Dance Background Research Articles

Ultrasonography findings and physical examination outcomes in dancers with and without patellofemoral pain

ABSTRACTObjectives: To identify whether a physical examination for patello-femoral pain (PFP) is related to ultrasonography findings at the knee, and to identify possible factors related to PFP in young dancers.Methods: Sixty-seven young female dancers (7th grade, aged 12.8 ± 0.5) from three schools with identical special dance programs were included in the study. All the dancers were interviewed for demographic details, dance background, and training intensity; were evaluated for anthropometric measurements; underwent physical examination of both knees for PFP and for knee range of motion (ROM); and, had ultrasonography assessment for pathologies and of anatomical parts of their knees.Results: PFP was found in 54.5% of the 134 knees physically examined. In ultrasonography assessment, infra-articular effusion was found in 46.2% of the knees examined. H/week of dance practice was significantly higher among dancers with PFP (in both knees) compared with dancers with no PFP (p < .05). Knees with PFP had a significantly higher prevalence of intra articular effusion (p = .018) and higher prevalence of genu-recurvatum (p = .042). Knees with PFP had significantly greater growth plate width-anterior tibial tuberosity (p = .022) and a greater bony trochlear groove angle (p = .048).Conclusion: This study describes the relationship between physical examination for PFP and the sonographic findings, and the factors related to knee injuries. The results showed a high prevalence of PFP and intra articular knee effusion among young dancers at the age of 12–13 years; and, that the number of hours of practice and anatomical structure are related to PFP. Our results should alert physicians, physiotherapists, athletic trainers and dance teachers to the need for devising modifications of training and injury prevention strategies from a young age (<12 years old).

Fascial recognition: An interview with Laurie Booth

Abstract An interview that explores Laurie Booth’s background in dance and improvisation and his new work in the field of myofascial movement training that is informed by cutting edge science in the field of fascia and his own experience of cadaver dissection. Booth talks about the connection between the fascia training and his approach to creative dance movement and the importance of keeping moving as we age.

Utilization of Routine Primary Care Services Among Dancers.

This study examines the current utilization of primary and preventive health care services among dancers in order to assess their self-reported primary care needs. Participants were 37 dancers from a variety of dance backgrounds who presented for a free dancer health screening in a large US metropolitan area (30 females, 7 males; mean age: 27.5 ± 7.4 years; age range: 19 to 49 years; mean years of professional dancing: 6.4 ± 5.4 years). Dancers were screened for use of primary care, mental health, and women's health resources using the Health Screen for Professional Dancers developed by the Task Force on Dancer Health. Most dancers had health insurance (62.2%), but within the last 2 years, only approximately half of them (54.1%) reported having a physical examination by a physician. Within the last year, 54.1% of dancers had had a dental check-up, and 56.7% of female dancers received gynecologic care. Thirty percent of female participants indicated irregular menstrual cycles, 16.7% had never been to a gynecologist, and 16.7% were taking birth control. Utilization of calcium and vitamin D supplementation was 27.0% and 29.7%, respectively, and 73.0% were interested in nutritional counseling. A high rate of psychological fatigue and sleep deprivation was found (35.1%), along with a concomitant high rate of self-reported need for mental health counseling (29.7%). Cigarette and recreational drug use was low (5.4% and 5.4%); however, 32.4% engaged in binge drinking within the last year (based on the CDC definition). These findings indicate that dancers infrequently access primary care services, despite high self-reported need for nutritional, mental, and menstrual health counseling and treatment. More studies are warranted to understand dancers' primary health care seeking behavior.

My spirit asks to live in sensation

Abstract This qualitative, arts-based research article explores modes of physical daily practice, somatic writing and an emerging sense of spirituality within an autoethnographic framework. The research depicts the evolution of regular and varied body practices documented by somatic journaling and creative writing. The realization that spirituality can grow from an array of therapeutic and intentional somatic practices evolved from a more narrowly defined dance background that previously focused primarily on artistic, technical standards. Perspectives from contemporary dance training, the Pilates method, somatic writing, the GYROKINESIS method and Authentic Movement are the primary approaches explored. Other observations from moving within the natural world provide the lens for explorations on the role of the witness, acceptance, compassion and forgiveness. Data gathered from mindful, contemplative body-based practices led to an examination of intrinsic spiritual values. As a female dance academic, the emerging awareness of embodied physical spirituality also probes questions regarding the nature of dance scholarship, ageing in dance and the concept of somatic sustainability.

A New Perspective on Competition Dance: A contest in war-torn Uganda can remind us all of the joy and empowering aspects of dance

A New Perspective on Competition Dance A dance contest in war-torn Uganda can remind us all of the joy and empowering aspects of dance by McClaine Timmerman In 2015, I attended yet another American dance competition as a choreographer and teacher. As I witnessed the event from both the audience and backstage, I began questioning whether this experience was more positive than negative for these dancers. What was it teaching them? I remember hearing a teacher prep her young soloist before her turn to impress the judges. She got uncomfortably close to the barely dressed dancer and said, as if it were a life or death situation, “This is it. I want to see you kill it. Walk out there and show them who is the best. Make me proud.” After hearing that, and then watching the attitude of that young dancer as she performed her turns, leaps, splits, and seductive hip movements, I thought, “What did this 13- year-old girl learn from this?” Having taught at multiple dance competition studios, I find I’m not a supporter of the atmosphere, attitudes, and drama the American “culture” of competition dance provides. I am in search of a new way to approach teaching students from this background. On YouTube, I recently watched a very different kind of dance competition in War Dance, a 2007 American documentary film directed by Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine. It captures the role that dance and competition play in the lives of thousands of refugee children of Uganda who have fled their homes to live in villages where the government protects them from rebels. Three children reveal their stories of horror, and then how their community and traditions through dance and music provide them with a sense of empowerment. In exposing the darkness surrounding so many lives of those in Uganda, the directors were able to show the empowerment and sense of community that competition-driven dance and music can provide. As a graduate student and teacher of dance, I am beginning to ask myself how I can integrate both history and current events into my classes. How can I incorporate particular subjects into class and make them relatable? Is a film like War Dance important and relevant to these students? With such a high percentage of college students in the U.S. coming from a competition dance background, the topic seems to me highly relatable and relevant. American competition dance seems to be mostly technique driven, providing a platform for feeling superior and pursuing fame. The possible benefits that underlie dance contests may not be that apparent to dancers in the U.S., so seeing what competition dance means to Ugandan children can bring some perspective about what’s important and what is not. The perspective on competition dance offered in the film could be translated into many aspects of the dance world. It can teach students about accountability and the roles of leadership within their community as a dance student and performer. Or it could help dancers find something else other than just the technique to drive their movement in both class and performance. Beginning at a young age, competition dancers in America develop a strong drive

Looking at Dancers, Buildings, and People in the Street

September 01 2015 Looking at Dancers, Buildings, and People in the Street Anya Liftig, Anya Liftig Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Matthew Mohr, Matthew Mohr Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Clarinda Mac Low, Clarinda Mac Low Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Andrea Kleine Andrea Kleine Andrea Kleine is a writer and interdisciplinary performance artist with a background in dance. Her performance work, Screening Room, or, The Return of Andrea Kleine (as revealed through a re-enactment of a 1977 television program about a ‘long and baffling’ film by Yvonne Rainer), premiered at The Chocolate Factory Theater in 2014. She is the author of the novel, Calf, and writes about contemporary dance and performance on her blog, The Dancers Will Win. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Author and Article Information Anya Liftig Matthew Mohr Clarinda Mac Low Andrea Kleine Andrea Kleine is a writer and interdisciplinary performance artist with a background in dance. Her performance work, Screening Room, or, The Return of Andrea Kleine (as revealed through a re-enactment of a 1977 television program about a ‘long and baffling’ film by Yvonne Rainer), premiered at The Chocolate Factory Theater in 2014. She is the author of the novel, Calf, and writes about contemporary dance and performance on her blog, The Dancers Will Win. Online Issn: 1537-9477 Print Issn: 1520-281X © 2015 Performing Arts Journal, Inc.2015 PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art (2015) 37 (3 (111)): 65–76. https://doi.org/10.1162/PAJJ_a_00274 Cite Icon Cite Permissions Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Search Site Citation Anya Liftig, Matthew Mohr, Clarinda Mac Low, Andrea Kleine; Looking at Dancers, Buildings, and People in the Street. PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art 2015; 37 (3 (111)): 65–76. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/PAJJ_a_00274 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAll JournalsPAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art Search Advanced Search This content is only available as a PDF. © 2015 Performing Arts Journal, Inc.2015 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

Aesthetics of Prajuritan Dance in Semarang Regency

&lt;p&gt;The scarcity of aesthetic study of traditional arts has evoked my intention to promote a model of aesthetic study in dance performance. The focus of this research is the aesthetics of Prajuritan dance in Semarang regency. The aesthetics were founded on dance choreography and cultural value systems, which grow and develop in the community of Semarang regency. Dances choreography includes dance background, form, shape, theme, number and formation of dancers, moves, musical accompaniment, make-up and costume, and dance floor patterns. Cultural value systems include communicating stories, expressed symbols, function and meaning of Prajuritan dance for its supporting community. The stories were derived from the heroic tale of Prince Sambernyawa (KGPAA, king Mangkunegara I in Mangkunagaran royal palace, Surakarta) when he rebelled against the arbitrary Dutch colonialists, with his famous spell, “&lt;em&gt;tiji tibeh &lt;/em&gt;(&lt;em&gt;mukti siji mukti kabeh&lt;/em&gt; – being prosperous for one and all)” and Three Dharma of soldiers, namely “&lt;em&gt;rumangsa melu handarbeni, melu hangrungkebi, mulat sarisa hangrasa wani&lt;/em&gt;, which means having sense of belonging, protection, and awareness to bravely do whatever to defend his nation and country. Therefore, Prajuritan dance brings the mission to evoke sense of courage, discipline, and responsibility for the young generation. &lt;/p&gt;

Perfect (im)Perfections–the choreographer’s reflections on the creative process

Abstract In 2014 Australian director/choreographer Philip Channells (Dance Integrated Australia) was commissioned by DansiT–Senter for Dansekunst i Sør-Trøndelag to collaborate with 20 members of the Danselaboratoriet and Danseteateret 55+ companies. The end result was a full-length intergenerational, disability-inclusive work that merged poetry, dance, theatre and music. Perfect (im)Perfections–stories untold was created with an international cast of artists with diverse backgrounds and life experience. The work premiered at the Multiplié Dansefestival in Trondheim on 3 April 2014. In his article, Channells shares his personal history and dance background before focusing on the collaboration. He discusses the inspiration behind the work, the creative processes and the successes and challenges in working across cultural boundaries.

Creating the Five-minute ‘Moderen’ Ramayana in an Indonesian Migrant Community

This paper explores forms of creativity that arise out of the intersubjective experience of a performance of the Hindu epic Ramayana in the context of an Indonesian migrant community in Perth, Western Australia. Three performances are discussed, illustrating a variety of differences between the aims and experiences of the performers and the reactions of their multiple audiences, including the Balinese community members as cultural ‘insiders’ and the Australian audiences approaching the Ramayana as an exotic spectacle. The article follows an attempt by an Indonesian migrant women's dance group (Srikandi) to recreate the Ramayana performance, guided by a five-minute Brazilian fusion soundtrack of Balinese ‘Kecak’ found in Holland. The Ramayana characters were realised according to the dance backgrounds of the performers that included Javanese, Balinese and international belly-dancing styles. Srikandi presented an advertised ‘exotic’ Ramayana dance drama for an Australian audience who were conceptualised by the dancers as potential tourists to Bali. However, the Balinese community believed Srikandi's five-minute performance made a mockery of the importance of Ramayana in their Hindu ritual. Drawing on the various relationships between performers and audiences, this article illuminates the complex ways in which creativity arises from contested experiences within a migrant setting that comprises people from diverse backgrounds and lifestyles.

Beyond anthropomorphism: Odissi and the botanical

Abstract Drawing on experiences that have entailed watching and learning forms of so-called ‘Indian dance’ (Bharata Natyam and Odissi), and watching Odissi dancers performing in various locations in Orissa’s ‘sacred triangle’ (Puri, Konark, Bhubaneswar), and against my own background in contemporary dance, I propose that the difference of the Odissi body is that the dancer dances with his or her feet in more than one kingdom – that is, he or she maintains a link between human bodies and the bodies of plants. Such a perception can help to displace questions of the dancer’s spatiality and representations, challenging western or westernized visions of the industrial or mechanical body, assumed hierarchies of body parts and their signifying powers, and assumptions about the role of the joints. The sense of a botanical imaginary or specific cultural body-schema at work in Odissi dance is supported by discussion of historical and ethnographic literature pertaining to the (former) female dancers of the Jagannath Temple in Puri; the temple’s links with Oriyan tribal cultures; the dancers’ traditional importance according to an axis of social auspiciousness/inauspiciousness as opposed to social purity/impurity; and the particular processes of the reconstruction of Odissi dance (separate from that of Bharata natyam) after independence.

Is the Onnagata Necessary?

Is the Onnagata Necessary? Samuel L. Leiter Before I respond to Frank Episale's essay on English-language writing about the onnagata, I must by way of full disclosure mention that Frank (whom I will refer to by his first name, if I may) was a student of mine at the CUNY Graduate Center in a class that covered traditional Japanese theatre. My memory is uncertain, but I believe this essay was submitted in an earlier form during the course. Frank's essay ventures to do something tricky, that is, to survey the English-language literature about kabuki, a theatre form whose principal research is published in Japanese. This means he must not only be very familiar with kabuki, but with the principal scholarship about it in English, at least since World War II. That body of writing, while substantial, is not overwhelmingly so, and serious treatment of the onnagata in particular is not abundant, so examining what is available should not be excessively demanding. Regardless of the comment by Julie Iezzi that Frank quotes, however, to the effect that one no longer needs to know Japanese to do research on kabuki because so much is now available in English, I would argue that the project of doing such research without Japanese requires extreme caution. Writing about kabuki in English is not the same as writing about it in Japanese because the readership is different and scholars often adjust what they write to make room for differences in cultural assumptions. Moreover, a critique of the English literature on a narrow subject like this should be supported by some knowledge of how the subject is dealt with in the language of the culture concerned. [End Page 112] Before I get to the crux of my response, which concerns comments Frank makes about my own writing on the onnagata, I would like to address some technical issues. First, Frank notes that Iezzi's comment ignores non-English-language prewar literature on kabuki and then he proceeds to vaguely sketch in the nature of that literature, but he offers few specifics and no documentation of sources, so his references are unclear. I also question the reason for his mentioning in this context of Pound, Fenellosa, and Yeats, who had nothing to do with kabuki. I should add, though, that Yeats knew a little more about nō than just its masks. The first performance of his At the Hawk's Well in 1915 had the services of the gifted Japanese dancer and choreographer Michio Itō. Helen Caldwell (1977: 44-45) points out that, despite Itō's minimal knowledge of nō (he hadn't seen a performance since he was seven), his newly discovered appreciation of nō chanting (utai), which he heard performed by two Japanese artists in Pound's flat, and his background in kabuki dance, were of considerable assistance. Again, regarding early Western exposure to kabuki, Frank's brief overview never specifically mentions the extremely influential visits to America and Europe, beginning in 1899, of Kawakami Otojirō and Kawakami Sadayakko. They have been the subject of a great deal of English-language writing scholarship, most recently Joseph L. Anderson's remarkably detailed Enter a Samurai: Kawakami Otojirō and Japanese Theatre in the West (2011), although that tome probably appeared after his paper was already written. But Leslie Downer's Madame Sadayakko: The Geisha Who Bewitched the West (2003) is certainly significant. Most importantly, in the context of discussion about not only Sadayakko, to whom it devotes half its space, but of actresses challenging the ingrained tradition of men playing female roles, Ayako Kano's brilliant Acting like a Woman in Modern Japan: Theater, Gender, and Nationalism (2001) is crucial, because it employs the feminist discourse about which Frank is so concerned. I bring these omissions up because the Kawakamis' performances, while not pure kabuki, were deeply imbued with kabuki conventions, including the onnagata, who performed in the same plays with Sadayakko and who many early foreign critics took for real women (advertisements even preceded their names with "Miss"). The meat of Frank's essay lies in his dispute with scholars such as myself for our failure to go beyond "essentializing" the nature of...

Misnomer: Reflections on a Dance Performance

GHANA STUDIES / Volumes 12–13 ISSN 1536-5514 / E-ISSN 2333-7168© 2011 by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System 249 MISNOMER: REFLECTIONS ON A DANCE PERFORMANCE SHERON WRAY Introduction African Dance troupes were integral to constructions of nationhood and pan-Africanism at the time of independence (Acogny 1988). There has been a tendency to forget their significance as part of a broader political culture in which building a repertoire of dances from a vast array of ethnic groups contributed to a national voice. The dancing body and drumming hands function as a form of memory and a material language forming an interlocking genealogical heritage across the continent. The term “African dance” is a misnomer, oversimplifying the weight and significance of the multiple languages of a varied cultural inheritance. The dances in Ghana are not like those in Senegal, and distinct from those in Guinea—distinctions which are not so easily detected by the untrained eye or ear (Fig. 1). Between the 1950s and 1970s, many national African national dance troupes were established including the Ghana Dance Ensemble. Keita Fodeba, founder of Les Ballets Africains de Guinea, was accused of defaming ethnic dances. In his defence, he argued that the company was creating access to “correct” ideas about life in Africa. Dances were altered by fusing diffuse regional dances, using interchangeable musical parts, extending aesthetic emphases, making visible plural gender participation, and staging them in auditoriums before secular audiences thus desacralizing their ritual function. The notion of traditional African dance is problematic (Welsh-Asante 1993); it is more reflective of post-colonial rhetorical aspirations than practice in dance performance. The dances of Africa are now part of the world stage and are equally subject to dynamic gainful scrutiny. Since the 1980s there has been a wave of NGO-funded cultural interventions across the 250 Ghana Studies • volumes 12–13 • 2011 continent that has had a significant impact on the evolution of “contemporary ” African dance. The space of contemporary African dance has thus become part of a shared heritage, which, in turn, implies the multicultural politics and aesthetic predilections of the global cultural capitols. In Africa, contemporary African dance is mainly performed for a rarefied audience made up of expatriates, NGO and corporate personnel. It remains to be seen if local audiences will gravitate towards these new practices. Whilst it is an interesting zone of experimentation, the artists themselves often divest themselves of all vocabulary that might label them “traditional” and therefore non-progressive. In general, the adoption of the contemporary African dance idioms implies attaining higher professional status within a spectrum of interconnected international performance venues and residencies. Finance and distribution of new work by and for Euro-American markets is the goal rather than an ideological debate about to purposefully breaking the rules of tradition or modernity. Figure 1. Ghana Dance Ensemble, whole company (Photo: R. Lane Clark) Wray • Misnomer: Reflections on a Dance Performance 251 Collaborative Work with Ghana Dance Ensemble, July 2009 I had the opportunity to collaborate with the Ghana Dance Ensemble (GDE), a professional dance company based at the University of Ghana, Legon, as part of a performance staged on 27 July 2009. At the University of Ghana, dance scholarship has been part of the University curriculum , initially under the auspices of the Institute of African Studies, since 1962. Working with a company grounded with such specialized historical knowledge and trajectory within dance practice was largely unknown to me in spite of my performance with African American dance idioms. I am a choreographer and director whose origins are from within the African Diaspora and my dance background might be summarized as having a European foundation. By way of England, my training and professional work stems from concert dance though my interest in my own origins that have taken me to Jamaica, Cuba, Gambia, Guinea, Trinidad, and Ghana for the first time in 2004. I came to this collaboration with a suitcase full of questions . I had only seven days to unpack, to layout how to ask them and how to process the feedback, and at the same time to construct a piece of work to share as the opening event for...

Philosophy, Psychology, Physics and Practice of Ki

Ki (in Japanese) or Qi (in Chinese) is the key concept in Eastern medicine, Eastern philosophy, as well as in martial arts. We explain the philosophical and psychological background of Ki. We emphasize that the unique aspects of Eastern philosophy are ‘non-linearity’ and ‘holistic’ approach. We then present physics aspect of Ki. Our experiments demonstrated that a ‘Ki-beam’ carries ‘entropy’ (or information), which is different from ‘energy’. We introduce our experience of having taught Ki to 37 beginners in the United States through the Nishino Breathing Method. If beginners had martial arts training or a strong background in music or dance, about half of them could sense Ki within 10 weeks (1 h class per week) of practice.

Kommer, and: Big 2nd Episode (Show / Business) (review)

Reviewed by Helen E. Richardson Brooklyn College Kommer. By Kassys. Directed by Liesbeth Gritter. Under the Radar Festival, The Public Theatre, New York. 20 January 2006. Big 2ND Episode (Show / Business). By Superamas, Under the Radar Festival, The Public Theatre, New York. 21 January 2006. The 2006 Under the Radar Festival, produced by Mark Russell (former artistic director of P.S. 122) and held at The Public Theater in New York City, highlighted international theatres this year, many of which featured the use of film in their productions. This compact, five-day festival provided high-quality work from Europe, South America, and Asia. The festival also suggested that we live in a postmedia culture in which various forms of technology—from film to video and photography—easily interweave with theatre to create a more contemporary image of the world. Two productions in particular that did so proved to be the hits of the festival: Kommer, by the Netherlands-based theatre company Kassys, and Big 2nd Episode (show / business), by the Vienna- and Paris-based collective Superamas. Both productions employed the banalities of popular television and film culture in order to comment on the ubiquity of these media in our lives, as they provide us with the comfort of a common language while at the same time diminishing our capacity to express ourselves honestly. The question addressed by these productions is: How has our behavior been standardized and commercialized by a media that is constantly selling us on the way we should act and speak? Based in Amsterdam, Kassys was founded in 1999 by Liesbeth Gritter and Mette van der Sijs. The founders' background in dance places emphasis on movement as a core element in the company's work. Kassys's mission is to create shows in which theatre and film are combined in order to examine their codes. Kassys's piece Kommer consists of two acts, the first performed live, the second projected as a film. Deceptively simple on the surface, the first half of Kommer ("Grief"), directed by Liesbeth Gritter, is inspired by the world of the television soap opera. Limiting the text to phrases from Dutch subtitles that accompany the Netherlands' telecast of the US-generated soap opera As the World Turns, Kassys creates a Beckett-like minimalism as the characters rely on simple clichés in the face of tragic loss: How are you? I'm fine, considering the circumstances. And how are you? Yes. [End Page 676] You have to give your grief a special place. I never told him I loved him. Life goes on. These platitudes are contrasted with often minute, but sharply etched physical gestures of angst as the mourners confront the disappearance of a young man, who is presumed dead. They counter their powerlessness with subversive actions, from subtle nervous movements of a foot to the apparently unconscious and compulsive digging up, with bare hands, of a group of potted plants that are part of [End Page 676] the funeral parlor's décor. The "stoic" wife of the deceased sublimates her grief by insisting, to the point of violence, that the others let go and express their grief. The mourners sit around a CD player and alternately push the selection button with increasing rapidity as they disagree over which sentimental popular song should be playing at this wake. Click for larger view Figure 1 Jan Kostwinder, Mischa van Dullemen, Esther Snelder, Saskia Meulendijks,Ton Heijligers, Rinus Krul in Kommer. Photo courtesy of Kassys. It might be easy to get trapped into a sentimental viewing of this piece as a comment on how difficult it is to express grief; however, the insistent use of platitudes and their subversion by the angst-ridden gestures of the mourners offers an absurd and highly humorous rather than tragic vision. The piece shows us what happens when human beings attempt to sublimate their feelings through the use of media or pop culture–generated clichés that cannot penetrate the core of the...

Dancing in the 'Contact Zone'

In October 2002 I performed and exhibited Troppo Obscura: A Peepshow of Historical Perversity at the Performance Space as part of the multicultural Arts festival, Carnivale, in Sydney, Australia. Troppo Obscura is a multimedia installation that explores some aspects of the complex relationships between the West and Asia. The work looks at a large range of possibilities, from the colonial gaze through to personal relationships forged through artistic endeavor. This paper—the first of two extended mediations on the topic—focuses on one such personal relationship addressed in the installation, namely that between traditional master mask dancer Ibu Sawitri from Cirebon on the West coast of Java, Indonesia and myself, a Sydney based contemporary dancer and performance artist. Between 1992 and 1999, the year Ibu Sawitri passed away, I spent many long-term visits learning dance and living in Ibu Sawitri’s house in Losari. This essay focuses on Ibu Sawitri’s family and dance background and how she, the younger generation of dancers, the dance context, and the dance itself, have been transformed over time as a result of rapidly changing socio-historical conditions. In the second half of this paper I move the discussion to the broader issues of cross-cultural encounters in what Pratt terms the ‘contact zone’ (1992). This includes looking at dance as an embodied practice and its function in the ‘contact zone’ as well as dealing with Spivak’s debates about the subaltern voice in reference to my telling of Ibu Sawitri’s story, both in the installation and in text. A closer analysis of the dynamics of my dance with Ibu Sawitri in the ‘contact zone’ is addressed here.

Choreography: a basic approach using improvisation

Whatever your dance background or choreographic interest, this book shows you how to solve common choreography problems, design and shape movements into a dance, organize a dance concert, and observe a finished dance. The book features 63 movement exploration exercises and takes you from dance making to preparing for a performance. More than 56 photographs highlight and clarify important concepts. This second edition also includes these helpful features that will guide you through the entire choreographic process: movement exploration and improvisation exercises; ideas for organizing rehearsal schedules; suggestions for blocking, costuming, and lighting; sources for music and equipment; tips for selecting accompaniment; additional information on choreography and dance production; and forms and checklists. Choreography: A Basic Approach Using Improvisation also addresses three of the seven National Dance Content Standards: understanding choreographic principles, creating and communicating meaning, and using critical and creative thinking skills. You'll develop your skills in these areas and learn how to put the standards into practice.

Isokinetic Trunk Muscle Performance Characteristics of Classical Ballet Dancers

Presented at the Sports Physical Therapy Section Team Concept Meeting, December 1991, New Orleans, LA. Recent availability of trunk isokinetic dynamometers has created a need for documented normative data. The purpose of this initial investigation was to determine isokinetic norms for trunk flexion and extension in classical ballet dancers. Strength levels were determined by peak torque. A fatigue index was derived from 20 reciprocal contractions. Twenty-three dancers were tested - 17 females (F) and six males (M). Female dancers were further divided into professional (FP) and semiprofessional (FSP) groups. A questionnaire regarding dance background, training habits, and back pain was administered. Means and ranges for peak torque and fatigue were calculated for each group. T-tests were performed on peak torque and fatigue data grouped by gender and dance status. Peak torque analysis indicated trends of M > F and FP > FSP. A statistically significant (p < 0.05) difference existed for trunk extension between FP and FSP dancers, a possible sport-specific adaptation. Fatigue levels were lower than expected, and possible explanations are considered. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1992;15(2):99-106.

Working with Doris Humphrey

Doris Humphrey played no part in my training or my early career. I never had a modem-dance class in my life, and the term choreography course was unknown to me. My dance background was eclectic: ballet with Michel Fokine, Spanish with Angel Cansino, neo-Oriental with Michio Ito, and a season of joint recitals with Yeichi Nimura. All of these styles, as well as the influence of seeing Mary Wigman, Herald Kreutzberg, and Yvonne Georgi, had become synthesized into a personal approach that belonged to no school. I had fifteen years Qf working alone with no one to advise me. After performing in the United States and the Near East, and, in 1934, being the first American dancer officially invited to the Soviet Union since Isadora Duncan, I was happy to continue. But a traumatic experience in New York suddenly soured me. In 1939 I decided to leave the concert stage and explore other fields. It took seven years for me to realize that I found no other form of dance fulfilling. In 1946 I was at a dead end. I felt shriveled after an escape into commercial dance, including a year of television. I felt the inner need to do what I really