Chapter 5 Rhythms That Dance

Dance Traditions in America Social diversion and creative/athletic art form Irish Ceili & Step-Dancing Irish settlers’ music influenced American folk music Jigs: triple meter with up-and-down movement Reels: duple meter with weaving movement Ceili: Scottish and Irish social dances Step-dancing: close-to-ground footwork; beats rhythm to music with feet (called clogging in Vaudeville shows)

Dance Traditions in America (cont.) Mexican-American Conjunto Dances Tradition in American Southwest Texan-Mexicans influenced by European neighbors to create tejano and conjunto music Uses duple polka rhythm Button accordian, bajo sexto, electric bass guitar, & drum set Spanish lyrics sung in close harmony

Dance Traditions in America (cont.) Hawaiian Hula Popularity grew with Hawaii entertainment industry starting in 1950s Accompanied by ukulele (4-stringed guitarlike instrument) and ipu heke (idiophone created from two gourds) Hula kahiko: ancient hula developed thousands of years ago by original Polynesian settlers Mele: poetry in physical form; interpreted by body movements/gestures; Family histories, life stories, history narratations Ho’opa’a: chanters and instrumentalists

Classical Dance Ballet Western classical dance; roots in European court dances (Italy and France) during 16th Century Danced as part of royal pageants; told stories in many scenes Basics established during reign of Louis XIV in France with state-supported academies Russia played big role in creation and proliferation of ballet in 19th Century The Nutcracker is the most frequently performed Christmas ballet in North America

Classical Dance (cont.) Ballet Breaks New Ground Ballets Russes: Russian ballet company formed in Paris by Sergei Diaghilev 1913: Vaslav Nijinsky choreographed The Rite of Spring based on music by Igor Stravinsky Based on prehistoric Russian history with pagan storyline Music and dance broke all conventional rules of French ballet French patrons broke out in a riot during premiere The Rite of Spring now central modernist work

Classical Dance (cont.) Theatrical Dance Late 19th/early 20th century minstrel shows, operettas, and vaudeville shows Standard in Broadway musicals, such as West Side Story Modern-day version of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet Dances embody story’s plot Jerome Robbins choreographed dances to Leonard Bernstein’s music (jazz to convey youth) Dances depict tension between gangs; Latin American dance rhythms used in Sharks’ choreography

Popular Dance & the Youth Culture 20th Century social trend of teens developing new dances and their parents disapproving of them Charleston Hot jazz; youthful rebellion against anything old-fashioned; shift away from couple dancing toward individual expression Charleston dance iconic of Jazz Age Introduced in African American musical Runnin’ Wild; danced to tune “Charleston” by James P. Johnson

Popular Dance & the Youth Culture (cont.) Tap Dancing African American roots (combination of rhythmic African dancing with Irish step dancing) Feet percussive instruments that improvise complex rhythms “Buck and Wing” syncopated tap style evolved with ragtime (made famous by African American Bill “Bojangles” Robinson) Racial prejudice limited dancing roles in Hollywood to mostly white dancers like Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, and Ginger Rodgers Current tap dancers include Gregory Hines and Savion Glover

Popular Dance & the Youth Culture (cont.) Lindy Hop Great Depression ended the Jazz Age African Americans from Harlem danced at Savoy Ballroom Bands led by Count Basie and Duke Ellington developed new jazz style called swing; dancers developed Lindy hop to dance to new musical style Breakaway: Lindy hop feature where dance partners separate and improvise for a few measures before coming back together

Popular Dance & the Youth Culture (cont.) The Latin Influence Latin American (especially Cuban) dances became popular in 1930s and 1940s Catchy rhythms, easy and fun to learn Latin American and Carribean music have roots in African music Syncopated rhythms, improvised drumming, variety of percussion instruments Tango and Samba

Popular Dance & the Youth Culture (cont.) Rock and Roll Radically change the course of popular music Blend of Rhythm & Blues (R&B), Country, and Gospel music genres Small ensemble combos with strong backbeat Disc jockey Alan Freed named genre “rock and roll” Elvis Presley considered “king” of rock and roll; first popularized with national television appearances; dance moves emphasizing pelvis and legs had long been a feature of African American dance styles

Popular Dance & the Youth Culture (cont.) visual nature of dance fits television and film TV channels such as BET, MTV, and CMT Films such as Flashdance, Footloose, and Saturday Night Fever Disco Mix of R&B, gospel, soul, and Latin dance music Short for discotheque, meaning record library Usually from recordings instead of live bands Creation of new profession in dance clubs: the DJ Resurgence of partner dancing

Ch. 5 Vocabulary Conjunto – a dance music created by Mexicans in Texas Ballet – refined style of classical dance emphasizing the verticality of the body, and outward rotation of the legs with fluid foot and leg work Mambo – type of ballroom dance that originated in Cuba Cha-cha – rhythmic Latin American dance with the basic pattern of three steps and a shuffle Charleston – an athletic dance that includes kicks and inward leg rotations on syncopated beats of the music

Ch. 5 Vocabulary (cont.) Tap dancing – step dance in which foot movements produce audible rhythms emphasized by small metal plates on the soles of the dancer’s shoes Lindy hop – jazzy dance in which couples swing, balance, and twirl Tango – Latin American dance performed at a moderately slow walk-like tempo in 4/4 meter Samba – African-Brazilian dance that is faster and jazzier than the tango