General
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Dance: Topic PageThe art of precise, expressive, and graceful human movement, traditionally, but not necessarily, performed in accord with musical accompaniment.
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ChoreographyFrom The Macmillan Encyclopedia
The art of composing ballet and other theatrical dances. Choreography originally referred only to a dance notation, the lack of which has made precise reconstruction of many ballets difficult. -
Ghost Dance: Topic PageAmerican Indian religious revivalist movement that spread through the Plains Indians and other ethnic groups in the 1890s.
Modern Dance
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Rudolf Von Laban (1879-1958)From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather guide
Hungarian dance theoretician. He is known as the leader of modern dance theory. He invented Labanotation, an accurate, detailed system of recording steps and movements. -
Martha Graham (1894-1991): Topic PageOpposed to traditional ballet with its graceful movements, Martha Graham exerted a major influence on the evolution of modern dance by inventing intense, angular movements that seemed to give overt form to the emotions.
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Modern Dance: Topic PageSerious theatrical dance forms that are distinct from both ballet and the show dancing of the musical comedy or variety stage.
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Pearl Primus (1919-1994): Topic PageUS dancer, choreographer, and dance teacher who pioneered an awareness and understanding of the African-American tradition in dance.
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Isadora Duncan (1877-1927): Topic PageDancer, born in San Francisco, California, USA. Disliking traditional dances, in 1898 she began to perform her own free-style of dancing.
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Katherine Dunham (1909-2006): Topic Page
Although Dunham is most widely known for her dancing, her direction of her dance troupe, and her choreography, she is well regarded in scholarly circles for her anthropological study of dance.
Tap and Jazz
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Fred Astaire (1899-1987): Topic PageDancer, singer, choreographer, and actor, born in Omaha, Nebraska, USA
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Loie Fuller (1862-1928): Topic PageDancer, choreographer, and stage lighting innovator, born in Fullersburg, Illinois, USA.
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Gene Kelly (1912-1996)From The Faber Companion to 20th Century Popular Music
Forever associated with the title song of Singin' in the Rain (1952), in which he did just that with marvellous aplomb, actor, dancer, singer, choreographer and director Kelly was, with Fred Astaire (whom he partnered in Ziegfeld Follies, 1946), the most inventive musical star to make his mark in Hollywood. -
Michael Kidd (1915-2007): Topic PageChoreographer, dancer, and producer-director, born in New York City, New York, USA.
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Jerome Robbins (1918-1998): Topic PageAmerican choreographer and dancer. Robbins began his career dancing in musicals (1937).
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Ginger Rogers (1911-1955): Topic PageUS actor, dancer, and singer. She worked from the 1930s to the 1950s, often starring with Fred Astaire in such films as Top Hat (1935) and Swing Time (1936)
Ballet
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Ballet: Topic Page[Ital. ballare=to dance], classic, formalized solo or ensemble dancing of a highly controlled, dramatic nature performed to music.
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Bolshoi Ballet: Topic PageRussian ballet company founded in 1776 and based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. With their mixed repertory of classics and new works, the Bolshoi is noted for its grand scale productions and the dancers' dramatic and eloquent technique.
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George Balanchine (1904-1983): Topic PageAmerican choreographer and ballet dancer, b. St. Petersburg, Russia, as Georgi Balanchivadze.
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Lincoln Kirstein (1907-1996): Topic PageAmerican dance and theater executive and writer, born in Rochester, N.Y.
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Royal Ballet: Topic PageLeading British ballet company and school, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London. Until 1956 it was known as the Sadler's Wells Ballet.
