Balanchine and Cunningham’s Contribution to American Ballet

Location

CSU Ballroom

Start Date

20-4-2015 2:00 PM

End Date

20-4-2015 3:30 PM

Student's Major

Theatre and Dance

Student's College

Arts and Humanities

Mentor's Name

Julie Kerr-Berry

Mentor's Email Address

julie.kerr-berry@mnsu.edu

Mentor's Department

Theatre and Dance

Mentor's College

Arts and Humanities

Description

George Balanchine and Merce Cunningham took the classical form of ballet and liberated the dancing body, choreographic structures, and musical elements, while retaining ballet technique. The dancing body retained the ballet technique, while allowing freedom with the use of parallel, flexed feet, weight, speed, and angular shapes. The choreographic structure removed the narrative and allowed abstract ideas of chance and randomness. With collaborations they freed music to exist simultaneously, but independently from dance. Without their contribution to dance, dancers would not have the technique of strength, stamina, flexibility, and gracefulness that ballet provides. They created the fusion of ballet and modern dance.

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Apr 20th, 2:00 PM Apr 20th, 3:30 PM

Balanchine and Cunningham’s Contribution to American Ballet

CSU Ballroom

George Balanchine and Merce Cunningham took the classical form of ballet and liberated the dancing body, choreographic structures, and musical elements, while retaining ballet technique. The dancing body retained the ballet technique, while allowing freedom with the use of parallel, flexed feet, weight, speed, and angular shapes. The choreographic structure removed the narrative and allowed abstract ideas of chance and randomness. With collaborations they freed music to exist simultaneously, but independently from dance. Without their contribution to dance, dancers would not have the technique of strength, stamina, flexibility, and gracefulness that ballet provides. They created the fusion of ballet and modern dance.

Recommended Citation

Erickson, Jordan. "Balanchine and Cunningham’s Contribution to American Ballet." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 20, 2015.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2015/poster_session_B/6