguishing features of the folk musical
emphasizes nature and cycles of life
union of the couples preserves the community
overcome an outside threat to the community
uses folk dance and music
one person in the couple symbolizes change, the other stability
What was 1 goal of the Harlem Renaissance? AND name at least 2 artists from the Harlem Renaissance
Artists of the Harlem Renaissance sought to reconceptualize black Americans from white stereotypes that had influenced their relationship to heritage and each other.
Included Literature, Music, Performing & Visual Arts
Characterized by intense debate, not one school of thought.
The movement laid the groundwork for later African American literature and enormously impacted subsequent black literature and consciousness worldwide.
Alain Locke, W.E.B. DuBois, Claude McKay, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Aaron Douglas, Paul Robeson, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong
Describe Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson's tap style and his importance as a performer. Name at least 3 things.
Famous African American dancer, actor, singer of early Broadway and Hollywood
First black American to perform in mixed cast Broadway and film musicals
Developed an upright, light tap style that translated into Broadway tap practices
Popular with both black and white audiences
Used his popularity to address racial prejudice, but came under criticism for accepting racial stereotypes
Outspoken against segregation and discrimination
What are the three components for analyzing and describing dance?
movement vocabulary
movement sequences
choreographic structure
Name 3 characteristics of Modern dance or 3 influential Modern choreographers
Individualism, Experimentation, Absurdity, Symbolism, Formalism
Ruth St. Denis, Ted Shawn, Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Agnes De Mille (kinda/ballet), Alvin Ailey, Charles Weidman
What is an 'integrated musical'? name and explain all three interpretations
1) Vertical integration of the Studio Networks from production to distribution
2) Racial integration in casting and representation - takes steps backward during the late 1940s and 50s
3) ‘Integrated’ inclusion of song and dance scenes that support and/or underscore the narrative and thematic content of the film
Open Ended!
Connect 1 historical event to 1 development in dance or 1 film we watched in class
Be specific and detailed!
and the judges say...