‘Flash Dance’(1983) dir. Adrian Lynn follows the story of Alex Owens, a young 18 year old welder who dreams of one day being able to join an elite group of ballet dancers. In comparison to, ‘West Side Story’ the narrative of ‘Flash Dance’ is one that concentrates on the women and how they control their bodies, the plot focuses on the passion and lustfulness in a relationship compared to previously mentioned filmed which concentrates on the love aspect of romance. ‘Flash Dance’ challenges the patriarchal system that Alex, as a woman, finds herself in. While the film has stereotypical hetero-normative characters such as Richie and Jeanie and a love interest that plays on class dynamics and social stratification the romantic side of this …show more content…
working as a Welder. During the day Alex portrays dominant male attributes, her presence and her fashion sense (jumpsuits were widely viewed as Unisex apparel in the 80’s) but of a night she is allowed the freedom to express her femininity and identity through dance. The most notable moments in the film that to me obviously explore the relationship between dance, song and romance and how they interact with the development of a plot or narrative is Alex’s infamous water drenching dance, which has heavy sexual connotations and is a plot device used in many other Lynn other films i.e Fatal Attraction, and her leg splitting audition in the denouement of the film. (Fig. 5) The still above (Fig.5) from Alex’s audition scene, is a still of one of the most memorable sequences throughout the film, the editing used is almost perfectly synched to the music. While the use of dance and movement that Alex portrays is sensual and very intimate but equally expresses her joy and passion for dance, it could therefore be argued that the use of editing, light, costume etc. are what advances the romantic plot forward in the narrative and that the dance sequences are merely a device used to fill space within the …show more content…
A specialty dance is a routine used in musicals in which a character has to use their specific skill to over come obstacles and reach the end of their story. I would therefore argue that as a film the music and dance sequences are outstanding and memorable, however I don’t find them to be essential to the development of the narrative. Fred Astaire once quoted that ‘It is extremely important for a dance cue to flow naturally in and out of the story … Each dance ought to spring somehow out of character or situation (Macintosh, F. 2010), in the case of ‘Flash Dance’ I don’t believe that narrative flow of the plot blends the dance sequences smoothly enough for it to seem natural. I would therefore argue that in this case music does not becomes the signifier par excellence of the value of the couple and of courtship, rather that other elements such as mise-en-scene, editing, framing, script etc. are important in the building romance throughout the
When you are dancing, there are many things you can channel; emotions, memories, people, experiences, stories, the list goes on and on. These properties can be portrayed through movements, facial expressions, and music. Dancing can also portray conflict; such as the conflict between Ponyboy Curtis and Darry Curtis in S.E. Hinton’s beloved novel, The Outsiders. In our dance piece, titled, Hard to See, both the music and movements work in harmony to illustrate Darry and Ponyboy’s maturing relationship.
She takes the reader on a journey through her memories and childhood and uses her memory as a main tool. Memory and storytelling is an important aspect of Silent Dancing, because they helped to shape the author, told lessons to the reader, and explained a life tied between Puerto Rican and American.
Analyzing part one of “Water,” “...the question is not whether human bodies are obsolete, but how they can be redesigned, and how such incorporations of technologies change the stories we tell and dance about ‘being human’ in the twenty-first century” (Birringer, p. 92). Zooming in on certain parts of the body and only being able to see the upper body part of the female dancer bodies is a liberty Keone and Mari Madrid are able to experiment with. The camera begins in the water with Mari Madrid, her hands scooping water out from the river while she wears a loose upper half white and lower half khaki dress. By 0:22 the camera frames the river and greenery in the background; Mari and two female dancers enter the frame, their backs to the camera lens. Once in the water the three female dancers use their upper body, crouching forward and using their arms they move from near kinesphere to far up.
Stewarts forward thinking and technological integration in dance is the main characteristic that defines Stewart and the ADT. The simplistic costuming, collaboration and video effects are all contributing factors of Stewart’s display of ‘innovation’ in creating
I attended a Nashville Irish Stepdancers performance at the Texas Troubadour Theater. The theater was in the middle of a strip mall in Orpy Mills. The inside was setup with pews and had a very medieval essence. The performance was to be a celebration of the Irish culture and include the vibrant spirit of the heritage. In the program, the choreographer and founder of the Nashville Irish Step Dancers, Mary Moran, said that the show not only highlights traditional pieces, such as the jig and treble reel, but also explores more progressive styles of Irish dance and music.
The soloist has an extremely communicative torso used continuously throughout the entirety of the second scene. By doing so, Ailey was able to convey the pain and emotional ache felt by black women. Depending on the movement paired with the chest isolations, this step can aide with portraying either the anger or pain felt by the dancer or the pride the dancer establishes as she overcomes her fears and has found a way to freedom. As well as this , the solo features numerous steps where it looks as though the dancer is looking to the distance and reaching for something.
In Amina Gautier’s “Dance for Me” an African-American adolescent girl that attended a private school passed through different physical and emotional changes to fit in society. The girl is the narrator, her name is never mentioned clearly, she said that her first name was a last name. At the beginning, she started describing uniforms from different schools, and also how girls from other schools were classified. One day, she was in the bathroom trying to roll her skirt like the other girls in the school when a girl called Heather, who was a white girl, started to talk to her and asked her to show a famous dance called the Running Man. Weeks later, many different girls requested her to teach the dance, and she never rejected because she was becoming
Manuel tried another dance step.” Manuel changed from just standing still while singing to dancing while singing. He only did this to impress the girls that were in the crowd, he for the second time changed his appearance for others. By the end of the story in his heart Manuel surely knew that appearance isn’t what
16). The dancers maintain calmness throughout their dancing by staying focus, but also by letting the music flow within their bodies. With all the flamboyant movements, the dancers have this sort of style that is flashy in addition. This is admirable because the dancers could be portrayed as professionals due to how they maintain the balance between the music beats, movements, and guiding their partners, if not solo.
Astaire is more capable of sparring with a female partner, and his tap dancing is based on ballroom dancing, especially the waltz. Kelly doesn't have a co-star, and he has more fun and freedom to work with his co-stars, as well as juggling and marrying ballet. Kelly is a French freak who is obsessed with ballet, but is said to have learned only the upper body movements of ballet. The differences in dance styles also affect the two men's image in the film. Astaire always wears a tuxedo, which is matched with his dance steps, elegant, noble and light.
This dance is supposed to be beautiful to show everyone how wonderful differences could be. The style in which the story is written changes in this passage by showing a lovely, beautiful scene than the usually harsh tones. Question Four :
“Artworks have ‘aboutness’ and demand interpretation” (Barrett 71). This statement creates a foundation for writing, specifically about dance, as each dance piece is always about something, no matter how simple it appears to be. As I began to write about dance I knew not only to provide a description of the piece, but utilize the description as evidence as I develop a possible meaning. Additionally he explains, “There can be different, competing, and contradictory interpretations of the same artwork” (Barrett 73). When I would begin to develop an explanation from the description I provided, I had to remind myself that my interpretation was only one view of the dance and I should not try to provide one comprehensive interpretation for the
Even though music wasn’t being played, it was not needed because of Duke’s focus in her practice with movement is centered on the importance of dancing for the pure artistry of
Regardless of specific and often subtle meanings conveyed in a dance and its accompanying music, the overall use of both is an intimate reflection of each group’s view of life” (Mather,
This role has diminished through the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, but the need to be masculine remains in countless men. Makeup, tights, and ballet shoes are not considered manly. Therefore, a subsequent stereotype has become prevalent. Persistently, people erroneously believe all danseurs to be gay, weak, and feminine. Frequently, male dancers are left to feel inadequate and are discouraged from their art because their manliness is questioned.