Theatre and Dance
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Theatre and Dance Brendan Rapple 16 July, 2009 LIS413 Simmons College Performing Arts Generally, three elements: • work being performed • the performer(s) • the audience Major Divisions in Performing Arts » » » » » » » » Music Dance Opera Theater Film Radio TV Video Theater Often divided into two categories: • Drama, the literary component • Theatrical production, related to performance However, neither is fully realized without the other. Study of Theatre at University 1) Acting: generally focused on stage acting. prepares for work as professional actors provides student understanding and practice in a range of styles and techniques. training in acting, voice, and movement. 2) Theatre Design and Technology: Generally includes courses in scenic, lighting, and costume design and construction sound: develop relevant conceptual, compositional, and technical skills costume design and history scene painting and theatre history and acting. Study of Theatre at University 3) Playwriting – includes focus on writing dialogue creating characters mastering story structure 4) Directing 5) Stage Management 6) Theater Management Theatrical Topics Include “Legitimate” stage Performance art Burlesque Musical theatre Vaudeville Circus Puppet theatre Opera Children’s theatre Street theatre Experimental theatre Festival and pageant Mime Material about Theater in Libraries Texts of plays (drama) usually with other literature works in libraries. Thus, somewhat peculiar result that texts of plays are separated from works about the performance of plays. Common Types of Theater Resources books journals play scripts musical scores microforms films DVDs audiotapes slides biographies reviews More Ephemeral or Fugitive Materials Include playbills posters press releases advertisements souvenir booklets newspaper and journal clippings tickets scrapbooks photographs contracts financial records correspondence diaries notebooks promptbooks scenic properties illustrations realia memorabilia maquettes Very Diverse Types of Theater Resources (in no special order) News about theater -- Broadway, other cities and countries, community theaters, educational institutions, etc. Contact information for theatrical companies. Professional organizations like Equity, etc. Info. about awards like the Tony or Obie. Statistics about Broadway box office income, longest-running shows etc. Photographs and drawings of costume, scenic, lighting, and makeup designs. Online fan sites for musicals, plays, performers. Copyright law for theatre. Useful Databases International Index to the Performing Arts MLA International Bibliography American Drama Asian American Drama Bertolt Brechts Werke Black Drama Editions and Adaptations of Shakespeare, 1591-1911 English Drama 1280-1915 North American Theatre Online Teatro Espanol - Siglo de Oro Theatre du Grand Siecle World Shakespeare Bibliography Online ERIC (Educational Resource Information Center) British Humanities Index Theatre in Video Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance Oxford Reference Online Dance Scholarship Not so well established as a distinct field. Formerly realm of musicologists, rather than dance specialists Not so many distinct dance depts. in colleges and universities Often part of other depts.: » Music » Phys. Ed. Not surprisingly, dance librarianship not always well-defined. Dance Programs in Colleges/Universities Often focus on performance rather theoretical knowledge of the field. Thus, limited exposure to » dance history » criticism » aesthetics » notation » preservation However, such areas are essential to the documentation and scholarship of dance and must be collected in the library. Juilliard School (probably not typical) All B.F.A. dance students are required to complete courses in: Ballet Modern Dance Partnering Repertory, Collaborations, Performance Acting Anatomy Elements of Performing Alexander Technique Dance Composition Dance History Literature and Materials of Music Stagecraft and Production Seminar for Seniors Dance Elective Humanities Students may elect courses in: Pointe Tap Jazz Voice Repertory Solos University of Washington Dance Program Dance Major Requirements: 67 Dance credits Required courses Dance Composition I Music in Relation to Dance Cross-Cultural Dance Studies Dance Performance Early or Late Dance History (writing intensive) Senior Seminar Anatomy for Dance Dance Teaching Methodologies Electives Folk-Social Dance Forms World Dance and Culture Integrated Dance: Training and Composition Dance Composition II Integrated Dance: History, Methodology and Praxis Dance Composition III Choreography Workshop Dance Aesthetics Special Studies Credits 5 3 5 2 5 3 5 5 1-2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 University of Washington Dance Program Technique Intro to Dance Modern Technique I Ballet Technique I Jazz Technique I Ballet Technique II Modern Technique II Jazz Technique II Ballet Technique III Modern Technique III Ballet Technique IV Modern Technique IV Alternative Movement Studies Credits 5 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-3 Performance activities All dance majors are required to participate in dance performance activities, including working on a production crew for a dance performance. Another activity might be performing in one of the following three concerts: Faculty Dance Concert, M.F.A. Concert, or the Dance Majors Concert. A Broad Ranging Subject ballet modern dance jazz tap dance ice dancing social and folk dancing ethnic dance religious dance musical comedy dance vaudeville Unique Problem: Ephemeral Nature of Dance A theatre play still exists in text after a performance. However, nothing exists after a dance performance except the memories of the audience and perhaps a published review. Paintings, sculpture, photography have helped over the years, but movement cannot be accurately recreated from still poses. Consequently, film and video have helped tremendously. Transmission of Dance “It took Ann Hutchinson Guest from 1956-1988 to recreate Nijinsky’s steps for “L’Apres Midi d’un Faun,” and Millicent Hodges took from 1970-1987 to reconstruct the original choreography of “Le Sacre du Printemps.” Marcia Parsons Transmission of Dance Passing stylistic characteristics and techniques specific dances and roles from one performer to another in a master-apprentice style. The problem is that changes will inevitably occur over time. Transmission of Dance The problem is even greater for “cultural”, ethnic and ritual dancing. Societal traditions are changing so much and so quickly that many dances are dying out with no record being kept of them. Dance Notation http://www.dancewriting.org/ DanceWriting is a way to read and write any kind of dance movement. A stick figure is written on a five-lined staff. Each line of the staff represents a specific level. The bottom line of the staff is called the Foot Line. It represents the ground. The next line up is the Knee Line, which is at knee level, when the stick figure stands straight. The next line up is the Hip Line, and after that, the Shoulder Line. When the figure bends its knees or jumps in the air, it is lowered or raised accordingly on the staff. The five-lined staff acts as a level guide. Figures and symbols are written from left to right, notating movement position by position, as if stopping a film frame by frame. Another system of dance notation may be found at http://www.dancenotation.org/ Many Types of Resources reference dictionaries encyclopedias guides handbooks bibliographies directories plot summaries monographs on dancers, choreographers, companies, and individual dances conference proceedings recordings of dance music reminiscences of performers and viewers theses and dissertations videos photographs serials electronic indexes and abstracts Facilities Of course, essential that sufficient good quality equipment is available to show videos, DVDs etc. Might be a necessity for viewing room(s). Cooperation Among Collection Developers is Essential Works on physical health, diet, or dance injuries may be under medicine. Ethnic Dancing may be under rubric of, e.g. » Music » Theatre » Anthropology » Ethnic Studies Material in Different Languages Much important material is published in French, Italian, German, Russian. By no means is all available in translation. Important Publishers of Dance Materials Princeton Book Company Thames and Hudson G.K. Hall A Cappella Books DaCapo Press Scarecrow Press Dance Books Pendragon Press Greenwood Press St. Martin’s Press Human Kinetics Westview Press Henry N. Abrams Nick Hern Books Dancepress Certain university presses Useful Databases International Encyclopedia of Dance International Index to the Performing Arts Grove Music International Index to Music Periodicals Music Index Online Anthropology Plus Oxford Reference Online ERIC (Educational Resource Information Center) Expanded Academic ASAP British Humanities Index
