Ted Shawn: Fundamentals of Dance

 

 I
 
Unit: Fundamentals of Dance
Theme: Bound and free flow / Mambo
 

II

Introduction 

Ted Shawn was a pioneer of American modern dance. He created the Denishawn School together with his wife Ruth St. Denis. After their separation he created the all-male company Ted Shawn and His Men Dancers. Today, we will explore concepts such as bound and free flow, created by Rudolph Laban, whom Shawn knew about. We are using mambo, a closer rhythm to us in South Florida, to fuse these two concepts, as we dance to the music.

 III

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the application of the idea of "flow" and howit has two elements, bound and free
  • Gain awareness of Ted Shawn's fundamentals of dance
  • Experience Shawn's emphasis on male dance as an affirmation of masculinity
  • Reflect on the work done in class

 

 IV

Main Lesson



  1


Warm Up
Alignment
Stretching 
 

 2

 

Ted Shawn 

Question 1

1. What is Ted Shawn's general view of dance?

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  3
 
READ THE LINK
 
 2. Which are the movements described in the General Stretch Set?


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 4
 
 
 Kinetic Molpai (1935) by Ted Shawn
What do you think is the function of this dance?


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 Question 3

3. Based o the video and the link above, what was the main theme of Shawn's choreography?

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5


Emphasizing its status as productive work for men, the four sections of Labor Symphony display the Men Dancers’ strength, agility, and musculature prominently, exposing the piece as both means and end: it produces both the dance itself and bodies capable of performing it, much as agricultural and manual labor offer both product and a body disciplined to produce it.

Question 4

Which were the 3 main men's traits expressed in Labor Symphony?
 
 6
 
 
Ted Shawn's Choreographic Work


https://danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org/ted-shawns-men-dancers/kinetic-molpai/

https://danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org/ted-shawns-men-dancers/sixth-prelude-well-tempered-clavicord/

https://danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org/ted-shawns-men-dancers/mechanized-labor-from-labor-symphony/

  https://danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org/ted-shawn/nobody-knows-the-trouble-ive-seen/
 
 
7
 
 ESSAY
 
 
 https://danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org/themes-essays/men-in-dance/ted-shawn-defense-male-dancer/
 
 
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V
 
 Activity 1
 
Bound Flow
 
Students  explore movement using the sticks to develop a sense of bound flow. This exercise will inform the type of movement that Ted Shawn demanded from his men dancers.


Bound flow, a concept created by R. Laban, allows for movement in a more controlled way. Bound flow is described as more firm and with boundaries. It's about keeping emotions in and contained. It is the opposite of free flow.
 
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ACTIVITY 2

From the videos above, choose 8 moves and create an 8 moves phrase for your solo.
 
 
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ACTIVITY 3
 
Students learn the mambo steps to embody bound and free flow moves on the music.

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VI

Journaling

 

VII

Glossary

 

VIII

Sources

 

 IX

Students' Work 


X

Make up Students 

RECORD AND POST YOUR MOVEMENT PHRASE ON DISCUSSION BOARD.


 

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