"Cool" from West Side Story

choreographed by Jerome Robbins

Excuse the subtitles, but this is the only copy I could find on Youtube where the music and the movement were in synch. Kinda important for us,

Unit 4 & Unit 2

The criteria that is BOTH Unit 4 and Unit 2 is in red.

Criteria that is only Unit 4 is black.

Criteria that is only Unit 2 is blue

Unit 4

You need to be analysing the dance design, spatial organisation and group structures (and groupings)used; and the cultural influences on, this work.


Unit 2

You are analysing the 1930's influence on the movement vocabulary and form of West Side Story. You must be able to see how other choreographers have influenced the style of the movement. How has Jerome Robbins used the elements of movement to express the intention of the work in 1961.

Dance Design

  • Expressive Intention (of West Side and Cool)

  • Form

  • Movement Vocabulary


Elements of Movement

  • Time

  • Space

  • Energy

Spatial Organisation

  • Direction

  • Level

  • Focus

  • Dimension

Group Structures

  • Canon

  • Unison

  • Contrast

Groupings

  • Symmetry

  • Asymmetry


Cultural Influences on Dance Design and Production Elements

Tagging Social, Historical, Artistic, Political, Environmental, Religious, Economic influences to ALL of your findings.

Expressive Intention

  • Romeo and Juliet story

  • Youth gang culture in the 1950's in America

  • Immigration of Puerto Rican's into New York, what impact did that have on the American people at the time?

Form

ABC narrative form for 'Cool', with 3 sections, Begining/Dev/Res. It is also a dance number that exists within the whole narrative musical form.

  • Beginning: from car lights turning on.

  • Development: begins after A-Rab's big "POW!" and the link is his movement that leads to the trio of girls.

  • Resolution: link is as they all come together in a small circle around Action.


Movement Vocabulary

Jerome Robbins


ONCE asked about the impetus for “Fancy Free” (1944), the first ballet he choreographed, Jerome Robbins said he felt compelled to create something different. “I thought, ‘Why can’t we dance about American subjects?’ ” he said. “Why can’t we talk about the way we dance today, and how we are?”

Research the influences on Jerome Robbin's training, who were his teachers, mentors, directors, choreographers? What motivated him to dance? He changed the face of dance in contemporary musical choreography as we know it. What made him create?

The place to start researching for both Yr 11's and 12's is to research both Jerome Robbins and George Ballanchine.

Here are some useful links

http://jeromerobbins.org/about

http://www.nycballet.com/company/history/robbins.html

http://www.nycballet.com/visitors/robbinstimeline.html This one is good as it has a timeline.

George Ballanchine


http://www.balanchine.org/balanchine/01/bio.html