The beginnings of dance as a form of cultural expression in America in the 17th, 18th, and first half of the 19th centuries Cover Image

Началото на танца като форма на културно изра зяване в Америка през ХVІІ, ХVІІІ и първата половина от ХІХ век
The beginnings of dance as a form of cultural expression in America in the 17th, 18th, and first half of the 19th centuries

Author(s): Dushanka Ivanova
Subject(s): Theatre, Dance, Performing Arts, Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Music
Published by: Академия за музикално, танцово и изобразително изкуство „Проф. Асен Диамандиев“ – Пловдив
Keywords: Dance; Puritan colonists; French and Italian dancer masters’ influence; Minuet; Cotillion; Quadrile

Summary/Abstract: The art form of dance, which was a centuries-old tradition in European court life, had no breeding ground in the United States. No tradition existed to establish its presence as meaningful in the cultural life of the country. In the 1600s the settlers exerted all their energies merely to sustain life in a rough new land. By the early 1700s 216 colonial cities were growing, and their internal security and prosperity helped to raise people’s expectations of life and their standards of living. When an enthusiasm for theatrical dance did emerge around 1790, it began with performances that included a variety of movements ranging from acrobatics, pantomimes, and imported ballet technique. A number of immigrant French, English, Italian dancing masters arranged the social dancing imparting their knowledge of Minuet, Cotillion, Quadrile, Waltz to more prosperous colonists. During the 19th century in the American ballet there was no continuous development, and no sustained tradition. In America the ballet was entirely left to private initiatives, to enterprising impresarios or theatre owners or to the choreographers and dancers themselves.

  • Issue Year: 2018
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 215-227
  • Page Count: 13
  • Language: Bulgarian
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