Essays and Research Papers on Dance

8 pages comparing two legendary dancers : Fred Astaire & Gene Kelly. Various elements of style are discussed. Bibliography lists 6 sources (also good for film study).

A 5 page paper on the general background of line dancing, its popularity and decline. The paper focuses on the benefits of line dancing as it relates to physical and mental health. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

A 3 page review of Linda Belans' nine-part series 'The American Dance Festival: Where It Is and Where It's Going' in the online dance journal Talk About Dance. It covers the various problems encountered by a modern dance company, and concludes with an analysis of how these problems are common to all arts organizations today. ...

A 3 page paper on journalist Linda Belans' article 'Honoring Meredith Monk's Choreography at the American Dance Festival', which was featured in Talk About Dance, an online dance journal. The paper shows how the exclusion of talented but avant-garde performers from inclusion in performing arts subscription series diminishes the richness of the audience experience. No ...

Three fictitious dance companies are created in this 5 page paper. All three New York City based companies participate in a thematic series which represents abundance. These companies are created utilizing techniques from historic modern dance figures such as Martha Graham, Isadora Duncan and Merce Cunningham. Costume and set design are discussed.

A 10 page paper which outlines the importance of the modern dancer Isadora Duncan to the Progressive Movement at the turn of the Twentieth Century. Reveals that while her artistic style was one which was sometimes criticized by Progressives, it was one which was inspired by cultural disparity and one which affected a certain ...

This 4 page report discusses three different versions of Shakespeare’s classic “Romeo and Juliet.” Charles Gounod’s opera. Prokofiev’s ballet, and Tchaikovsky’s “Fantasy Overture on Romeo and Juliet” are compared in terms of their portrayal of two of the characters of the play. In this case, the couple chosen to be examined are ...

This five page paper explores ways to develop a passion for teaching the art of dance. Bibliography lists fives sources.

This 5 page paper focuses on a study which suggests that dancers have prejudices against other genres in the dance world. The article looks at folk, competitive Ballroom, ballet, and modern dance. The paper provides a critical analysis of the article by authors Nieminen and Varstala. No additional sources cited.

An 8 page paper which discusses various techniques and positions of ballet. The paper discusses the details of positioning of arms and feet. In addition the different types of ballet are defined and illustrated. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 14 page paper which discusses how the Russes Ballet influenced the society of the times. During the first decade of the 1900s fashion for women was incredibly conservative, leaving almost nothing on the human body showing. With the Russes Ballet came very risqué costumes that flowed with the body, and costumes that often revealed a great deal of ...

The Broadway production, West Side Story, by composer Leonard Bernstein, lyricist Stephen Sondheim and choreographer Jerome Robbins premiered in 1957. This 12 page narrative paper examines the musical with an emphasis on the choreography. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

7 pages in length. Voted one of the most influential choreographers of the twentieth century, George Balanchine was indeed one of the most important men in the early history of ballet. This paper describes his biography and what his contributions were to the field of ballet. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This 6 page paper considers the impact of Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson and the influence that he had in breaking down social and economic barriers and creating a new, larger public forum for the vernacular dance. This paper considers his role, his perceptions and the views of others regarding his influence. Bibliography lists 4 ...

A 23 page paper which discusses how the field of dance has been enhanced through the emergence of the Internet. Through the Internet people can more easily access events, information about dancers and dances, easily purchase tickets, and find out almost anything they wish to know, as it is related to dance. They can even view Internet dance, which ...

6 pages in length. American Concert Dance has long been a much appreciated art form, in that it allows a person to express a collage of innermost feelings. It has thrived throughout the decades, entertaining the likes of presidents and rulers, peasants and the general populace. Therefore, it is curious to think ...

8 pages in length. Baroque dance patterns are typically associated with Bach's French suites, a style of movement that is quite indicative of its time period. The stiff, rigid, unyielding movement so characteristic of the dance patterns of Bach's French suites reflect a period of time when self-expression was exchanged for a more ...

17 pages in length. Within dance, as within architecture, there is a continuum between space and time. As a dancer dances, the central part of the body is in unique correlation with the limbs, and the spatiality between all parts creates an art form which is the dance itself. The dance is not merely a series of ...

A ten page paper which looks at the life and philosophy of Merce Cunningham, and the way in which his radical innovation in the world of post-modernist dance contributed to the transcendence of traditional and circumscribed forms and produced a synthesis of energy and movement which was a major contribution to performance art ...

This 10 page paper provides an overview of Merce Cunningham with an emphasis on his dance techniques. Cunningham's philosophy, choreography, life, and mentors are each discussed. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A 5 page research paper that focuses on the energy and movement involved in jazz dance performance. The writer spotlights three performances by the Nicholas Brothers dance team, which appeared in numerous movies in the 1930s and 40s. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 12 page paper provides an overview of postmodern dance with a focus on Trisha Brown and Bill T. Jones. Merce Cunningham's role in the form of dance is discussed as well. Postmodernism as a concept is also defined and discussed. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A paper which looks at the structure and performance of Lilac Garden, with regard to the combination of dramatic emotion and stylised decorum in the choreography of the piece, and the way in which its internal cohesion depends on a balance of energy and formality which is difficult to achieve in terms of its narrative ...

This 5 page report discusses the 1952 movie “Singin’ in the Rain” starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O’Connor. The paper considers the various aspects of the film but focuses on a singular “mise en scène” in which Reynolds and Kelly dance together on an empty stage against an artificially created and romantic sunset. Handsome Don takes shy, yet independent, ...

An 7 page paper which discusses various aspects of the African American culture as it involves music and community. "Spectacular Vernaculars" by Russell A. Potter is utilized in terms of addressing the hip hop and rap community. In addition, Marlon Rigg's documentary style productions, "Ethnic Notions" and "Black is...Black aint" are discussed as they relate to Rigg's work. The second ...