Thursday, December 3, 2009

My Response to Jooss and "The Green Table"

Kurt Jooss’ choreography simply intrigues me. His work with The Green Table presented character development on stage in a way I had not seen. The characters described by John Rockwell in a New York Times review, “They're archetypes, but they ring true: the proud, deluded Standard Bearer, the eager Young Soldier, the Young Girl ultimately prostituted and killed, the Woman, an Old Soldier, an Old Mother and an oily Profiteer. It's a real medieval dance of death; some of Jooss' movements, mixing ballet and modern techniques, look as if they leapt straight from woodcuts.” Jooss’ movement quality and technique fused the ideas of ballet and modern, creating an intriguing and captivating dance. I appreciate his use of music, using it to enhance his choreography. In “Dance Chronicles,” Lara Maris writes (in regards to the use of music), “And it is specifically in relation to the musical conception of Form that I find Jooss’ works so richly creative and original.” His choreography and storytelling ability is simply incredible. He was able to create a whole other universe on the stage, captivating his viewers and stating a message all at the same time. Very few choreographers and dancers are able to achieve this idea. His movement and technique had a very balletic quality, but it was still modern in its presentation. The musicality and use of rhythmic movement also contributed to his work. His artistic mind was genius; I have enjoyed getting a glimpse of that genius.

5 comments:

  1. This blog makes me want to see a live performance of "The Green Table" even more than I had wanted before. I think it is wonderful how expressive Jooss's choreography is in "The Green Table." I especially enjoy the fact that although the characters, including the character of Death, are somewhat part of story, they are still so relatable and realistic. Jooss is very impressive to me with "The Green Table" because even though many would find it distasteful to create a work about death, Jooss handled that task and intent beautifully. I do not think there could ever be another choreographer who possesses the many visions and genius that Jooss did.

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  2. It is exciting for me to see dances focused around stories that are not your typical ballet fairy tale. We often see story pieces such as Sleeping Beauty or The Nutcracker, and we are reminded of the typical graceful ballet that provides an unrealistic story. Modern dance was used to break free from these stories and show reality, but Jooss seems to be able to blend both elements in a very intelligent and beautiful way. He is creating stories without them being typical or predictable. He finds ways to work with characters and ideas in a modern and innovative way. It allows me to realize that I can create pieces based off of stories without them being typical. They can still be exploratory, interesting, and completely modern. It is an exciting reality, and the blend that Jooss provides is inspiring and challenging all at the same time.

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  3. Rachel- Excellent work here. Your present interests and values shine through, as does your understanding of how Jooss fits into the schema of our history as artists and humans. My dream is for IUDT to produce this ballet and I would love to see your perform in it.....

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  4. I really enjoyed reading all of this about Jooss and his work on "The Green Table." I remember seeing the clip of it in class and being absolutely entranced and intrigued by the work. I love the integration of acting and emotion with the powerful dancing; I feel it really helps to set his work apart. Getting more insight to the historical events that influenced these works along with some more of his personal history made the piece even more impactual for me and possibly one of my favorite works I've ever seen.

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  5. The Green Table is passé. It went into the dustbin together with the League of Nations. We now have the United Nations with serious diplomats trained in their profession. Much more relevant for our times is Jooss`s Journey in the Fog about the lot of refugees. Funny that you keep focusing on the Green Table. It once was a hit but now is irrelevant.

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