During the tumultuous history of the 20^th century, nations have been dissolved and created.  In the latter instance, dance has been utilized to create and to critique national identity.   In The Body of the People, Jens Richard Giersdorf examines these dual functions during the brief existence (1949-1989) of the socialist German Democratic Republic (GDR).

Giersdorf argues that dance in the GDR “is one of the few cases in recent times of dance being purposefully utilized for the establishment of a distinct national identity at all levels of artistic practice and social discourse.”… Read More

Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive nervous disorder that manifests as tremors, slowed movement, rigid muscles, impaired posture and balance, and other motor impairments.  Although the disease can’t be cured, dance has been found to ameliorate symptoms.

In 2001 Ollie Westheimer, the founder of the Brooklyn Parkinson’s Group, asked the Mark Morris Dance Company to create a rigorous creative dance program for individuals with Parkinson’s.  The request was based on the idea that trained dancers are experts whose knowledge of balance, sequencing, rhythm, and aesthetics is helpful in treating movement impairments associated with Parkinson’s.… Read More

Glide reflection combines translation and reflection. In this symmetry operation, a shape is moved a constant distance and then reflected; that is, the shape is oriented in an opposite direction. Many ornamental borders utilize this combination of symmetry operations.

In dance, glide reflection patterns can often be created by having dancers face in different directions. For example, in a line extending across the stage, the dancers alternate facing downstage or upstage. Or two lines of dancers stand facing each other then and cross through each other’s lines, heading in opposite directions.… Read More

Translational symmetry involves repeating the same shape simply by shifting it a constant distance, usually in a line.  This type of symmetry can be found in many man-made objects, such as a row of evenly spaced identical pillars or the slats in a Venetian blind.

In dance, the choreography for the chorus line or the corps de ballet often utilizes translational symmetry.  The precision marching of soldiers on parade and even an unruly conga line will also display translational symmetry.

The Rockettes of Radio City Music Hall combine symmetry operations with synchronous timing to create the precise group patterns for which they are rightly famous.… Read More

A symmetry operation has to do with moving a shape through space in various ways and repeating the shape. The pattern is created through repetition. In rotational symmetry, shapes are moved in equal distances around an imaginary axis. For example, flower petals arrayed around the center of the blossom have rotational symmetry.

Circle dances performed by a group are the most obvious example of rotational symmetry. But a soloist can also create rotational symmetry simply by making a series of quarter turns and repeating an action or pose.… Read More

In 1913 an obscure Eastern European painter named Rudolf Laban declared he was giving up painting to become a dancer.  I’m reversing Laban’s career path, yet I find the study of painting to be curiously similar to the study of movement.

Like the Impressionists, I’m interested in capturing the effect of light on colored objects – something almost as ephemeral as movement, especially when painting outdoors.

Just as you have to give up certain perceptual habits to really see movement, you have to break habits to really see color.… Read More

My third recommendation is The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life by Twyla Tharp. It’s marketed as a “how-to book” with 32 practical exercises that anyone can use. “Exercises” sound like work, and heck, you’re on holiday.

So you don’t actually have to do any of the exercises. Instead dip into this book forthe pleasure of reading how a successful artist creates dances. While this is interesting in itself, Tharp’s book incorporates creative practices and quotations from other types of artists and professionals.… Read More