80 momentous dance moments.Dance Magazine began publication in 1927, the year that Isadora Duncan died and two years before Serge Diaghilev died. The end of one era opened doors to another that branched out in many directions. We've Seen the rise of modern dance and the founding of major American ballet companies and institutions. We've gone from Martha Graham and Katherine Dunham to Mark Morris and Twyla Tharp, from George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins to Christopher Wheeldon and Savion Glover. We've seen blends of social and classical dance and various cultural fusions. Of course there have been thousands of great moments in the last 80 years all over the world, but we have chosen to focus mainly on dance here in the United States. Lose yourself in our salute to dance history and enjoy this photographic journey back in time. 1927 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1928 La Argentina (Antonia Merce) and her Spanish dance company make a triumphant tour of the U.S. 1928 George Balanchine choreographs Apollo, often called the first neoclassical ballet, with music by Stravinsky, for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] 1930 Mary Wigman, the German pioneer of Ausdruckstanz, makes her first American tour. 1931 Ninette de Valois Dame Ninette de Valois, OM, CH, DBE (June 6, 1898 – March 8, 2001) was the founder of London's renowned Royal Ballet. Born Edris Stannus in Baltiboys, County Wicklow, Ireland, Stannus began dancing in 1908 at age ten, and became noticed throughout England because of starts the VicWells Ballet, later The Royal Ballet. 1931 Hemsley Winfield and Edna Guy present "The First Negro Dance Recital in America" in NYC NYC abbr. New York City NYC New York City . [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1931 Martha Graham premieres Primitive Mysteries, an austere masterpiece, in NYC. 1932 The New Dance Group is founded as a cooperative by left-leaning dancers, later becoming a training ground for modern dance. 1932 Kurt Jooss' ballet The Green Table premieres in Paris, showing the brutality of war and the perfidy of its planners. 1933 Colonel de Basil's Ballets Russes makes its American debut in NYC, including in its repertoire Leonide Massine's first "symphonic ballet," Les Presages. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1933 Ted Shawn founds Jacob's Pillow and starts touring with his Men Dancers, winning respect for male dancers. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1933 Busby Berkeley directs and choreographs Gold Diggers of 1933, marking the beginning of his greatest period of innovation. 1933 San Francisco Ballet San Francisco Ballet, or SFB, is a San Francisco, USA based ballet company, founded in 1933 as part of San Francisco Opera Ballet. The company is currently based in the War Memorial Opera House, where it is directed by Helgi Tomasson. , the first major ballet company in the U.S., is founded by Adolph Bolm. It was directed for many years by Lew Christensen, and has continued to thrive under Helgi Tomasson since 1985. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1934 Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein open the School of American Ballet The School of American Ballet is located in New York City, in Lincoln Center. It is considered one of the most prestigious and notable ballet schools in the United States and teaches some of the most talented young dancers in the country. in NYC. Balanchine choreographs Serenade serenade [Ital. sera=evening], term used to designate several types of musical composition. Opera and song literature yield numerous examples of the serenade sung or played by a lover at night beneath his beloved's window; outstanding is for students of the school. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1934 Bennington School of the Dance holds its first summer session and commissions works by Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman, and Hanya Holm (whose Trend is above). It was the precursor to the American Dance Festival The American Dance Festival is a six-week summer festival of modern dance performances, and a school for dance currently held at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. . [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1935-36 At the pinnacle of their partnership, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers star in Top Hat and Swing Time (above). 1935-38 Shirley Temple and Bill "Bojangles" Robinson star in movies like the Little Colonel, The Littlest Rebel, and Rebecca of Sunnybraak Farm, popularizing tap dance. 1936 After taking Paris by storm, Josephine Baker returns to the U.S. and appears in the 1936 edition of Ziegfeld Follies. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1936 Balanchine choreographs his first Broadway show, On Your Toes. 1936 Lincoln Kirstein founds Ballet Caravan, commissioning American works like Eugene Loring's Billy the Kid (1938) and Filling Station (1937) by Lew Christensen. 1936 Colonel de Basil's Ballets Russes presents the American premiere of Bronislava Nijinska's stirring Les Naces. 1936 Doris Humphrey choreographs the epic New Dance Trilogy, portraying the individual in society, at Bennington College. 1940 Ballet Theatre (later known as American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre, one of the foremost international dance companies of the 20th cent. It was founded in 1937 as the Mordkin Ballet and reorganized as the Ballet Theatre in 1940 under the direction of Lucia Chase and Rich Pleasant. ) has its debut season in NYC, with works by Fokine, Loring, Mordkin, Tudor, Dolin, and Nijinska, as well as Giselle and Swan Lake (Act II). 1942 Antony Tudor choreographs Pillar of Fire, a psychological drama of repression and desire, for Ballet Theatre. 1943 Pearl Primus creates her anti-lynching solo, Strange Fruit, based on the poem by Lewis Allan. 1943 Oklahoma:, with choreography by Agnes de Mille Noun 1. Agnes de Mille - United States dancer and choreographer who introduced formal dance to a wide audience (1905-1993) Agnes George de Mille, de Mille , opens on Broadway, fully integrating dance as an element in the story. 1943 Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Katherine Dunham, and the Nicholas Brothers are featured in the Hollywood film Stormy Weather. 1944 Jerome Robbins choreographs his first ballet, the exuberant Fancy Free, for Ballet Theatre, with music by Leonard Bernstein. 1944 Martha Graham choreographs a signature work, Appalachian Spring, to a commissioned score by Aaron Copland. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1944 Willam Christensen premieres The Nutcracker at San Francisco Ballet, the first complete version staged in the U.S. 1945 Katherine Dunham opens a school in NYC. Her wildly popular company, which is the first to put African-based dances on the stage, tours 57 countries between 1943 and 1965. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] 1948 Balanchine's company gives its first performance as New York City Ballet New York City Ballet, one of the foremost American dance companies of the 20th cent. It was founded by Lincoln Kirstein and George Balanchine as the Ballet Society in 1946. . Maria Tallchief achieves international stardom in ballets such as Firebird. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1948 Ballet Alicia Alonso is founded in Cuba. In 1960, after Castro takes power, the beloved company is renamed Ballet Nacional de Cuba National Ballet of Cuba (Ballet Nacional de Cuba), is managed by Cuban prima ballerina assoluta Alicia Alonso and is one of the top ballet companies in the world. The artistic standards and technical severity of the dancers and the wide diversity in the aesthetic . 1948 The Red Shoes is released. The film, starring English ballerina Moira Shearer and choreographer Leonide Massine, influences a generation of young girls to study ballet. 1949 Jose Limon's The Moor's Pavane pavane Stately court dance introduced from southern Europe into England in the 16th century. The dance, consisting of forward and backward steps to music in duple time, was originally used to open ceremonial balls; later its steps became livelier and it came to be paired , based on Shakespeare's Othello, premieres. It remains a masterpiece of modern dance. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1949 England's Royal Ballet makes its American debut, with a radiant Margot Fonteyn as Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty Sleeping Beauty sleeps for 100 years. [Fr. Fairy Tale, The Sleeping Beauty] See : Enchantment Sleeping Beauty enchanted heroine awakened from century of slumber by prince’s kiss. . 1952 Gene Kelly stars with Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds in Singin' in the Rain Singin’ in the Rain downpour doesn’t dampen singer’s spirits. [Pop. Music: Fordin, 355] See : Cheerfulness , which he also choreographs. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] 1953 Alwin Nikolais choreographs Masks, Props, and Mobiles, including the section "Tensile Involvement," an early example of multimedia. 1955 Anna Sokolow choreographs Rooms, about urban loneliness and isolation. 1955 Arthur Mitchell joins New York City Ballet, becoming the first African American African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. to dance for a major ballet company. 1956 Russia's Bolshoi Ballet makes its Western debut in London, with a lyrical Galina Ulanova starring in Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet star-crossed lovers die as teenagers. [Br. Lit.: Romeo and Juliet] See : Death, Premature Romeo and Juliet archetypal star-crossed lovers. [Br. Lit. . [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1957 West Side Story, conceived, directed, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins and starring Chita Rivera as Anita, opens on Broadway. 1957 Balanchine creates Agon to Stravinsky's music. With its unadorned look and bold partnering, it becomes the prototype of the "leotard ballet." [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] 1959 Donald McKayle choreographs Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder about the trials and fantasies of men on a chain gang. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1959 The Bolshoi Ballet makes its American debut, and Maya Plisetskaya astonishes audiences with her fiery, space-devouring dancing. 1960 Frederick Ashton's masterpiece, La Fille Mal Gardee, a charming homage to bucolic young love, premieres at The Royal Ballet. 1960 Alvin Alley choreographs the uplifting Revelations to gospel and spiritual music. It becomes the most popular modern dance piece of all time. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1961 Rudolf Nureyev defects from Leningrad's Kirov Ballet in Paris and soon forms a partnership with Margot Fonteyn. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] 1962 Judson Dance Theater Judson Dance Theater located at the Judson Memorial Church, New York the group of artists that formed Judson Dance Theater are considered the founders of Postmodern dance. The theater grew out of a dance composition class taught by Robert Dunn, a musician who had studied with John gives its first concerts, ushering in pedestrian movement, postmodern dance, and some aspects of performance art. 1962 Paul Taylor debuts his masterpiece Aureole aureole, in physics aureole (ôr`ēōl'), in physics, luminous circle seen when the sun or other bright light is observed through a diffuse medium, i.e., smoke, thin cloud, fog, haze, or mist. , a shimmering shim·mer intr.v. shim·mered, shim·mer·ing, shim·mers 1. To shine with a subdued flickering light. See Synonyms at flash. 2. tribute to human beauty and kinetic power, set to Baroque music. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1964 In Brussels Maurice Bejart choreographs Neuvieme Symphonie, a ballet spectacular with 80 dancers representing the nations of the world, to Beethoven's monumental symphony. 1964 The world tour of Merce Cunningham Dance Company, with John Cage as music director and Robert Rauschenberg as design director, establishes Cunningham as a major choreographer. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1965-67 Anna Halprin creates Parades and Changes, a dance of slow-motion task-like ritual that includes nudity and improvisation. 1967 Balanchine choreographs his evening-length plotless ballet, the sparkling Jewels. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1967 Robert Joffrey creates Astarte, an erotic duet in a psychedelic environment to rock music. A controversial ballet of the "hippie era," it lands on the cover of Time magazine in 1969. 1969 Robbins choreographs his masterpiece Dances at a Gathering to Chopin for New York City Ballet. Expressive of relationships within a community, the ballet has great human resonance. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1971 Dance Theatre of Harlem Dance Theatre of Harlem, the first black classical ballet company. The group was founded in Harlem, New York City, by Arthur Mitchell, then of the New York City Ballet, the first black principal dancer of a classical company of international standing. makes its official debut at New York's Guggenheim Museum, giving opportunities to black ballet dancers and choreographers. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1971 Inspired by their choreography teacher Alison Chase, four Dartmouth College students (Jonathan Wolken, Robby Barnett, Lee Harris, and Moses Pendleton) start a quirky, daredevil collective called Pilobolus. (Later, Pendleton would break away to form MOMIX). 1972 Steve Paxton initiates contact improvisation at Oberlin College, where it develops with Nancy Stark Smith Nancy Stark Smith is a dancer and founding participant in contact improvisation. Initially trained as an athlete and gymnast, she studied and performed in modern dance and postmodern dance shows in the early 1970s. . 1973 Twyla Tharp choreographs the groundbreaking Deuce Coupe for the Joffrey Ballet, using Beach Boys songs and combining her own company of modern dancers with the Joffrey onstage. 1974 Mikhail Baryshnikov defects from the Kirov Ballet, forms a partnership with Gelsey Kirkland, and eventually dances for every major choreographer. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] 1975 Chicago, choreographed by Bob Fosse and starring Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera, opens on Broadway. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1975 Michael Bennett's A Chorus Line, a musical about the lives of "gypsy" dancers, opens on Broadway. 1976 Eiko & Koma bring White Dance to NYC's Japan Society, embarking on a profound and unique partnership influenced by butoh Butoh (舞踏 butō) . 1977 Chuck Davis launches DanceAfrica at Brooklyn Academy of Music Brooklyn Academy of Music, performing arts center located in the borough of Brooklyn, N.Y. and popularly known as BAM. Founded in 1859 and opened in 1861, it is the oldest such institution still in operation in the United States. , a yearly celebration of heritage and community centered on the diverse dance forms of the African diaspora. 1978 John Travolta stars in Saturday Night Fever, which causes a disco craze. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1983 Trisha Brown presents the unpredictable and exhilarating Set and Reset, with a score by Laurie Anderson and designs by Robert Rauschenberg, at Brooklyn Academy of Music's Next Wave festival. 1983 Rudolf Nureyev becomes artistic director of the Paris Opera Ballet The Paris Opéra Ballet is the official ballet company of the Opéra national de Paris, otherwise known as the Palais Garnier, though known more popularly simply as the Paris Opéra. . [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1984 Pina Bausch's Tanztheater Wuppertal makes its American debut at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. 1986 Twyla Tharp's In the Upper Room, set to music by Philip Glass, combines heady momentum, wit, and spirituality. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] 1987 Millicent Hodson reconstructs Nijinsky's choreography for Stravinsky's Rite of Spring for the Joffrey Ballet, retaining at least some of the primitivism primitivism, in art, the style of works of self-trained artists who develop their talents in a fanciful and fresh manner, as in the paintings of Henri Rousseau and Grandma Moses. of the original riot-causing ballet of 1912. 1988 William Forsythe choreographs In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated for the Paris Opera Ballet. He also brings his Ballett Frankfurt to the U.S., performing an astounding a·stound tr.v. a·stound·ed, a·stound·ing, a·stounds To astonish and bewilder. See Synonyms at surprise. [From Middle English astoned, past participle of astonen, streak of experimental ballet. 1988 Mark Morris choreographs his first full-length work, the luscious L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato (HWV 55) is a pastoral ode by George Frideric Handel based on the poetry of John Milton. L'Allegro was composed in the winter of 1740 and premiered on the 27th of February at the Royal Theatre of Licoln's Inn Fields. . [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1991 Dancers Responding to AIDS, an organization that raises money for performers with AIDS, is founded by dancers Denise Roberts Hurlin and Hernando Cortez. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1994 Bill T. Jones' Still/Here, partially created in workshops with terminally ill Terminally Ill When a person is not expected to live more than 12 months. Notes: Any gifts given out by the afflicted person at this time may be considered as a dispersion of the estate rather than a gift. people, triggers controversy about "victim art." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1995 Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake is a ballet that was first staged at Sadler's Wells theatre in London in 1995. The longest running ballet in London's West End and on Broadway, it has enjoyed two successful tours in the U.K. , with a menacing all-male swan corps, premieres in London and later becomes the only ballet to have a long run on Broadway. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1996 Michael Flatley's Riverdance opens at Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall New York City’s famous cinema; home of the Rockettes. [Am. Hist.: NCE, 2338] See : Theater , bringing Irish step dancing into the mainstream. 1996 Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk is a musical that debuted Off-Broadway at the New York Shakespeare Festival/Public Theater in 1996. It moved to the Ambassador Theatre on Broadway, opening there on April 25, 1996. , a history of tap, co-created by and starring Savion Glover, opens on Broadway. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2002 Twyla Tharp's popular musical Movin' Out, set to Billy Joel's songs and packed with terrific dancing, premieres on Broadway. 2005 So You Think You Can Dance There are several local versions of the reality television show So You Think You Can Dance:
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2007 Christopher Wheeldon launches his own troupe, Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company. DANCERS on DANCE MAGAZINE To read what some of your favorite dancers have said about Dance Magazine, follow along the bottom of each page in our special 80th anniversary section. "Dance Magazine is my language. It's our link to our world. It's been vital for me, and it's vital for young dancers--not just for their future but about their lives, because dance has everything to do with your entire being."--CHITA RIVERA, dancer/actress/singer On DM "Dance Magazine isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. I go through every issue. Between articles about taking care of yourself, improving your technique, and advice from famous dancers, it's a huge help. As far as I'm concerned, it's number one."--MAXIM BELOSERKOVSKY, principal dancer, ABT ABT About ABT Abteilung (German: Department) ABT Abbott Laboratories (stock symbol) ABT American Ballet Theatre ABT Associação Brasileira de Telemarketing ABT Abort ABT Availability Based Tariff On DM "As a kid in Seattle in the '60s, the arrival of Dance Magazine created excitement in our household. The articles and photographs fueled my desire to become a professional dancer and choreographer."--WILLIAM WHITENER whit·en tr. & intr.v. whit·ened, whit·en·ing, whit·ens To make or become white or whiter, especially by bleaching. whit , artistic director, Kansas City Ballet "My folks could not afford any subscription magazines, so I would get to dance class early so I could joyously pour over the articles and pictures before anyone else arrived. Dance Magazine has been a mainstay in the many chapters of my life."--SUSAN STROMAN, choreographer/director On DM "Growing up, I saved so many of my Dance Magazines. It has really evolved. It's huge! It has answers to some tough questions, especially for young dancers."--LAUREN ANDERSON, outreach associate, Houston Ballet On DM "I've been reading Dance Magazine since I was 12 My mother wanted me to be inspired and to think about the future. I didn't just want to do ballet or modern--I wanted to do it all. Dance Magazine helped me grow as a versatile artist."--DESMOND RICHARDSON, co-director, Complexions On DM "When I was 11, Fernando Bujones, "Superman of American Dance," was on the cover and I remember the picture clearly to this day. It was the first of many inspirations I've had from Dance Magazine. Happy 80th Birthday to the dancer's magazine!"--DAMIAN WOETZEL, principal, NYCB NYCB New York City Ballet NYCB New York Community Bank COMPILED BY WENDY PERRON Per´ron n. 1. (Arch.) An out-of-door flight of steps, as in a garden, leading to a terrace or to an upper story; - usually applied to mediævel or later structures of some architectural pretensions. AND EMILY MACEL with input from Lynn Garafola, Clive Barnes, and Elizabeth Kendall. |
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