Flowers Essay by Alvin Ailey
Discuss the importance of the union between choreography movement and design in AAADT, refer to flowers
Alvin Ailey born 1931-1989, began his career as a dancer in the 40’s and then went onto later create a body of dance works. He founded his own company in 1958 AAADT, grown from a small company of seven or 8 dancers into a large carefully managed international famous business. The decision for Ailey to call his company AAADT illustrates his belief that black Americans should be acknowledged to the USA’s heritage.
In 1971 Alvin created the dance work Flowers which was based on rise and fall of famous singer Janice Joplin who died aged 27 caused by an uncontrolled drug addiction. The dance work has duration of 28 minutes, beginning with a female dancer standing with her right arm stretched in the air and left on hip showing her looking proud and aloof. The female dancer is wearing a vibrant orange velvet jumpsuit with green neon, flared at the bottom and a head band showing the 70’s hippy era. Paparazzi of the day capture pictures of the famous performer while she is smiling and vamping like the real Joplin character moving rapidly to get the shot. There is a spot light directly on her mimicking the star she was. There is a duet where the Joplin duets with a male dancer wearing all black suit, black sunglasses disguising him and creating a seedy image.
The movement used in the duet has the male dancer controlling Joplin’s body movement; this could be to show a rape taking place. For example he grabs her wrists with her back facing the audience, she’s turns her body out to the audience reaching her left arm on the left diagonal and repeats this three times. Her body movement uses a lot of tension, moreover there is tension in her facial expression and her expression shows sadness.
Watching the duet the audience gets the impression that the current situation Joplin is in is he fall to fame. For example she repeats step ball change high left leg kick elevated
Alvin Ailey born 1931-1989, began his career as a dancer in the 40’s and then went onto later create a body of dance works. He founded his own company in 1958 AAADT, grown from a small company of seven or 8 dancers into a large carefully managed international famous business. The decision for Ailey to call his company AAADT illustrates his belief that black Americans should be acknowledged to the USA’s heritage.
In 1971 Alvin created the dance work Flowers which was based on rise and fall of famous singer Janice Joplin who died aged 27 caused by an uncontrolled drug addiction. The dance work has duration of 28 minutes, beginning with a female dancer standing with her right arm stretched in the air and left on hip showing her looking proud and aloof. The female dancer is wearing a vibrant orange velvet jumpsuit with green neon, flared at the bottom and a head band showing the 70’s hippy era. Paparazzi of the day capture pictures of the famous performer while she is smiling and vamping like the real Joplin character moving rapidly to get the shot. There is a spot light directly on her mimicking the star she was. There is a duet where the Joplin duets with a male dancer wearing all black suit, black sunglasses disguising him and creating a seedy image.
The movement used in the duet has the male dancer controlling Joplin’s body movement; this could be to show a rape taking place. For example he grabs her wrists with her back facing the audience, she’s turns her body out to the audience reaching her left arm on the left diagonal and repeats this three times. Her body movement uses a lot of tension, moreover there is tension in her facial expression and her expression shows sadness.
Watching the duet the audience gets the impression that the current situation Joplin is in is he fall to fame. For example she repeats step ball change high left leg kick elevated