MUS 214 The Sound of Movement - A History of Ballet/Dance Music
From magic rituals to popular forms of expression, the complex and enduring association between sound and movement define human history. The intertwined story of musical instrument and community dance are told in cave art and archeological funds since the beginning human recording. The objective of this course is to follow the specific evolution that dance and ballet music have undergone from the Renaissance to Modernity. The French Court ballet during the reign of Louis XIV, the role of dance in the Grand Opera of the XIXth and Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, are but a few highlights of an art that culminated in the XXth century with luminaries such as Martha Graham, Maurice Béjart, Pina Bausch and Alvin Ailey. The course will include a workshop with a choreographer and outside lectures as well as the attendance of live performances and rehearsals.