Dance - CLEP Humanities

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Question

Who is the choreographer who fused modern concert dance styles with vernacular African-American dance styles?

Answer

Alvin Ailey was significant in the history of dance as being one of the first prominent African-American choreographers to lead his own dance company. Ailey significantly contributed to dance by fusing the then-current forms of Modern dance in the 1950s with African-American vernacular dancing. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater gained the nickname "The Cultural Ambassador to the World."

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Question

Who is the modern dance choreographer who frequently collaborated with the avant-garde composer John Cage?

Answer

Merce Cunningham followed in the footsteps of pioneering modern dance choreographers like Martha Graham and Isadora Duncan, pushing the boundaries of movement and form. One of his particular contributions was by constantly producing work by collaborating with various other artists. His most famous and long lasting partnership was with the avant-garde composer John Cage.

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Question

Isadora Duncan was a pioneer of which of the following forms of dance?

Answer

Beginning her career in the late nineteenth century, Isadora Duncan restructured her dancing to focus on fluid movement, improvisation, and natural poses. This new form of dance proved divisive, but highly influential, leading directly to what became termed "modern dance."

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Question

Modern dance broke with previous dance traditions by doing all of the following EXCEPT __________.

Answer

Modern dance arose in the early part of the twentieth century as a reaction against ballet's dominance as the main form of concert dance. Pioneers like Isadora Duncan and Martha Graham sought to free dance from restrictive movements, ties to narrative structure, and various kinds of formalism. Modern dance also synthesized many forms of dance into creating new kinds of movement not seen before.

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Question

The style of dance that requires its performers to wear a "pointe shoe" is __________.

Answer

A "pointe shoe" is a shoe that allows a dancer to stand directly on his or her toe, to create a light silhouette and perform various maneuvers. These are necessities in ballet, which desires its dancers to move seemingly effortlessly and beautifully. The "pointe shoe" and dancing "on pointe" is one of the features that distinguish ballet from other styles of dance.

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Question

Which French term describes a ballet move that involves turning the body while on one leg?

Answer

Alignment describes harmonious, unbroken lines with arms and legs. Arabesque refers to standing on one leg and extending the other leg and both arms away from the body. A pas de deux involves dance sequences with two dancers. Spiral refers to a twisting movement, but does not mean that is it done on one leg; it is also not a French term.

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