Education Standards
Modern Dance performance - Jacob's Pillow in Beckett, Ma.
Overview
Photo Image is by jacob's Pillow Photographer Christopher Duggan
Modern Dance performance response - Defining your Aesthetic
This assignment can be used for 9-12 grade high school students and secondary level education students in a dance appreciation, dance history or for a dance production course. I use this assignent in my 3 unit Dance Survey course at Modesto Junior College typically in week 2 of studying the Modern Dance genre.
Modern Dance performance response - Defining your Aesthetic -
This assignment includes a video of the Modesto Junior College dance students performing at the iconic Jacob's Pillow located in Beckett Ma. Jacob's Pillow in August 2023. Modern Dance pioneer Ted Shawn purchased the land in Beckett, Ma. in 1933. He built the first ever theater built for the sole purpose of showcasing dance in the United States. Jacob's Pillow today is a national tresaure that was givent the Metal of Arts by President Barack Obama in 2015. This video includes the choreography of Kim T. Davis titled "Within the Fault Line". This piece was selected by the American College Dance Festivla's national conference in May of 2023 at CSULB to represent the state of California to perform at Jacob's Pillow.
Part 1 of this Assignment -
- When viewing this 8 minutes dance titled "Within the Fault Line" write about the follwoing below:
- Describe the music that the dancers are dancing to. Is the music fast, percussive, or is it slow and soft in quality?
- How does the music make you feel? Does it make you want to get up out of your seat and start moving or clapping your hands? Or do you find yourself feeling calm and quiet? Describe your emotions and state of mind when listenting to the music that the dancers are performing to.
- Describe the quality of the movement by using or incorporating some of the following words: physical, athletic, energizing, fast, risky, breathtaking, or engaging.
- In your opinion do the costumes that the dancers are wearing support the dancing and the intention of the dance? Support your respponse.
- In your own words describe the performing venue which may include the overall view of the stage, the environment that the stage in in. How does the performance stage add to the overall viewing expereince for the observer.
Part 2 of this assignmnet:
Based on some of the answers you provided in part 1 please construct a paragraph that defines whether this video is in the realm of your own personal aesthetic. Example, The paintings give me great aesthetic pleasure.
The word aesthetic is defined as: concerned with the beauty or the appreciation of beauty.
In essesnce your own personal aesthetic is either aligned with the artists creation of this dance or not. Your goal is for your paragraph to use the word "aesthetic" to define your feelings about the viewing of the choreography by Kim T. Davis' piece "Within the Fault Line" at the iconic Jacob's Pillow.