Search

Copyright of Letonica is the property of University of Latvia, Institute of Literature, Folklore & Art and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of the article is to consider the specific characteristics of Ukrainian ballet as an original phenomenon of modern musical culture, the case study of "Chasing Two Hares" ballet by Yurii Shevchenko, a composer. The research methodology consists in specifically scientific methods (historical, system-analytical, hermeneutic, and generalisation), which allow to conduct an objective study of the specifics of Ukrainian ballet as an original phenomenon of modern musical culture. Specific musicological methods are also applied. The analysis of musical notation is used to consider the musical form of ballet, its harmonic structure, rhythm, and melody. The study of a ballet production enable understanding the author's use of ballet music to create an atmosphere, express emotions, and convey the plot. The performative analysis helps study the interaction of ballet music with other elements of ballet. The scientific novelty is in substantiating the specifics of Ukrainian ballet as an original phenomenon of modern musical culture, the case study of "Chasing Two Hares" ballet by the composer Yurii Shevchenko and updating the meaning of the composer's work in the context of the latest conditions of functioning of the Ukrainian musical theatre. Conclusions. The actualisation of theoretical studies in the field of musical culture and art is determined by the demand for the study and explanation of their intensive development. The experience of creating various forms of ballet and theatre music manifests the specific characteristics of modern musical art in Ukraine. In this context, consideration of the specifics of Ukrainian ballet as an original phenomenon of modern musical culture, the case study of Yurii Shevchenko's ballet "Chasing Two Hares" is considered relevant. Researching the theatrical and musical works of Y. Shevchenko and his music for the "Chasing Two Hares" ballet, we justify that ballet music appears as an expression of a new theatrical language - the language of optimism and high moral qualities. At the same time, musical theatre acquires psychotherapeutic characteristics, helping to survive the complex realities of life and restore faith in justice, which is especially relevant in today's realities. Yurii Shevchenko's compositional work, on the example of the "Chasing Two Hares" ballet, is an original phenomenon of modern musical culture and constitutes a significant component of Ukrainian culture and art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the relevance of the artistic and pedagogical school of Myroslav Vantukh as an outstanding Ukrainian ballet master, teacher, theoretician and practitioner of national choreographic pedagogy, populariser and researcher of Ukrainian folk dance. The stage-creative and pedagogical achievements of the artist in developing choreographic education in Ukraine are analysed. The phenomenon of three-stage choreographic training of performing personnel in the structure of Pavlo Virsky National Honored Academic Dance Ensemble of Ukraine was studied. The leading trends of educational activities of the teacher in the field of Ukrainian folk choreography were summarized. We define the artistic and pedagogical school of M. Vantukh as reformatory in the formation of concepts of national choreographic pedagogy. In search of ways of stage interpretation of folk dance vocabulary, the choreographer remains consistent in implementing the principles of his outstanding predecessor P. Virsky and approves the author’s methods of choreographic activity. M. Vantukh declares the leading tasks of the ensemble’s creativity to be the popularization of the best examples of national choreography, the reproduction of the uniqueness of Ukrainian dance, its artistic and technical possibilities. In today’s conditions, the leading professional choreographic team of Ukraine has formed into a real laboratory of choreographic creativity, which has not only artistic, but also pedagogical significance. Under the direction of M. Vantukh, the Ensemble is a model of professional skill, providing a test of the choreographic style of the performers and the choreographic style of the teaching staff. The conceptual directions of ballet master activity, which are formed in the ensemble, are: the awareness of the spiritual value of folk dance art, the actualization of the education of creative youth based on the best national cultural and artistic traditions, the constant improvement of the choreographic vocabulary, the development of its traditional and modernized properties, the approval of the author’s practice-oriented choreographic-pedagogical methods work. Prospects for further investigations will be the detailing of M. Vantukh’s style as a ballet master and choreograph-educator, as well as his multifaceted educational work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study focuses on the form of dance in productions of Laterna magika from its historical beginnings up to the modern era at the turn of the millennium. Dance was one elementary elements present in multimedia productions of this experimental scene since the Expo World Exhibition in 1958 in Brussels. The dance changed its position according to a different creative starting points -- from an insignificant mediator linking individual scenic elements through dominant role in the period of ballet productions at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, to the the total absence of dance in the era of so-called drama programs. Throughout Laterna magika's history, dance appeared in a variety of dance styles and formats: from revision motion sketches and pantomime etudes, through technically demanding dance figures as well as master de pas de deux. Dancer on stage worked as a useful linker or mediator between the film image and the living stage events. The study examines the intensity of the dance present on the stage, the way it is he developed a dialogue between the dancer and the film medium, what was the image of dance presented in film sequences of theatrical productions, to which relocations there was. In particular, it attempts to look at different conceptual starting points intermedia relationship of dance and film on the scene of Laterna magika. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interview with artistic director and choreographer Preeti Vasudevan is presented. Topics discussed include the challenges he faced while working with international stars and unknown future stars; her work that is about storytelling in dance; and her residency at the Center for Ballet and the Arts (CBA) at New York University (NYU).

The article presents the author's perspectives on various elements of dance research and trends in ballet dance production and training. The author expresses his critics to the dance performances of "Immortal Tango," "Giselle" and "The Winter's Tale" on aspects of dance choreography, theme and cast performance. The author also explores the changes and trends in ballet dancing.

The article explores the aspects of ballet dance production in performance "Mount Olympus" and outlines the trends in ballet dancing. Particular focus is given into the contribution of playwright Euripides in the evolving and arts of Greek literature in contemporary theatrical and dance performance. Other topics include the challenges and trends in ballet dancing, production and direction.

The article presents an analysis on the elements and aspects of traditional ballet dancing in Japanese literature. Particular focus is given into the changes in traditional Japanese theatrical performance during the fourteenth century exploring aspects of repertories, production and casting. It also outlines several notable theatrical performances including "The Dwarf Tree Thief," "The Tale of Yoichi of Nasu" and "The Sleeping Beauty."

An interview with ballerina Christine Redpath is presented. Topics of the interview include her role in the ballet dance production "The Goldberg Variations," detailing her rehearsals and preparation for the show, her perspectives on the dance choreography of the show and the challenges on trends for ballet dancing.

An interview with Reid Anderson, artistic director for Stuttgart Ballet is presented. Topics of the interview include the factors for his decision to withdraw his career as artistic director of the theater citing the lack of funding for its school building, the impacts of his resignation to the reputation of the dance studio and his views on pursuing his passion for teaching and as an artistic director for ballet dancing.

The article offers career profile for Martha Clarke, a ballet dancer and choreographer in New York. It discusses information about her early dancing career with dance company Crowsnest and her performance with the production at the Pershing Square Signature. It also mentions her interest in participating for the ballet dance "Angel Reapers."

The article overviews the efforts of nonprofit organization ArtsBrookfield to reconstruct its grand public space in the Winter Garden in Manhattan, New York City, featuring performing arts traditions. A historical information on the grand public space which used as monasteries for monks is mentioned. The nonprofit organization also seeks aid from the state for its reconstruction plans.

An interview with artistic director and choreographer Tamas Detrich is presented. It mentions that Detrich, received his initial training at the National Academy of Ballet and Theater Arts, then with Reid Anderson and Dieter Grafe. It discusses the challenges he faced while working with international stars and unknown future stars.

The article explores the performative aspects of the ballet "Apollo, Leader of the Muses," with choreography by George Balanchine. Emphasis is given to topics such as the composition of the libretto by composer Igor Stravinsky, the ballet's reputation as a rebirth of classicism, and the performance of the title character by dancer Jacques d’Amboise.

This article considers how costumes contribute to choreographic aesthetics through their capacity to be repeated. I develop different conceptions of repetition - replication (copying); representation (appearance within a frame that represents an image); and reproduction (as construction or manufacture) of costume objects and ideas over time. Being interested in the material process of making and wearing costumes, it also investigates how repetition leads to the possibility of invention. Using Walter Benjamin's concept of the dialectical image to discuss costumes as objects within a dance archive and within live choreography, it examines an early modern dance form called Natural Movement (NM) as well as seminal postmodern works from the 1970s. It elaborates on the iconic functions of costume in contemporary choreography in relation to Roland Barthes' writings on the 'fashion system', and considers how the costume becomes a sign of its own history. Part of this project to understand repetition requires recognition that the movement quality of texture in a garment, actualizes the experience of affective work taking place in choreography. The experience of repetition in the costume-object therefore leads to a more critical response towards the role of costume in dance and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the concept of pas de deux for dancer and camera in the films of Maya Deren. According to the author, Deren created a unique aesthetic for filmed dance that drew on her own theories of cinema. The author adds that Deren's investment in dance expanded her sense of the purview of cinema.

Copyright of Croatian Journal of Ethnology & Folklore Research / Narodna Umjetnost is the property of Institute of Ethnology & Folklore Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article explores the themes and motifs of the ballet "Liebeslieder Walzer," choreographed by George Balanchine. The author reflects on the motions and dance of the women characters that express nobility, gratitude, and other nuances of human relations. Other topics include the vision scenes of nineteenth-century ballets, a Canadian television film production of the ballet in 1961, and expressions of sorrow and nostalgia in the music of composer Johannes Brahms. Dancers noted include Patricia McBride, Gloria Govrin, Suzanne Farrell, and Sean Lavery.

The article focuses on the career of Boris Eifma, a dance choreographer and founder of the Eifman Ballet Theatre. Topics include the anniversary and contribution of his ballet dance company in the promotion of classical Ballet dance, the elements and aspects of Eifma dance company in evolution of ballet dancing and his contribution as dance choreographer and founder of a dance studio.

The article explores the preparation and dance rehearsals conducted by the San Francisco Ballet for the ballet dance show "Theme and Variations" to be directed by Helgi Tomasson, choreograph by Liam Scarlett and Justin Peck in San Francisco, California. Topics include the production and rehearsals for the dance, the orchestration and performance of songwriter Sufjan Stevens and trends in ballet dancing.

This paper addresses the coconstruction of identities and emotions through the human/animal relationship, arguing that nonhuman animals can and do act as coagents in interspecies encounters. The paper narrates the extraordinary boundary-transgressing experiences of a particular kind of co(a)gency labeled “huminality” (the ongoing affective relationship of human and animal). An autoethnographic account of pet-visitation involving a woman, a West Highland white terrier named Fergus, and geriatric residents demonstrates the power of huminality to authorize the emergence and realization of different identities and selves. Examples include the intimate friend, the dignified self, the institutional resister, the gift-giver, and the available self. Huminality, in the emotional spacetime of the hospital, is rooted in empathy, concern, and affection. As ontological choreography, huminality takes us past the animal-Nature/human-culture frontier into uncharted territories of spacetime to engage in forms of life with nonhuman others. Encounters with animals, even on a geriatric ward, can transform our universe and our selves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In performing arts, body postures are both means for expressing an artist's intentions, and also artistic objects, appealing to the audience. The postures of classical ballet obey the body's biomechanical limits, but also follow strict rules established by tradition. This combination offers a perfect milieu for assessing scientifically how the execution of this particular artistic activity has changed over time, and evaluating what factors may induce such changes. We quantified angles between body segments in archive material showing dancers from a leading company over a 60-year period. The data showed that body positions supposedly fixed by codified choreography were in fact implemented by very different elevation angles, according to the year of ballet production. Progressive changes lead to increasingly vertical positions of the dancer's body over the period studied. Experimental data showed that these change reflected aesthetic choices of naïve modern observers. Even when reduced to stick figures and unrecognisable shapes, the more vertical postures drawn from later productions were systematically preferred to less vertical postures from earlier productions. This gradual change within a conservative art form provides scientific evidence that aesthetic change may arise from continuous interaction between artistic tradition, individual artists' creativity, and a wider environmental context. This context may include social aesthetic pressure from audiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interview with ballet critic and writer Clive Barnes is presented. When asked about Bournonville ballet during 1953, he mentions the time when Bournonville ballet became international, and recalls the ballet's choreography which contributed to its success in ballet productions. He also mentions several impressive ballet performances that were performed during the 1954 Bournonville Festivals.

The article focuses on the emergence of pantomimic dance in Italy between 1748 and 1830. It mentions the factors that have resulted to the introduction of ballet d'action in ballet productions. It enumerates the theory behind pantomimic dance and the influence of the debate on the legibility of gesture during 1770's and 1780's. It also retraces the theories surrounding pantomimic dance by considering the "Lettere a Monsieur Noverre" of Gasparo Angiolini and the works of August Bournonville.

Explores the role of a Shakespearean text play in shaping choreographic performance in ballet. Relationship between performance and source; Process of bodily inscription in ballet; Description of Soviet ballet production that elucidate the relationship between Shakespearean text and performance.

The article focuses on the romantic ballet "Giselle," which composed by composer Adolphe Adam and had been featured in Hollywood films. It examines the comparison on the recitatives and dramatic scenes of the opera in close collaboration with the choreographers and dancers. It also cites the solo characters and dramatic scenes of the opera.

The article presents an analysis on the techniques employed by Vaslav Nijinsky in the creation of his dance choreography in "Le Sacre du Printempts'" relative to ritual design of early dances. Parallelism from early to modern dances usually occur in its execution such as repetitive patterns that make fundamental shapes, movements that emphasizes the geometrical design of motion in space and reflecting common everyday gestures.