Many times when thinking about dance the first thing comes to mind is a concert or dancing in a bar. Never did I think dancing was a work of art. Dancing can be used for many things, one particular is communication. I’ve chosen two styles of dance that’s dear to me which is ballet and jazz dance. Dance is one of the most universe activities in the world. It’s used on several different occasions.
Ballet is an art of dance created by body movement. Ballet began in Italy in the 15th century. According, to the (Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. 2014), “In the 16th century, Catherine de Medici, an Italian noblewoman, wife of King Henry II of France and a great patron of the arts, began to fund ballet in the French court. Her elaborate festivals encouraged the growth of ballet de cour, a program that included dance, decor, costume, song, music and poetry. A century later, King Louis XIV helped to popularize and standardize the art form. A passionate dancer, he danced many roles himself, including that of the Sun King in Ballet de la nuit. His love of ballet fostered its elevation from a past time for amateurs to an endeavor requiring professional training.” In ballet the use of line is use quite often. The body movements are the main focus in ballet. A ballet dancer is mainly dancing on point or “toe work.” Rhythm is also important in ballet because as a dancer the routine has to be exact as practiced.
The Essay on Dance, the Art of Movement
Dancing is the rhythmical movement of the body, usually with music, to express an idea or emotion, to narrate a story or simply to enjoy and take pleasure in the movement itself. It can be traced that Dance as an art started from the moment it was harnessed to a rhythm, probably the stamping of the feet and clapping of the hands. Dance of the earliest times differ from those of the present times; ...
Choreographers work really hard to make sure the art is performed correctly. jazz dance is mainly for entertainment. When I hear jazz dance I instantly think about guitars and drums beating to reggae beat. Jazz dance is a body movement along with a tap. Jazz dance is fun when a group of people are involved. “Jazz dance is an American form of dance that developed in the early 1900s as both African and European peoples began to mix their dance traditions. Africans focused on rhythms and torso movement and Europeans on musical harmonies, folk and social dances.” (Schrader, C.A. 2005) When performing jazz dance the body is moving in different rhythm, the arms can be in one position while the legs are performing a totally different move.
Jazz dancers mainly perform solo or unless at a parade. This particualr dance influences each dancer to be better and more involve with new routines. According, to (Schrader, C.A. 2005) “During the past 15 years, jazz dance has become the basis of music videos. The combination of rap, singing and jazz dance have spawned “hip-hop.” Ballet and Jazz dance both are very in debt when it comes to learning them. They both bring different routines and composition elements. Although ballet and jazz dance have a lot in common they are both performed differently.
Reference
A Sense of Dance: Exploring Your Movement Potential, Second Edition. Constance A. Schrader. Human Kinetics, Champaign, Illinois, 2005. Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. ().
Retrieved from http://www.pbt.org/community-engagement/brief-history-ballet Reality Through the Arts, Eighth Edition, by Dennis J. Sporre. Published by Prentice Hall. Copyright © 2013 by Pearson Education, Inc.
