Test your basic knowledge |

Dance History

Subjects : performing-arts, dance
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Nijinsky choreographed - rustic - sacrifice a virgin by making her dance to death






2. Choreographed by Fokine - star was Pavlova - composer was Camille Saint Saenz - two minutes long






3. United States choreographer (1930-1988) - reconstructed pieces of ballet russes in America died of aids






4. Ballet with music by Erik Satie and a one-act scenario by Jean Cocteau. The ballet was composed 1916-1917 for Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. The ballet premiered on Friday - May 18th - 1917 at the Thaa






5. United States dancer and choreographer (born in Russia) noted for his abstract and formal works (1904-1983); Apollo and Agon






6. Wrote Discourse on the Origins of the Inequality of Mankind; wrote The Social Contract; wrote Confessions; believed that emotions as well as reason were important to human development but sent his own children to orphanages






7. Created the role of Swanilda at age 16 - she died from a fever @ age 17






8. Robert Joffrey - 59 - Alvin Ailey - 58 - Christopher Gillis - 42 - Rudolph Nureyev - 54 - Ulysses Dove - 49






9. (1819-1899) -Italian ballerina -Leading role in Giselle -Combined techniques of Taglioni & Elssler -Known for strength & lightness






10. Comedy - has sport movements - about a train taken to the beach where a plane flies over - spoof about Frenchman who wants to be very shallow American






11. The revolution that overthrew Russian Czar Nicholas I in 1917. Later established the Bolshevik government under Vladimir Lenin.






12. Inspired by Gautier's novel The Story of the Mummy - very complicated - spectacular - successful ballet - Aspica is the daughter - English Lord in sand storm goes into tomb & gets put into an opium dream where he becomes Tahor and saves Aspico from a






13. Star male dancer of Ballets Russes; became chief choreographer for one year - 1913 - Afternoon of a Faun - Rite of Spring - and Jeux. Rite caused a riot






14. Child actress could dance and sing very well - was able to keep up with Bill Robinson in tap dancing - was seen as the hope during the Great Depression.






15. African American social dance in the 1920s; spurred the Jitter Bug






16. Allowed people to dim lights; allowed for lighting changes; used for special effects in background of plays and dance such as ghosts






17. Student of Mary Wigman. Opened a Wigman school in NYC in 1931 - brought German modern to U.S. but Americanized her technique. Choreographed Broadway musicals- 'Kiss Me Kate' based on Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew






18. Important Russian composer whose works are noted for their expressive melodies (1840-1893); composed score for Nutcracker - Sleeping Beauty






19. Modern Dance Choreographer-- mixed media extravaganza's celebrating the electronic age; choreographed Tensile Involvement






20. Different styles: 1. hoofers: Gregory Hines - Savion Glover - intricate footwork 2. class acts: Fred Astaire - Ginger Rodgers - refined and elegant 3. flash acts: tap with acrobatics 4. soft shoe: skimming floor - producing soft & muted steps






21. End of ACT I - Aurora partnered with 4 different princes - en pointe a rose is exchanged. Difficult.






22. Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1920) extended the right to vote to women in federal or state elections.






23. Nijinsky choreographed - means 'games' - about a trio (2 women - 1 man) - relief sexual tension through tennis






24. The transformation from an agricultural to an industrial nation; industrialization allowed for stable incomes and allowed for centralized support of art in cities






25. (1822-1910) created the first ballet that would later be classified as classical ballet. He also held the position of Ballet Master in Chief to the Imperial Tsar in 1869. created Don Quixote and La Bayadere and many other works. Though he did not cho






26. Founded the Gus Solomons Company/Dance - whose repertoire consisted of detailed and analytical compositions that were conceived as 'melted architecture' - drawing from experience as an architecture student at MIT






27. Was listed as the choreographer because He was widely respected - was known Perrot (more gifted) was collaborating with him; Choreographed the corps for Giselle






28. Hungarian choreographer who developed Labanotation (1879-1958); Established the Choreographic Institute in Zurich - Founded branches across Europe - Kinetographie Laban=labanotation - primary movement - notation stilled used today in dance - Conte






29. One of the major figures in the development of modern dance - an American dancer - choreographer and teacher who created more than 150 works on a wide range of subjects from ancient Greek to modern American; contraction and release






30. Wrote 'The Art of Making Dances' in 1931 - Fall and Recovery - inspired by Bach and used his work in many piece - choreographed pieces without music - Passacaglia and fugue in C minor (showed fall and recovery)






31. French for 'big dance for two' - Entrae - Adagio duet - Male solo - Female solo - Coda - plot structure of Petipa






32. A jerky American dance that was popular in the 1940s






33. Choreographer of Coppelia - died the year of the ballet from exhaustion - discovered Bozzacchi






34. First book of choreography; published posthumously in 1959






35. Choreographer of Robert le Diable (1831) father of marie - Marie was a dancer and always looked like She was floating when dancing






36. Predominately black - but whites attended - social dances were done - had to change the floor every three years because of the intense dancing - many whites went to go watch Black People Dance






37. One of the artistic giants of the twentieth century. Helped found the Cubist and Abstract movements. During his life - 1881-1973 - he worked in various media and is noted for scores of important works. His painting Guernica is one of the most powerfu






38. By Martha Graham - focuses on technique - used technique as her own language - inspired by when she moved to Santa Barbara as a child - choneo - straight out of technique class - running on the cliffs of Santa Barbara and the development of her techn






39. In Moscow - very flamboyant & expressive (opposite of Kirov Theater)






40. Teacher in Merce's studio Who is remembered for creating a competitive environment filled w/ experimentation for new dance styles






41. Fokine - commoner wanted to have sex with Cleopatre - she said yes as long as He was put to dead the next day - she did






42. Actress - singer and tap dancer successful in early musicals...... '42nd Street'






43. Massine - parable about freedom - Picasso - aesthetic unity






44. French cabaret singer who became a famous designer - costumes - color pink (patented)






45. Petipa's assistant that takes over - choreographs Snowflakes Act I of the Nutcracker - dies in 1901 - didn't produce anything more of importance except Swan Lake






46. Started in NYC by Robert Joffrey - small company - repertoire was eclectic and contemporary - reconstructed works from Diaghilev's Ballets Russes - Financially weak - often folded - moved to LA then chicago






47. 1896-1976 - American - Choreographer - Developed 1930's film fantasy with his daredevil and genius dance design - developed the stage style musical film into a more involved multi-shot fantasy film style with overhead shots - use of tiered set desig






48. Dance class at Dartmouth taught by Alison Chase - stunts - contortions - balance and leverage - men signed up for the class on a dare






49. Danced in - - raw emotion - stark - harsh - disturbing - medieval themes - dance with masks - really started working with time - space - and energy - taught Hanya Holm






50. Alwin Nikolais - had a lot of ribbons - very involved in the sounds - wearing skin colored clothes - drum music - elastic ropes and strings - all across stage