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Essence of an Era
Title
The Essence of an Era: Expanding the Cancan Stereotype.
Creator
Mercandetti, Gianna, School of Dance
Abstract/Description
This Honors in the Major Thesis explores the origins of the cancan dance by using the derivative of its stereotype as a jumping point. It identifies the cancan as an emblem of nineteenth century bohemian Paris as it embodies several cultural concepts of the time: specifically the nature of the bohemian mentality, that of flouting convention, and the need for women to find modes of self-expression in a patriarchal society. By extracting the essence of the bohemian era and the role of women,...
Show moreThis Honors in the Major Thesis explores the origins of the cancan dance by using the derivative of its stereotype as a jumping point. It identifies the cancan as an emblem of nineteenth century bohemian Paris as it embodies several cultural concepts of the time: specifically the nature of the bohemian mentality, that of flouting convention, and the need for women to find modes of self-expression in a patriarchal society. By extracting the essence of the bohemian era and the role of women, exploring the origins of the cancan and its development, and analyzing the immortalizing works of cancan artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and the relevance of his viewpoints, the cancan emerges as a vessel for preserving cultural knowledge and capturing the ideals of an era in motion.
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Date Issued
2013
Identifier
FSU_migr_uhm-0148
Format
Thesis
Evolving Standards in Ballet Education
Title
Evolving Standards in Ballet Education: Exploring Ethical Communication in the Ballet Classroom.
Creator
Monahan, Sarah E., School of Dance
Abstract/Description
Classical ballet training has evolved from its earliest stages into a well-developed, expansive art form that challenges the body to reach an artistic aesthetic through physical means. With this challenge comes risk. In looking at the educational environment of a young ballet dancer, this project strives to formulate a productive and safe way to establish intelligent dancers through a more broadly conceived classroom approach, considerate of the physical, and especially, mental health of the...
Show moreClassical ballet training has evolved from its earliest stages into a well-developed, expansive art form that challenges the body to reach an artistic aesthetic through physical means. With this challenge comes risk. In looking at the educational environment of a young ballet dancer, this project strives to formulate a productive and safe way to establish intelligent dancers through a more broadly conceived classroom approach, considerate of the physical, and especially, mental health of the dancer. Through this research I have developed a better understanding of how to achieve supportive and ethical practices within the ballet classroom by cultivating a method of student-teacher communication that is ethically sound. This is an important endeavor because a more flexible system will elicit a traditional approach that adapts to a forward thinking culture, thereby creating students who will become the next generation of artists thirsting for expansiveness within a psychologically safe place.
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Date Issued
2015
Identifier
FSU_migr_uhm-0541
Format
Thesis
Improving Turnout in University Dancers
Title
Improving Turnout in University Dancers.
Creator
Pata, Danielle, School of Dance
Abstract/Description
Turnout is external rotation ideally coming from the hips. A high degree of turnout is desired by all dancers because it plays an important role, especially in the classical ballet form. Turnout enables the efficient transfer of weight, it allows for greater extension and control, and it reduces injury risk when used correctly. The purpose of this study was to determine whether participation in a targeted training program outside of technique classes would improve university dancers' ability...
Show moreTurnout is external rotation ideally coming from the hips. A high degree of turnout is desired by all dancers because it plays an important role, especially in the classical ballet form. Turnout enables the efficient transfer of weight, it allows for greater extension and control, and it reduces injury risk when used correctly. The purpose of this study was to determine whether participation in a targeted training program outside of technique classes would improve university dancers' ability to use a greater proportion of the turnout their bodies are constructed to accommodate. The training intervention included a specific set of exercises, various sensation-based cues, images, and brief anatomy lessons. Active turnout, passive turnout, and functional turnout were assessed for six first-year, non-injured, female dancers in Florida State University's Dance Department. A multiple-baseline design was used to demonstrate experimental control. Measurements were taken immediately after technique classes, four days a week over nine weeks, by a trained graduate student or a licensed Physical Therapist. Results showed an increase of 10-20 degrees in active turnout for all six dancers. Future research might be aimed at assessing the ability of dancers to maintain training activities on their own as well as assessing the durability of the effects of such training over time. With individualized training, each dancer might be helped to optimize use and control of the degree of turnout that his/her body can manage safely.
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Date Issued
2013
Identifier
FSU_migr_uhm-0154
Format
Thesis
Lindy Hop and Jitterbug
Title
Lindy Hop and Jitterbug: The Development of American Swing Dance in the United Kingdom.
Creator
Miller, David, School of Dance
Date Issued
2013
Identifier
FSU_migr_undergradresearch-0033
Format
Citation
Reviving Fantasia's Toccata and Fugue
Title
Reviving Fantasia's Toccata and Fugue: An Imaginative Journey Thorugh Music, Multimedia and Concert Dance.
Creator
Lalor, Emma C., School of Dance
Abstract/Description
In 1940, Walt Disney and his associates presented their imaginative creation Fantasia, a masterpiece union of symphonic music and animation that employed "a new type of entertainment" -- a hybrid multisensory experience culminating in an abstract, animation motion picture. Although initially a flop, the film's subsequent altered re-releases led to its triumphant declaration American Film Institute in 1998: Fantasia was now considered one of the greatest American animated films. Most...
Show moreIn 1940, Walt Disney and his associates presented their imaginative creation Fantasia, a masterpiece union of symphonic music and animation that employed "a new type of entertainment" -- a hybrid multisensory experience culminating in an abstract, animation motion picture. Although initially a flop, the film's subsequent altered re-releases led to its triumphant declaration American Film Institute in 1998: Fantasia was now considered one of the greatest American animated films. Most significantly, Fantasia's newfound success with contemporary audiences provided revolutionary access to classical music whilst encouraging imaginative thinking through purely fantastic entertainment. In the opening scene, Leopold Stokowski shakes Mickey Mouse's hand before conducting his famous 1927 orchestral arrangement of Johann Sebastian Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor BWV 565. This opening section of Fantasia captured my attention with beautifully moving vivid colors, dramatically lit musicians, and the painterly abstraction of instruments dancing through clouds. I fondly remember how this captivating spectacle inspired me to move as a young child, and my love for the delightful music and visuals of Fantasia guided my passions towards movement and improvisation, as well as my decision to seek a University degree in dance. Contemplating the shimmering abstract watercolors of the opening section, Toccata and Fugue, has led me to question what Fantasia would look like with the addition of my own imaginative discipline: dance. By studying Stokowski's arrangement of Bach's most recognizable organ piece and performing an "action analysis" of both the physical score and the animation itself, I hope to translate my conclusions into an all-inclusive multimedia reinterpretation that layers live dance performance and stage lighting techniques with the preexisting structure and patterns of the film. I will investigate, as an intelligent thinker and mover, how dance can enter the current stream as an equal part in the artistic work, ultimately adding to and reviving Fantasia for contemporary audiences with use of video projection and concert dance.
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Date Issued
2015
Identifier
FSU_migr_uhm-0504
Format
Set of related objects
RITE REVISITED
Title
A RITE REVISITED: ANALYZING CHOREOGRAPHIC INTERACTIONS WITH MUSIC INSIDE PINA BAUSCH'S LE SACRE DU PRINTEMPS.
Creator
Savarino, Kimberly, School of Dance
Abstract/Description
Igor Stravinsky's musical composition "Le Sacre du Printemps" has created an almost irresistible lure for dance choreographers since it first premiered in 1913. Most view creating their own interpretation of the music as a kind of choreographic "rite" of passage, while some see it as a monumental challenge waiting to be met–others are simply commissioned to try their hand. Although it has been almost a century since "Le Sacre du Printemps" first premiered, it continues to provoke and interest...
Show moreIgor Stravinsky's musical composition "Le Sacre du Printemps" has created an almost irresistible lure for dance choreographers since it first premiered in 1913. Most view creating their own interpretation of the music as a kind of choreographic "rite" of passage, while some see it as a monumental challenge waiting to be met–others are simply commissioned to try their hand. Although it has been almost a century since "Le Sacre du Printemps" first premiered, it continues to provoke and interest modern dance choreographers and music composers. Of the nearly two hundred versions created, Pina Bausch's 1975 version for the Tanztheater Wuppertal has been often heralded for the intensity and striking interactions that Bausch created between her choreography and Stravinsky's score. Why is this? Through analysis of "Le Sacre du Printemps"' score, its recorded music, and video documentation of the Tanztheater Wuppertal performing the piece, this project has attemped to delve into the ways that Bausch choreographically interpreted Stravinsky's music.
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Date Issued
2013
Identifier
FSU_migr_uhm-0215
Format
Thesis
Through the Lens
Title
Through the Lens: A Blend of Art and Entertainment.
Creator
Russell, Michelle, School of Dance
Abstract/Description
The world of popular culture has been shaped in many ways by the stereotypes and biases created in music videos and the dance sequences included in those music videos. Dance music videos, by artists such as Michael Jackson and Paula Abdul, continue to vastly influence the trends of our ever-evolving generations as well as push to the forefront what society considers as the norm (such as being a size two or living a life of luxury). Besides the dancing that is involved, what is so attractive...
Show moreThe world of popular culture has been shaped in many ways by the stereotypes and biases created in music videos and the dance sequences included in those music videos. Dance music videos, by artists such as Michael Jackson and Paula Abdul, continue to vastly influence the trends of our ever-evolving generations as well as push to the forefront what society considers as the norm (such as being a size two or living a life of luxury). Besides the dancing that is involved, what is so attractive within this entertainment lies in its incorporation of cutting edge video edits, clever camera framings, and a narrative that allows the audience to make a connection between themselves and the situations that are set up. How does one know whether what they are viewing is entertainment or "high art?" As of late, many artistic dance videographers, producers, and editors of videodance, (Thierry De Mey and David Anderson) have experimented with ways in which to infuse the successful elements of popular dance music videos into their own work. Inspired to delve into a similar process, I will create a short videodance that obscures the line between dance as a form of entertainment (as viewed in dance music videos) and dance as a form of "high art" (as viewed in videodance). I plan to achieve this by blending formal choreographic principles with the editing and framing techniques similar to those used in iconic dance music videos. Dance is known for its performative presence in the artistic world, but in order to breathe new life into this art form I will explore how techniques for framing and editing the body in motion influences the value placed on the dance itself and thereby create a new appreciation and viewing platform.
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Date Issued
2013
Identifier
FSU_migr_uhm-0153
Format
Thesis
Trazom Tableaux
Title
Trazom Tableaux: The Family Unsilenced.
Creator
Wolfe, Emily, School of Dance
Abstract/Description
This piece of choreography is about the Mozart family and their twelve family values that keep them together. They display themselves in 18th century society as well as endure conflict together. The family is a beautiful dysfunction and find their way through love. This piece also focuses on 18th century dance, including the minuet and contredance. Gender equality is also a big focus and it discovers how some attitudes still exist today.
Date Issued
2014
Identifier
FSU_migr_uhm-0392
Format
Thesis