Dance - About The Industry
Becoming a Dance Professional
A professional dancer looks to be a healthy, fit, confident and accomplished dancer providing positive role-models for future generations. A professional dancer has to be excellent in dance performance, showing clear confidence, good movement vocabulary with good flexibility, strength and sense of the body.
What Is Contemporary dance?
I am a contemporary dancer and constantly get asked the question as to what contemporary dance actually entails. Contemporary dance is a style of dance that is expressive and combines a mixture of several dance styles such as modern, jazz, lyrical and classical ballet. Contemporary dance is a style that combines the mind, body and soul together to create movement, for example, using the body to imitate and model around a certain object or feeling.
Reference List
Dance Uk (2015) Online [Access Date 14/03/15] Available at: https://www.danceuk.org/healthier-dancer-programme/industry-standards/
Bedinghaus. T (2015) Online [Access Date 14/03/15] Available at: http://dance.about.com/od/typesofdance/f/What-Is-Contemporary-Dance.htm
(2012) online [Access Date [14/03/15] Available At:
http://marthagraham.org/about-us/our-history/
Ailey. A (2015) Online [Access Date 14/03/15] Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/alvin-ailey-9177959
Jackson. M (2015) Online [Access Date 14/03/15] Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/michael-jackson-38211
Youtube (2009) Michael Jackson - Bad (online) Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsUXAEzaC3Q
[Accessed 14/03/15]
Influential People In Dance
Martha Graham (1894 - 1991) - Martha graham is recognised as being one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. she was known for creating a movement language that is based upon the expressive capacity of the human body. In 1926, Martha Graham started the Martha Graham studio and remained in charge of the company for the next 66 years. Thanks to Martha Graham, the national association of schools of dance adopted Martha's term, 'Professional studio school', to describe independent dance studios that teach to professional standards. students who have studied at the Martha Graham school have moved on to professional dance companies and still today use Martha Graham techniques.
Alvin Ailey (1931 – 1989) - Alvin Ailey was an African American choreographer and founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre in New York City. Ailey was known for popularising modern dance and revolutionising African American participation in the 20th century. His company gained the nickname "Cultural Ambassador to the World" because of its world renowned international touring. Ailey's most popular piece,choreographic "Revelations" is believed to be the best known and most often seen modern dance performance. Ailey has received many awards in his career, consisting of the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP and The Kennedy Centre Honours. After Ailey died, in 2014 President Barack Obama selected Ailey to be a posthumous recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Who inspired me to become a Dancer?
Michael Jackson (1958 - 2009) - Michael Jackson, also known as the "King of pop", was the face of pop music, revolutionising and transforming what we can Pop culture today. Michael had been a performer all his life, starting his career with the Jackson 5 and then moving on to a solo career. Michael Jackson Taught himself how to dance, as well as choreographing his own music videos. Michael Received a lot of awards including 8 Grammys just for the album "Thriller", with the single thriller staying at number 1 in the charts for 37 weeks and stayed in the charts for 80 weeks.
Why Has Michael Jackson inspired me?
From watching Michael jackson as a child and growing up watching him, loving the way he performs and dances, inspired to me teach myself how to dance and be in a way, like Michael. Michael was one of the only males as i grew up that was seen as being cool and amazing for what he could do with his body, and that is why i idolised him and spent my days watching him on the television and trying to imitate him and what he was capable of. My favourite music video of Michael Jackson was "Bad" that was released in 1987, as it was a piece of choreographic genius and again inspired me to dance when i was old enough to move.
As an artist Michael Jackson was seen as being the best of the best in the Pop world, thus receiving his name as the King of pop and still retains that title today.