Ontemporary dance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ontemporary dance - Essay Example There has never been a single specific style of modern dance in any era. Though it often uses the body alignment and movement of ballet, modern dance has developed beyond the vocabulary of ballet, and has reached the threshold of success due to these three modern choreographic creators. Ruth St Denis was one of the most prominent dance creators of the First generation; she was the pioneer of modern dance in the era in which there was no concept of turning dance into choreography. It is often said that Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey were influenced by St Denis, this is due to the fact they were classmates who studied dance together in 1920s, later they broke away and developed their own philosophies of modern dance which provided these women the opportunity to become directors and choreographers. "Particularly, in the ballet world, these roles had been and continue to be dominated by men". (Dance, 2006) St. Denis was the one who escorted traditional dance to the threshold of modern dance where she incorporated elements of Far Eastern dance into her choreography. Later St. Denis married her dance partner Ted Shawn who founded the "Denishawn" company and trained many great dancers who went on to form their own companies. Martha Graham akin to St Denis, has had an enormous impact on the field of modern dance. "Her notion of contraction and release (a torso based movement of a sharp intake of breath followed by a strong exhalation), her groundbreaking dances based on mythology, and her theatrical personality have made her the best known modern dancer of all time. Graham created a technique that emphasized "contraction and release". These words are now synonymous with modern dance. Graham was the first modern dance choreographer to reach out to other genres of modern art for collaboration. She is considered the most influential and famous modern choreographer of the 20th century. Humphrey developed a fundamental theory of movement based on "fall and recovery" that became the basis of her technique". (Dance, 2006) There is a difference between the influences of Martha Graham and Humphrey, Graham developed her own choreographical dances while Humphrey remained in contact with St Denis by joining her Deinshawn Company in 1917 and was teaching classes and performing with the company in featured roles. "Charles Weidman was Humphrey's choreographic and dance partner in the 1920s and 1930s, and was himself a key figure in the development of the American modern dance. Humphrey began her choreographic career while at Denishawn, where she created, with St. Denis, famous pieces like "Soaring," set to the Schumman score of the same title, and "Sonata Pathetique," to the Beethoven score". "In 1928, Humphrey and Charles Weidman left the Denishawn company to found their own school and company. Like Martha Graham, Humphrey was interested in moving away from the sentimentalis m and romanticism of the Denishawn company toward a new dance vocabulary and style that was truly "modern"." (The Solo Dancers) Ruth St. Denis created an exotic movement vocabulary through dancing and choreography that balanced precariously between sensuality and religion. By the 1930s Martha Graham was developing a dance technique whose angularity and sharp

Adonis musati project Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Adonis musati project - Article Example The Adonis Musati is a name that has a great significance for the project as it points to the mission of the project. Adonis Musati is the name of refugee who died in a line while queuing to have his application of being a South African Asylum seeker verified. His death, which resulted from fatigue and hunger, touched the heart of many and hence this project was launched to ensure that such an incidence did not happen again in the history of this country. From a broad look, refugees in South Africa have always been face of major challenges after escaping from the neighboring countries. For instance, there is a high inflow of Asylum seekers from Zimbabwe, a country that has constantly been involved in war. Unfortunately, these refugees end up suffering from torture and discrimination in the government. The process of becoming an asylum seeker has always been rough and punctuated by strings of corruption. Consequently, the rights of these marginalized groups have always been suppressed and this only makes the situation worse for them. Adonis Musati Project is an interventional project that aims at alleviating any form of suffering from those who escape their countries due to harsh conditions. The aim of the project is to ensure that Asylum seekers are provided with basic necessities such as food, clothes and shelter and to ensure that they are free from any form of suffering. The project has pulled a large number of sponsors to help in funding the project and support the welfare of this minority group. The project also seeks for the rights of the refugees in their process of applying to be South African Asylum seekers. They protect especially the females who are vulnerable to harassment and the old who cannot take care of themselves. The project has continuously taken an initiative to improve the lifestyle of the marginalized in an effort to make them equal humans in the face of the world. The