How to Fix the State of the Musical Theatre

By Kendra Cherry

The article was an interesting little examination of several writing teams revising works that have seen their days on Broadway (primarily Schmidt and Jones with 110 in the Shade; but also, historically, Kern and Hammerstein with Show Boat, Kander and Ebb with the most recent revival of Cabaret, Stein, Schwartz and Strouse with Rags, and Sondheim with most of his canon. The statement, given as the reason (excuse?) for the current obsession with revivals and "revivicals" is jarring, arrogant, but most of all misleading and incorrect. The real reason we're being presented almost exclusively with revivals, revisions and adaptations of material from other forms is abject fear. The cost of mounting a show on the stage is truly enormous, and a total loss is without doubt something to give the most oblivious accountant a lifetime of nightmares. And since there's no guaranteed success the closest thing to it is a repackaged success in new form. So you take an old show and polish it and put it up. Or hire some name writers to revise it for “modern audiences”. But that's "head-in-the-sand" logic. Yes, on occasion you'll get a modest success, or even less frequently a hit. More often, though, your chances of flopping are equal to those on a new project. For every Chicago revival there are On the Town, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and One Mo' Time. For every The Producers you have Smile, Carrie, and Breakfast at Tiffany's. And for every Billy Joel (all right, that’s forced, how about Roger Miller?) there are Frank Wildhorn, Jim Steinman, and Paul Simon. (This is not meant to disparage any of these gentlemen or the shows mentioned; it is intended merely to point out the fact that any prior success they brought to the table was not enough to guarantee a successful run.)

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Спеціальність: Хореографія.

From The Sun 27.05. 2008

Dance/Movement Therapy

By Peter O’Neal

Dance is the most fundamental of the arts, involving direct expression through the body. Thus, it is an intimate and powerful medium for therapy. Based on the assumption that body and mind are interrelated, dance/movement therapy is defined by the American Dance Therapy Association as "the psychotherapeutic use of movement as a process which furthers the emotional, cognitive and physical integration of the individual." Dance/movement therapy effects changes in feelings, cognition, physical functioning, and behavior.

Dance as therapy came into existence in the 1940s, especially through the pioneering efforts of Marian Chace. Psychiatrists in Washington, D.C., found that their patients were deriving benefits from attending Chace's unique dance classes. As a result, Chace was asked to work on the back wards of St. Elizabeths Hospital with patients who had been considered too disturbed to participate in regular group activities. A non-verbal group approach was needed and dance/movement therapy met that need.

The American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) was founded in 1966 by 73 charter members in 15 states. Now, the Association has grown to nearly 1200 members in 46 states and 20 foreign countries. ADTA maintains a registry of dance/movement therapists who meet specific educational and clinical practice standards. The title "Dance Therapist Registered" (DTR) is granted to entry-level dance/movement therapists who have a master's degree which includes 700 hours of supervised clinical internship. The advanced level of registry, Academy of Dance Therapists Registered (ADTR), is awarded only after DTRs have completed 3,640 hours of supervised clinical work in an agency, institution, or special school, with additional supervision from an ADTR. In addition, as part of their written application for review by the credentials committee, applicants for ADTR must document their understanding of theory and practice.

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From the Independent 07. 11. 2006

     Hip-Hop Dance

By Jade Goody

Hip-hop dance refers to social or choreographed dance styles primarily danced to hip-hop music or that have evolved as part of hip-hop culture. This includes a wide range of styles notably breaking, locking, and popping which were developed in the 1970s by Black and Latino Americans. What separates hip-hop dance from other forms of dance is that it is often freestyle (improvisational) in nature and hip-hop dancers frequently engage in battles - formal or informal freestyle dance competitions. Informal freestyle sessions and battles are usually performed in a cipher, a circular dance space that forms naturally once the dancing begins. These three elements -freestyling, battles, and ciphers - are key components of hip-hop dance. More than 30 years old, hip-hop dance became widely known after the first professional breaking, locking, and popping crews formed in the 1970s. The most influential groups are the Lockers, Rock Steady Crew, and the Electric Boogaloos, responsible for the spread of breaking, locking, and popping respectively. Parallel with the evolution of hip-hop music, hip-hop dancing evolved from breaking and the funk styles into different forms: moves such as the "running man" and the "cabbage patch" hit the mainstream and became fad dances. The dance industry in particular responded with studio/commercial hip-hop, sometimes called new style or L.A. style, and jazz funk. These styles were developed by technically trained dancers who wanted to create choreography for hip-hop music from the hip-hop dances they saw being performed on the street. To some, hip-hop dance may only be a form of entertainment or a hobby. To others it has become a lifestyle: a way to be active in physical fitness or competitive dance and a way to make a living by dancing professionally.

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From The Mirror 12.02. 2008