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. American leader of the movement to legalize birth control during the early 1900's. As a nurse in the poor sections of New York City - she had seen the suffering caused by unwanted pregnancy. Founded the first birth control clinic in the U.S. and the






2. Reform Russian Ballet - choreographed Dying Swan 1905 for Anna Povlova (2 minutes long) - accused of being influenced by Isadora Duncan - teacher & choreographer rather than a refined dancer






3. 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






4. Ballet by Michel Folkine; 1910; based on '1001 nights'






5. A Colombian-American modern dance choreographer known for his politically-charged productions depicting the black experience - notable productions include Missa Luba in 1965 - Blues for the Jungle in 1966 (portraying life in Harlem) - Las Desenamorad






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






7. Innovative United States dancer and choreographer (born in 1941)






8. Dancer - choreographer - teacher - born 1930 in NY - began dancing senior year of HS - scholarship to New Dance group. studied with Primus. Professional debut in 1948 - choreographed 1st pieces with group when 18 - 1951 founded contemporary dance gro






9. Considered one of the greatest of African American choreographers - and also bears the titles dancer - educator - and dance company director. After studying under Katherine Dunham and Martha Graham - went on to do solo work and choreograph his own wo






10. 1957 TV show (similar to the Corny Collins show from Hairspray) - Lindy Hop dance; segregated; eventually shut down due to refusal to fully integrate; presented black music and dance on TV






11. Classical - Character - Demi-Character - Mime






12. Beginning of modern dance - danced with bare feet - wore flowing Greek-style robe - died being strangled from a long-flowing scarf caught in a car wheel






13. Dances have no linear development; no central focus on stage; a field of dancers where you can watch any dancer from any direction and decide for yourself where the focus of the dance is






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






15. Russian ballet impresario who founded the Russian ballet and later introduced it to the West (1872-1929)






16. 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






17. In 1989 - became the first African American to lead a major national political party when He was elected chairman of the Democratic Party.






18. 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)






19. Scene where Odile shows up to the ball & dances with Prince Siegfried - very famous dance






20. Confirmed that Balanchine was an experimentalist - Africanist principles in his rhythmic scores - turns not resolved as in ballet - they just stop - take 'one' counts rather than 'and' counts






21. Work written at a time when one of Jones' company dancers - Demian Acquavella - nicknamed D-Man - was suffering from AIDS; a celebratory - affectionate work about the company defiantly remaining joyful - loving - productive - and cohesive in the face






22. Any of several psychotic disorders characterized by distortions of reality and disturbances of thought and language and withdrawal from social contact; Nijinsky had this illness






23. Choreographed by Petipa & Ivanov - Odette (under a spell) & Odile look alike - Prince Siegfried (Odette saves other swans & tells him her tale) - his mother throws a ball for him to find a wife - Odile shows up as Odette & Prince commits his love to






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. About a group of friends and neighbors during a final decline of a man






26. 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






27. 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






28. Was inspired by a cigarette poster featuring the Egyptian goddess Isis to begin investigation Asian art and dance - Founded the Denishawn School of dancing and Related Arts with her husband Ted Shawn in 1915 in Los Angeles - California - Believed tha






29. Petipa & Tchaikovsky - was not successful at the time it came out - no trace of sensible dramatic action






30. 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






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






32. 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






33. Famous for her incredible technique - lightness - and ethereal presence -(1804-1884) -Introduced new costume design (bare neck/shoulders - tutu) -Perfected dancing en pointe -La Sylphide`






34. Inspired by afro-carribean movement and anthropolgy - dancer - choreographer - anthropologist - teacher - and writer; founded Ballet Negro; 20th century






35. Were top musical stars of the '30s; appeared in musicals that were considered old-fashioned when they were made; displaced their characters' sexual desire into fighting with each other






36. Opened in 1948 - artistic director Balanchines. Distinguished choreographers: Tudor - Frederick Ashton - Robbins...Permanent home New York State Theater at Lincoln Center






37. Composer of Le Train Bleu - influenced by jazz






38. Performed with New York City Ballet under Balanchine - later founded Dance Theatre of Harlem - first African American principle dancer






39. 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






40. Different names but same theater under different political influences






41. (1931-1989) A New York City dancer who created an American Dance Theater which trains dancers and performs worldwide; most famous work was Revelations and piece named Cry - in honor of his mother; lost battle to AIDS in 1989






42. Known particularly for his long associations as musical director with Denishawn and Martha Graham.






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






44. 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






45. Gentlemen's club which indulged in fencing - horses - and mistresses; often took ballerinas with low incomes as mistresses






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






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






48. Means 'The Wedding' - arranged Russian Stravinsky wedding






49. Choreographed by Paul Taylor; Modern dance work in one act with choreography by Taylor - music by Handel - and lighting by T. Skelton. Premiered 4 Aug. 1962 at Connecticut College - New London - by the Paul Taylor Dance Company with Taylor - Elizabet






50. Performed by fanny elssler in jean corallis le diable - was Spanish and had some obscene gestures - colorful dress worn by elssler