Daisy Stonier Jazz Blog - 1st Year 2019/20 School Year
Compelling, provocative and meticulous, Fosse’s choreography captivated audiences with its’ ‘slow, angular sensuality’. Compensating for his own physical limitations, such as his lack of turnout and height, Fosse created his own distinctive movement style consisting of intricate isolations, hunched shoulders, sideways shuffling and suggestive hip thrusts. Fosse also often included punctuated hand movements, finger snaps and the infamous ‘jazz hands’ within his pieces, creating interesting arm lines with ‘broken wrists’ to make these simple isolations even more impactful (Nicolaou, 2019). His trademark, minimalist costuming of bowler hats and gloves hid his premature balding and small hands, creating a sleek, all-black look which accentuated the sharpness of his quirky poses (Baggs, 2014). Through his attention to detail and perfectionism, Fosse was able to create thrilling choreography with even the simplest of movements, by revisiting minute details such as the angles of feet or little fingers and, as said by Rachel Rak, taking “one count of eight” and making the dancers do it “over and over”. Iconic movements of his include the ‘broken doll walk’, which was a pigeon-toed walk, with the hips thrust forward, swaying slightly, and the elbows fixed to the torso, and the ‘slow burn’, which was an intense gaze across the stage, tantalising the audience. Furthermore, Fosse’s work came ‘from an idea or an emotion’, as he choreographed musicals such as ‘Chicago’ and ‘Cabaret’, showing the need for his dancers to embody a character when performing (Dance Spirit, 2011). As well as establishing his own trademark movements, Fosse’s choreography also showed inspiration from Vaudeville humour, as he incorporated highly entertaining and comedic pratfalls, sleights of hand and double takes (Riggs, 2013). Within our ‘Wild Party -Juggernaut’ routine, there are many elements of the piece which are similar to Fosse’s movement style and quality. For example, like Fosse used acting to tell the story of his pieces, our entrance to the stage requires us to embody the vibrant characters of guests at a party in the 1920's, all seeming as though they are hiding a shocking secret through their suspicious smirks and intense eye contact (Ceesay, n.d.). This use of eye contact is also reflected within Fosse's routines with his iconic 'slow burn'. In addition, many arm lines within the routine encapsulate the Fosse style, such as the ‘broken wrists’ and ‘jazz hands’ with bent elbows and one arm slightly higher than the other to create effective and interesting angles. Precision and accuracy in the placement of simple movements and positions is also very important in this routine, similar to Fosse's perfectionism and attention to detail with angles of hands and feet.
Jerome Robbins was a talented American choreographer, who created both entrancing ballets and spectacular musical stage productions (Artsalive.ca, n.d.). His ballets showed his individual flair, fascinating ideas and unique influences as he explored a wide variety of styles within his choreography such as classical, comic, dramatic, abstract, intimate, spectacular, modern and traditional. Robbin’s choreography was also unique due to the central theme that ran through his work of communities, such as loose urban societies, intimate groups of friends and gangs, which can be seen in his production, West Side Story (1957). Another quality of Robbins’ work was that he asked of his performers to have an easy and natural style to their movement, whilst also appearing to be completely engaged and in control. This allowed for his choreography to appear effortless despite its’ complexity and reflected the musical score perfectly (Smith, 2012). Robbins skilfully used an authentic American style within his ballets whilst maintaining the structure of traditional classical dance movements, which made his work innovative and greatly admired. His ability to infuse both humour and social issues into his pieces made his choreography even more powerful and engaging, as he elevated dance to become a driving force for the storyline and character development within Musical Theatre. Furthermore, through his understanding of gesture and mastery of vernacular dance styles, Robbins was able to brilliantly capture the essence of the particular era in each of his pieces (Pallardy, 2019). In addition, a variety of moods were reflected in his work, whether it was poignant, hysterical, reflective or heart -breaking, making the stories he created in the fully-imagined worlds of his musicals all the more believable and profound (Nycballet.com, n.d.). Within our Billie Eilish routine, it is also vital for us to maintain stability in our core in order to have a strong base for the sharp isolations and sudden changes in direction. Alongside this, it is important for us to have a deep use of plié in order to have control when pushing ourselves to travel on transitional movements. By keeping this sense of engagement throughout the routine, it will help us to make each arm line, turn and position look powerful, confident and dynamic, but also easy and natural as Robbins desired with his own performers. Building a character in our performance of this routine is also necessary like it was in Robbin's routines, as we need to use a low headline with fierce eye contact and a confident facial expression to encapsulate the powerful quality of the 'bad guy' that the lyrics of the song describe.
Known as ‘the Father of Theatrical Jazz Dance’, Jack Cole pioneered this style of dance by uniquely blending movement styles of other ethnic dance forms with American Jazz music and theatrical presentations (Rizutto, 2013). His work was influenced by Lindy Hop after his experience in the Savoy Nightclubs in Harlem in the 30s and 40s, which can be seen through the wild and energetic style to many of his pieces and his rigorous warm-ups that prepared his dancers for his demanding routines (Guarino and Oliver, 2014). Furthermore, his pieces were greatly admired for their heavy rhythms and use of muscle isolation techniques, which were inspired by the East Indian dance of “bharata natyman”, which gave his choreography an exciting and intriguing flair. In his piece, ‘Not Since Nineveh’, you can see his influence from what he called “Hindu Swing”, as he combined the swift changes of direction, isolating body movements and powerfully placed hand gestures of the Indian dance technique with a thrilling swing tempo. In addition, Cole had a unique use of the role of male and female dancers, as he often had a strong, dynamic female soloist with a male-corps. ‘Not Since Nineveh’ also demonstrates this idea of his, as the princesses are described as ‘masculine powerhouses’, whereas the men ‘dress rather femininely’ (Nritya, 2011). Cole’s work was also characterised by his use of a low centre of gravity with deep plié in parallel or turned in foot placement, quick directional changes and isolations of the neck, shoulders, hips and ribs, which are all common features seen in modern jazz today. Most importantly, his use of plié brought a sense of power and explosiveness to jazz, as today it remains one of the most vital components for executing the challenging jazz style. (Durkee, 2016). Furthermore, all of his projects were enriched with his individual style and character, as he also brought in his experience of acrobatics with knee slides and floorwork (Malnig, 2008). Comparing Cole’s choreography to our Jason Derulo routine, the quality of the “bharata natyman” style that he was inspired by can be seen within our own movement. For example, there are swift changes of direction as we box step with a partner, where we have to maintain engagement in our core to sharply turn at each corner of the 'box'. Furthermore, there is also a lot of use of isolations within this routine, particularly with the arms, which must be powerfully and confidently placed with definite pauses, in order to create a polished and dynamic performance. Cole's importance of the use of plié is also vital for this routine to bring a sense of being grounded and secure, which is essential to create the strength and power of the commercial style.
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References
• Artsalive.ca. (n.d.). Meet the Artists | ArtsAlive.ca Dance. [online] Available at: http://www.artsalive.ca/en/dan/meet/bios/artistDetail.asp?artistID=59 [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
• Baggs, C. (2014). Bob Fosse Part 2: A Biographical History | Aries In Flight | A Holistic Dance Journey. [online] Aries In Flight. Available at: https://ariesinflight.com/bob-fosse-part-2-a-biographical-history/ [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
• Ceesay, N. (n.d.). Wild Party (Musical) Plot & Characters. [online] StageAgent. Available at: https://stageagent.com/shows/musical/770/wild-party [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
• Dance Spirit. (2011). Legendary Moves. [online] Available at: https://www.dancespirit.com/legendary-moves-nov-2011-2326078869.html [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
• Durkee, A. (2016). ‘All that Jack (Cole)’ Film Series - CriticalDance. [online] CriticalDance. Available at: https://criticaldance.org/jack-cole-films-jack-cole/ [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
• Guarino, L. and Oliver, W. (2014). Jazz Dance: A History of the Roots and Branches. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, pp.82-88.
• Malnig, J. (2008). Ballroom, Boogie, Shimmy Sham, Shake: A Social and Popular Dance Reader. Illinois: University of Illinois Press, p.239.
• Nicolaou, E. (2019). You Can Thank Bob Fosse For Your Jazz Hands. [online] Refinery29.com. Available at: https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/04/229334/what-is-bob-fosse-dance-style-jazz-moves [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
• Nritya, C. (2011). Choreographer/Dancer Jack Cole and "Hindu Swing". [online] Cinema Nritya. Available at: http://cinemanrityagharana.blogspot.com/2011/12/choreographerdancer-jack-cole-and-hindu.html [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
• Nycballet.com. (n.d.). Jerome Robbins. [online] Available at: https://www.nycballet.com/Explore/Our-History/Jerome-Robbins.aspx [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
• Pallardy, R. (2019). Jerome Robbins | American choreographer. [online] Encyclopedia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jerome-Robbins [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
• Riggs, T. (2013). Bob Fosse | The Stars | Broadway: The American Musical | PBS. [online] Broadway: The American Musical. Available at: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/bob-fosse/ [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
• Rizutto, R. (2013). History Lesson Plan: Jack Cole. [online] Dance Teacher. Available at: https://www.dance-teacher.com/history-lesson-plan-jack-cole-2392429308.html [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
• Smith, I. (2012). Jerome Robbins (1918-1998). [online] Danceheritage.org. Available at: http://www.danceheritage.org/OLDSITE/treasures/robbins_essay_smith.pdf [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
Jerome Robbins was a talented American choreographer, who created both entrancing ballets and spectacular musical stage productions (Artsalive.ca, n.d.). His ballets showed his individual flair, fascinating ideas and unique influences as he explored a wide variety of styles within his choreography such as classical, comic, dramatic, abstract, intimate, spectacular, modern and traditional. Robbin’s choreography was also unique due to the central theme that ran through his work of communities, such as loose urban societies, intimate groups of friends and gangs, which can be seen in his production, West Side Story (1957). Another quality of Robbins’ work was that he asked of his performers to have an easy and natural style to their movement, whilst also appearing to be completely engaged and in control. This allowed for his choreography to appear effortless despite its’ complexity and reflected the musical score perfectly (Smith, 2012). Robbins skilfully used an authentic American style within his ballets whilst maintaining the structure of traditional classical dance movements, which made his work innovative and greatly admired. His ability to infuse both humour and social issues into his pieces made his choreography even more powerful and engaging, as he elevated dance to become a driving force for the storyline and character development within Musical Theatre. Furthermore, through his understanding of gesture and mastery of vernacular dance styles, Robbins was able to brilliantly capture the essence of the particular era in each of his pieces (Pallardy, 2019). In addition, a variety of moods were reflected in his work, whether it was poignant, hysterical, reflective or heart -breaking, making the stories he created in the fully-imagined worlds of his musicals all the more believable and profound (Nycballet.com, n.d.). Within our Billie Eilish routine, it is also vital for us to maintain stability in our core in order to have a strong base for the sharp isolations and sudden changes in direction. Alongside this, it is important for us to have a deep use of plié in order to have control when pushing ourselves to travel on transitional movements. By keeping this sense of engagement throughout the routine, it will help us to make each arm line, turn and position look powerful, confident and dynamic, but also easy and natural as Robbins desired with his own performers. Building a character in our performance of this routine is also necessary like it was in Robbin's routines, as we need to use a low headline with fierce eye contact and a confident facial expression to encapsulate the powerful quality of the 'bad guy' that the lyrics of the song describe.
Known as ‘the Father of Theatrical Jazz Dance’, Jack Cole pioneered this style of dance by uniquely blending movement styles of other ethnic dance forms with American Jazz music and theatrical presentations (Rizutto, 2013). His work was influenced by Lindy Hop after his experience in the Savoy Nightclubs in Harlem in the 30s and 40s, which can be seen through the wild and energetic style to many of his pieces and his rigorous warm-ups that prepared his dancers for his demanding routines (Guarino and Oliver, 2014). Furthermore, his pieces were greatly admired for their heavy rhythms and use of muscle isolation techniques, which were inspired by the East Indian dance of “bharata natyman”, which gave his choreography an exciting and intriguing flair. In his piece, ‘Not Since Nineveh’, you can see his influence from what he called “Hindu Swing”, as he combined the swift changes of direction, isolating body movements and powerfully placed hand gestures of the Indian dance technique with a thrilling swing tempo. In addition, Cole had a unique use of the role of male and female dancers, as he often had a strong, dynamic female soloist with a male-corps. ‘Not Since Nineveh’ also demonstrates this idea of his, as the princesses are described as ‘masculine powerhouses’, whereas the men ‘dress rather femininely’ (Nritya, 2011). Cole’s work was also characterised by his use of a low centre of gravity with deep plié in parallel or turned in foot placement, quick directional changes and isolations of the neck, shoulders, hips and ribs, which are all common features seen in modern jazz today. Most importantly, his use of plié brought a sense of power and explosiveness to jazz, as today it remains one of the most vital components for executing the challenging jazz style. (Durkee, 2016). Furthermore, all of his projects were enriched with his individual style and character, as he also brought in his experience of acrobatics with knee slides and floorwork (Malnig, 2008). Comparing Cole’s choreography to our Jason Derulo routine, the quality of the “bharata natyman” style that he was inspired by can be seen within our own movement. For example, there are swift changes of direction as we box step with a partner, where we have to maintain engagement in our core to sharply turn at each corner of the 'box'. Furthermore, there is also a lot of use of isolations within this routine, particularly with the arms, which must be powerfully and confidently placed with definite pauses, in order to create a polished and dynamic performance. Cole's importance of the use of plié is also vital for this routine to bring a sense of being grounded and secure, which is essential to create the strength and power of the commercial style.
1316 words
References
• Artsalive.ca. (n.d.). Meet the Artists | ArtsAlive.ca Dance. [online] Available at: http://www.artsalive.ca/en/dan/meet/bios/artistDetail.asp?artistID=59 [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
• Baggs, C. (2014). Bob Fosse Part 2: A Biographical History | Aries In Flight | A Holistic Dance Journey. [online] Aries In Flight. Available at: https://ariesinflight.com/bob-fosse-part-2-a-biographical-history/ [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
• Ceesay, N. (n.d.). Wild Party (Musical) Plot & Characters. [online] StageAgent. Available at: https://stageagent.com/shows/musical/770/wild-party [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
• Dance Spirit. (2011). Legendary Moves. [online] Available at: https://www.dancespirit.com/legendary-moves-nov-2011-2326078869.html [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
• Durkee, A. (2016). ‘All that Jack (Cole)’ Film Series - CriticalDance. [online] CriticalDance. Available at: https://criticaldance.org/jack-cole-films-jack-cole/ [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
• Guarino, L. and Oliver, W. (2014). Jazz Dance: A History of the Roots and Branches. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, pp.82-88.
• Malnig, J. (2008). Ballroom, Boogie, Shimmy Sham, Shake: A Social and Popular Dance Reader. Illinois: University of Illinois Press, p.239.
• Nicolaou, E. (2019). You Can Thank Bob Fosse For Your Jazz Hands. [online] Refinery29.com. Available at: https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/04/229334/what-is-bob-fosse-dance-style-jazz-moves [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
• Nritya, C. (2011). Choreographer/Dancer Jack Cole and "Hindu Swing". [online] Cinema Nritya. Available at: http://cinemanrityagharana.blogspot.com/2011/12/choreographerdancer-jack-cole-and-hindu.html [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
• Nycballet.com. (n.d.). Jerome Robbins. [online] Available at: https://www.nycballet.com/Explore/Our-History/Jerome-Robbins.aspx [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
• Pallardy, R. (2019). Jerome Robbins | American choreographer. [online] Encyclopedia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jerome-Robbins [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
• Riggs, T. (2013). Bob Fosse | The Stars | Broadway: The American Musical | PBS. [online] Broadway: The American Musical. Available at: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/bob-fosse/ [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
• Rizutto, R. (2013). History Lesson Plan: Jack Cole. [online] Dance Teacher. Available at: https://www.dance-teacher.com/history-lesson-plan-jack-cole-2392429308.html [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
• Smith, I. (2012). Jerome Robbins (1918-1998). [online] Danceheritage.org. Available at: http://www.danceheritage.org/OLDSITE/treasures/robbins_essay_smith.pdf [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
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