Arts/100 - Comparing Two Styles of Dance

Comparing Two Styles of Dance

For this week’s assignment, students were required to select two different styles of dance and describe each one.  The first style I chose is Ballet, which is a type of dance originated in Europe in the 15^th century, more specifically in the Italian Renaissance courts. At the time, noblemen and women attended events and celebrations where dancing was part of the spectacle. In the 16th century, Catherine de Medici King Henry II of France’s wife, started to fund ballet in the French court. In the 17^th century King Louis XIV was crucial in popularizing the dance (Anderson, 1992). Although Italy and France were pioneers in the new style of dance, it was Russia who made its popularity soar, with the development of classic ballet pieces such as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty. Ballet is a set of formalized movements that emanate from five basic positions of arms, legs, and feet. Ballet is a strict form of dance, which requires practice, rehearsal and discipline. When it comes to a story line, there are two types of ballet. Story ballets tell a story containing narrative action, characters, a beginning and an end. Plotless ballets, on the other hand, have no storyline. They use the body movements to interpret the music and provoke emotions.  

The second style of dance to be explored in this analysis is Jazz, which is a form of dance originated from the African vernacular dances, performed on the slave ships on their way to America. In the early 1900s, the dance developed alongside the music genre Jazz in New Orleans. The style was also influenced by Caribbean and Latin American dance styles (Anderson, 1992). An important element in Jazz is the improvisation, since it is common for dancers to create moves as they go, as opposed to a completely choreographed dance. Jazz is based on natural body movements, creating a fluid type of dance.

Both Jazz and Ballet have similar elements of line, form, and repetition. In both dances, horizontal lines suggest placidity, vertical lines suggest grandeur, and diagonal lines suggest movement (Anderson, 1992). The term “line” in ballet refers to the configuration of the dancer's body, whether in motion or at rest. Both styles of dance communicate a different mood perception for me. Ballet, for example, communicates rigidness and a discipline that I often lack in my day-to-day life. Although it’s a graceful dance, it is very structured, and consequently, serious. Jazz on the other hand, is more flexible and light, which communicates an informality that is greatly appreciated. The influence behind both dances depends on the choreographer. Ballet is a classic and romantic dance. The themes vary between love, loss, and tragedy. Jazz on the other hand does not necessarily evoke the memory of a specific theme.

Reference

Anderson, J. (1992). Ballet & Modern Dance: A Concise History (2nd ed. ed.). Princeton, NJ: Princeton Book Company