Balanchine-American dance forms which influenced

[silvy]

Hi

I am preparing a lecture on Balanchine, and I have read at the NYCB webpage that he "was influenced by American dance forms" (I am quoting from memory, so these might not be the exact words). Now I can only recall jazz as an American dance form that influenced him.

Is anyone able to tell me if there are other dance forms that may have influenced him, and, if so, which they are?

This will be much useful for my lecture

Thanks so much

Silvy

[carbro]

Balanchine freely used social dance forms, too. Examples are found in his "vernacular ballets": Western Symphony, Who Cares? (most clearly in the five soloist pas de deux), and while not quotations, vaguer allusions in Square Dance.

Le Tombeau de Couperin, a less well known work (sadly, because I think it is a wonderful piece ) is based on folk and social forms of many cultures. In addition to minuet and Greek folk motifs, it includes American dances (jitterbug quite prominently). I wish I could direct you to a video of it, but to my knowledge, there is none.

I look forward to reading a summary of your lecture once you've given it, Silvy, and let us know how it went.

[Ari]

Balanchine was also a great admirer of Fred Astaire, both as a dancer and choreographer. He was probably Balanchine's favorite American male dancer.

[carbro]

The Hoofer in Slaughter on Tenth Avenue has an extended tap solo which is indispensible to the plot.

[sandik]

The Hoofer in Slaughter on Tenth Avenue has an extended tap solo which is indispensible to the plot.

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The dance historian Brenda Dixon Gottschild has written several times about the general African American influence in Balanchine's work, anatomical and rhythmic. She grounds this in his early exposure to musical theater performance circa Cabin in the Sky, where he learned a great deal from Katherine Dunham.

The Black Dancing Body : A Geography from Coon to Cool, 2003

Digging the Africanist Presence in American Performance: Dance and Other Contexts. 1996

[vrsfanatic]

Balanchine freely used social dance forms, too. Examples are found in his "vernacular ballets": Western Symphony, Who Cares? (most clearly in the five soloist pas de deux), and while not quotations, vaguer allusions in Square Dance.

Don't forget the 3rd movement of Symphony in C, demi soloists. It has been years since I performed it or have even seen it, but I do remember being taught in the middle section that Balanchine had taken the form from American square dances. I remember forming a bridge with my partner and the other couple ran under our arms. Oh my! It has been too many years.

[Mel Johnson]

I would point you to the writings of Edwin Denby, the critic, who in his book, Dancers, Buildings, and People in the Street, famously claimed that a late-60s Balanchine choreography was "based on the frug". For some reason, NYCB found this phrase irresistible and quoted it repeatedly for several years. Denby also drew parallels to other forms throughout his dance writings, so I think you should read as much of his writing as possible in order to prepare for this lecture.

[Jack Reed]

Right on, Mel!

FWIW, the passage is in Denby's 1965 article on Don Quixote: Describing the five-movement divertissement in the throne room of the Duke's palace, Denby writes, "Some demi-caractere steps..., extremely virtuoso, are based on the frug in the same sense that the Fairy variations of Petipa are based on the can-can." The article appears in Dance Writings on p. 487; originally it appeared in the July 1965 Dance magazine.

Regarding Fred Astaire, Balanchine was twice asked, with some hostility I think, who his favorite male dancer was. I infer the hostility because Nureyev and Baryshnikov, respectively, were dancing for ABT at those times and packing the houses, and the questioners wanted to put Balanchine on the spot by making him name one of these stars of the competition's company. Ha! Not so easy! Each time, he replied, without hesitation, "Fred Astaire."

I, too, would be glad to read a summary of your lecture, silvy.

[Mel Johnson]

Oh, Jack, that story was going around even before Nureyev defected. I believe that it started sometime around 1958 and the rise of Edward Villella. He was being compared to Eglevsky and d'Amboise and each had his partisans.