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American Dance Marathons, 1928-1934 and the Social Drama and Ritual Process
Title
American Dance Marathons, 1928-1934 and the Social Drama and Ritual Process.
Creator
Dunlop, Chelsea Rae, Sommer, Sally R., Young, Tricia H., Perpener, John O., School of Dance, Florida State University
Abstract/Description
Americans first experienced and embraced dance marathons in 1923, after which these events quickly gained popularity. But the dance marathon that burst upon the scene as yet another fad in keeping with the ebullient nature of the 1920s was dissimilar in form and intent from the dance marathon as it would evolve during the depression years of the 1930s. Within a decade, dance marathons were quickly transformed into a combination of contest and entertainment, replete with spectacle, humor,...
Show moreAmericans first experienced and embraced dance marathons in 1923, after which these events quickly gained popularity. But the dance marathon that burst upon the scene as yet another fad in keeping with the ebullient nature of the 1920s was dissimilar in form and intent from the dance marathon as it would evolve during the depression years of the 1930s. Within a decade, dance marathons were quickly transformed into a combination of contest and entertainment, replete with spectacle, humor, horror, romance suspense, and drama. By applying Victor Turner's rites of passage and social drama theories to these contests, the dance marathon circuit is revealed to have been a society within, and to a great degree separate from, the larger American society. This viewpoint serves to demonstrate why and how the marathon developed as it did. The specific social drama that developed within the marathon was a smaller reflection of the nation's larger Meta drama – establishing the micro within the macro of society. Viewed from this perspective – as a secondary or alternate society – social drama is confirmed to be the main utility in its development.
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Date Issued
2006
Identifier
FSU_migr_etd-0629
Format
Thesis
Androgyny, Glamour, Fetishism, and Urbanity
Title
Androgyny, Glamour, Fetishism, and Urbanity: An Analysis of Bob Fosse's Choreography.
Creator
Milovanovic, Dara, Sommer, Sally R., Young, Tricia Henry, Perpener, John O., School of Dance, Florida State University
Abstract/Description
Bob Fosse's choreography endows women with agency and self-confidence. He explores female sexuality and empowers women through his use of androgyny, glamour, fetishism, and the urban aesthetic. In his stage and film choreographic structures, Fosse cedes independence to women giving female performers and female viewers a chance to celebrate power without sacrificing their femininity. The most compelling aspect of his work is the appreciation of feminine traits combined with the appropriation...
Show moreBob Fosse's choreography endows women with agency and self-confidence. He explores female sexuality and empowers women through his use of androgyny, glamour, fetishism, and the urban aesthetic. In his stage and film choreographic structures, Fosse cedes independence to women giving female performers and female viewers a chance to celebrate power without sacrificing their femininity. The most compelling aspect of his work is the appreciation of feminine traits combined with the appropriation of fetishized objects that give women authority. Unlike more traditional schools of feminist and male gaze theory, which consider emphasis on female sexual display an necessarily exploitative and objectifying, "glam-femme" theory asserts that women are empowered through glorification of glamour and the sex appeal associated with it.
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Date Issued
2003
Identifier
FSU_migr_etd-2399
Format
Thesis
Dorky Dance.Com
Title
Dorky Dance.Com: Dorky Dancing, Vlogging and the Rise of Self Produced Dance on the Internet.
Creator
Young, Latika Linn, Sommer, Sally, Perpener, John O., Young, Tricia, School of Dance, Florida State University
Abstract/Description
This thesis traces a lineage from historical onscreen awkward dancing to contemporary online dorky dancing. This evolution encompasses Edison's actualities, the stars of silent film, Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, the expert awkward dancer, Donald O'Connor, and the more recent awkward dance stars, Pee Wee Herman and Napoleon Dynamite. This foundation contextualizes the rise of self-produced, "dorky dance" on the Internet, a form beloved for its genuineness and lack of fabrication and...
Show moreThis thesis traces a lineage from historical onscreen awkward dancing to contemporary online dorky dancing. This evolution encompasses Edison's actualities, the stars of silent film, Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, the expert awkward dancer, Donald O'Connor, and the more recent awkward dance stars, Pee Wee Herman and Napoleon Dynamite. This foundation contextualizes the rise of self-produced, "dorky dance" on the Internet, a form beloved for its genuineness and lack of fabrication and immensely popular due to "viralization" and transmission as "Internet memes." Dorky dance is further distinguished from awkward dance by examining the specific criteria that compose its definition. This investigation utilizes both movement analysis and socio-cultural studies, drawing particularly from gender studies and recent sociological theorizing about the Internet. The current role of Internet participation advocacy is linked to a long-standing precedent for participation-fuelled art-making, drawing from Walter Benjamin to the post-modern artistic collaborators of the 1960s and 1970s. This study analyzes the impacts of the online dorky dance movement, including those personal in nature—either for the creator or the viewer, the new audience member—and those on a societal level, both the positive and potentially negative. Although participation in the dorky dance genre is still limited by the existing restrictions of the digital divide, the technology necessary to participate is rapidly becoming cheaper and more available. This greater accessibility is continuing to bring fascinatingly diverse examples of online dorky dancing. Finally, the thesis explores the points of intersection between Internet dorky dancing and other arenas that it is permeating—the live concert dance stage, the cinema house, the video art realm, and the commercial world of advertisements and sponsorship.
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Date Issued
2007
Identifier
FSU_migr_etd-0871
Format
Thesis
Eiko and Koma
Title
Eiko and Koma: Dance Philosophy and Aesthetic.
Creator
Letton, Shoko Yamahata, Sommer, Sally R., Young, Tricia H., Perpener, John O., School of Dance, Florida State University
Abstract/Description
This thesis examines the evolution of dance works by two Japanese-American choreographers, Eiko and Koma. Growing up in the politically turbulent 1960s in Japan, their entrance into the world of dance was motivated by philosophical inquiry into Japanese society. Briefly trained under early Butoh pioneers in Japan, they traveled from Japan to Europe, and eventually came to the U.S. Their dance career began in the early 1970s and continues to this day. Using Janet Wolff's concept of art as an...
Show moreThis thesis examines the evolution of dance works by two Japanese-American choreographers, Eiko and Koma. Growing up in the politically turbulent 1960s in Japan, their entrance into the world of dance was motivated by philosophical inquiry into Japanese society. Briefly trained under early Butoh pioneers in Japan, they traveled from Japan to Europe, and eventually came to the U.S. Their dance career began in the early 1970s and continues to this day. Using Janet Wolff's concept of art as an expression of artist's Lebenswelt, this thesis defines Eiko and Koma's dance works as a comprehensive expression. Lebenswelt is not limited to representation of particular life experiences. Instead the artists' participation in different social contexts shapes the subjective meanings of the art they create. I chose five works, White Dance: Moth, Grain, Lament, Land, and Cambodian Stories as the signature representations of different phases in their career. These five works reveal common threads which both represent Eiko and Koma's aesthetics as well as encapsulate their philosophy towards dance and, on the greater scale, towards life. This thesis serves as one of the first scholarly research papers focusing on Eiko and Koma and their dance forms. It is the hope of this author that the thesis provides the groundwork from which other scholarly research is conducted.
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Date Issued
2009
Identifier
FSU_migr_etd-3110
Format
Thesis
Embodying the Italian-American
Title
Embodying the Italian-American: An Analytical Look at Bodily Performances of Italian-Americans in Film.
Creator
Bozzone, Daniella N., Young, Tricia Henry, Perpener, John O., Sommer, Sally, School of Dance, Florida State University
Abstract/Description
This study provides an analytical exploration of the embodied performance of Italian-American ethnicity in film. The analyzed performances are taken from The Godfather trilogy, Moonstruck, and Saturday Night Fever. These films provide a wide range of characters expertly portrayed by the actors and directors. The purpose of this study is to illuminate the inherent presence of dance and movement in expressing ethnicity in filmic performances. This project utilizes movement analysis, cultural...
Show moreThis study provides an analytical exploration of the embodied performance of Italian-American ethnicity in film. The analyzed performances are taken from The Godfather trilogy, Moonstruck, and Saturday Night Fever. These films provide a wide range of characters expertly portrayed by the actors and directors. The purpose of this study is to illuminate the inherent presence of dance and movement in expressing ethnicity in filmic performances. This project utilizes movement analysis, cultural studies, gender studies and ethnicity studies to address the importance of the performer's body in expressing character, gender and ethnicity. American folklore or mythology is largely created by the medium of film and many of these mythological characters are part of the hyphenated ethnicities that form our culture. The seminal performances found in The Godfather trilogy, Moonstruck, and Saturday Night Fever brought several Italian-American character types to mythological proportions. The movement of these character types as individuals and in ensembles, as well as the films' mise en scene forms the primary focus of this analysis. This project also allies the inherently intertwined relationship between acting and dancing. Analyzing these performances as choreographic as well as dramatic broadens the scope of dance studies to include other bodily performances. A brief introduction and outline of this study begins the text of this thesis. This introduction elucidates the dance perspective given to the filmic analysis. The first chapter provides a brief history of Italians in America in the twentieth century. The following chapters contain an overview of the character types to be discussed, movement analysis of these characters as individuals, ensemble movement and the narrative venues for these portrayals of ethnicity. Finally a concluding chapter will tie together the overarching ideas of this project and consider future possibilities for this approach to performance studies.
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Date Issued
2004
Identifier
FSU_migr_etd-3425
Format
Thesis
In God's Presence
Title
In God's Presence: Conquering Addiction Through Dance.
Creator
Delancy, Elizabeth, Perpener, John O., Jumonville, Neil, Cloonan, William, Fichter, Nancy Smith, Young, Tricia Henry, Program in Interdisciplinary Humanities, Florida State...
Show moreDelancy, Elizabeth, Perpener, John O., Jumonville, Neil, Cloonan, William, Fichter, Nancy Smith, Young, Tricia Henry, Program in Interdisciplinary Humanities, Florida State University
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Abstract/Description
The purpose of this paper is to provide an historical examination of founder/director Alexia Jones' use of Christian-based dance as a treatment for substance addiction through the Beracha Dance Institute. This study analyzes how Jones' integrative process intuitively drew on the similar techniques and methodologies of clinical dance therapy and those of faith-based dance ministries. Jones' work combined the transformative and restorative properties of both of these applications of dance. In...
Show moreThe purpose of this paper is to provide an historical examination of founder/director Alexia Jones' use of Christian-based dance as a treatment for substance addiction through the Beracha Dance Institute. This study analyzes how Jones' integrative process intuitively drew on the similar techniques and methodologies of clinical dance therapy and those of faith-based dance ministries. Jones' work combined the transformative and restorative properties of both of these applications of dance. In addition, Jones' work, and the sources it drew on, echo the healing dance rituals that have been used in traditional societies throughout the ages. Consequently, an historical analysis of her work necessitates looking at the foundations of, and analogies between, the clinically therapeutic application of dance and the spiritually therapeutic application of dance, as well as their historical precedents.
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Date Issued
2007
Identifier
FSU_migr_etd-0779
Format
Thesis
Setting the Stage
Title
Setting the Stage: Dance and Gender in Old-Line New Orleans Carnival Balls, 1870-1920.
Creator
Atkins, Jennifer, Sinke, Suzanne, Perpener, John O., Hadden, Sally, Conner, V.J., Young, Tricia, Department of History, Florida State University
Abstract/Description
Mardi Gras Carnival balls are traditional New Orleans events when krewe organizations present their seasonal mock monarchs. Traditionally, these ballroom spectacles included tableaux vivants performances, the grand march and promenade of the season's royal court, special dances with masked krewemen, and general ballroom dancing. These events reinforced generational ties through the display of social power in a place where women were crystallized into perfect images of Southern beauty. Since...
Show moreMardi Gras Carnival balls are traditional New Orleans events when krewe organizations present their seasonal mock monarchs. Traditionally, these ballroom spectacles included tableaux vivants performances, the grand march and promenade of the season's royal court, special dances with masked krewemen, and general ballroom dancing. These events reinforced generational ties through the display of social power in a place where women were crystallized into perfect images of Southern beauty. Since the mid nineteenth century, old-line krewes (the oldest, most elite Carnival organizations) have cultivated patriarchal traditions in their ball presentations and have acted as historical vehicles of commentary on personal and social identity. The manner in which krewe members used their bodies to proclaim their royalty, to promenade, or to dance, all signified individual social roles and represented the evolving mores of their connected group. Likewise, masked courtiers and fashionable guests used their bodies in ballroom dancing to uphold or refute acceptable standards of male and female behavior. From 1870 to 1920, old-line krewes dominated the private terrain of New Orleans Mardi Gras. Through their steadfast commitment to performing white elitism, traditional krewes set the stage for the gender battles of the twentieth century, when female, black, and gay bodies, within newly formed krewes, used dance in their own carnival balls to define modern and diverse sexual, personal, and communal identities.
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Date Issued
2008
Identifier
FSU_migr_etd-0806
Format
Thesis
Step in Time
Title
Step in Time: The Ritual Function of Social Dance and Military Drill in George Washtington's Continental Army.
Creator
Andrews, Melissa D., Young, Tricia, Sommer, Sally, Perpener, John O., School of Dance, Florida State University
Abstract/Description
This thesis will describe, analyze and compare the functions of social dance and military drill among American soldiers during the Revolutionary War. These movement forms, though performed in different contexts, both contributed to the creation of communitas in the army, which was vital to its success. Specifically, collective movement, whether on the training field or ballroom floor, served as a vehicle by which Americans negotiated the transitional phase into a new nation. The Revolutionary...
Show moreThis thesis will describe, analyze and compare the functions of social dance and military drill among American soldiers during the Revolutionary War. These movement forms, though performed in different contexts, both contributed to the creation of communitas in the army, which was vital to its success. Specifically, collective movement, whether on the training field or ballroom floor, served as a vehicle by which Americans negotiated the transitional phase into a new nation. The Revolutionary War can be read as a rite of passage; social dance and military drill were literally embodied ritual enactments of solidarity and community. Social dance and military drill will be compared in relationship to their European roots, with particular emphasis on their role in social class structure, movement style and vocabulary.
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Date Issued
2006
Identifier
FSU_migr_etd-0203
Format
Thesis
Working Women and Dance in Progressive Era New York City, 1890-1920
Title
Working Women and Dance in Progressive Era New York City, 1890-1920.
Creator
Bishop, Jennifer L., Jumonville, Neil, Perpener, John O., School of Dance, Florida State University
Abstract/Description
This study provides a historical examination of working women's relationship with social and theatrical dance in New York City during the Progressive Era. These years, between 1890 and 1920, were seminal in bringing America into the modern age, as well as providing a unique framework for women's activism against restrictive sociopolitical roles. The purpose of this thesis is to illuminate the relationship between New York City working class women, dance, and intellectual ideas in an attempt...
Show moreThis study provides a historical examination of working women's relationship with social and theatrical dance in New York City during the Progressive Era. These years, between 1890 and 1920, were seminal in bringing America into the modern age, as well as providing a unique framework for women's activism against restrictive sociopolitical roles. The purpose of this thesis is to illuminate the relationship between New York City working class women, dance, and intellectual ideas in an attempt to broaden the scope of both dance studies and history. By utilizing historiography, women's studies, cultural studies, and movement analysis, this project addresses the shift of women (from Victorian to Modern) through the lens of dance. Social dancing, especially in dance halls, was an outlet for working class experimentation with new attitudes of social and financial independence, as well as in defining a more liberal attitude of sexuality. Likewise, the chorus girls of Ziegfeld's Follies used a theatrical medium in which to explore new identities of independence and sexuality. These high-grade chorines epitomized the working girl dream--they earned their own money while gallivanting through elite social circles. Throughout these two spheres--social or theatrical--the social and sexual transformation of women was underscored through ideas of conspicuous consumption and ethics of leisure.
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Date Issued
2003
Identifier
FSU_migr_etd-3731
Format
Thesis