Thursday, December 3, 2009

Form and Content of Jooss' Choreography

Kurt Jooss is best known for his masterpiece, The Green Table, which tells the story of Death. His work with emotional and expressionistic movement carried over into many of his ballets. The Encyclopedia Britannica states this about Jooss’ work, “…have contemporary themes or implications. Jooss retained basic ballet steps and positions in his choreography and made extensive use of expressive gesture but eliminated such displays of virtuosity as the use of points and multiple pirouettes.”
Jooss has greatly impacted the concert dance world. His use of movement to embody Death as well as other themes and ideas in a non-cliché way changed the way dancers approach choreography. Jooss broke ground when he presented work that affected people on a personal level. He was able to create pieces that remain timeless to this day by focusing on themes that are universal and ever present.

2 comments:

  1. This makes sense and I can see how the social events that impacted him also affects how he, himself,impacted the concert dance world. By the way you explained it I can also tell that this was a big reason why he was able to affect people on a personal level.

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  2. The Green Table is passé. You should turn your attention to the other pieces of Jooss which are on themes still relevant today from a social/political perspective: Journey in the Fog, Pandorra, The Mirror. You would do Jooss a favor. These are on timeless themes. The Green Table is not!! Its era passed with the end of the League of Nations. We now have serious politicians with university degrees in their craft and not the charlatans of the 1920s and 30s depicted in the Green Table.

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