Friday, November 17, 2017

News About "A Selection from the Sigurd Leeder Heritage," by Ann Hutchinson Guest

Submitted by Ann Hutchinson Guest - November 21, 2017

My book A Selection from the SIGURD LEEDER HERITAGE was published in time for the May 6th opening of the important Leeder Exhibition in Zurich. The book, available from Dance Books*, has a CD providing music for each of the Dance Studies. The next step is the production of a DVD illustrating the Leeder style for each of the Studies. This task is being undertaken by a Committee of former Swiss Leeder students, headed by Evelyn Rigotti.

The need to find younger dancers capable of mastering the difficult, less usual steps as well as embodying the wide range of movement qualities, was a challenge. The committee has been working on several of the Studies with three experienced dancers and sought my approval of the results. My October visit to Evelyn’s studio in Wattwil proved very rewarding. I was able to coach the dancers in certain aspects that they had missed, they were rewardingly responsive. They understood that arriving at a position, creating a picture, was not the aim; the movement just happened spatially to end there. Often it was a question of eliminating tension and allowing flow to be dominant.

For the remaining studies that had not yet been taught I worked with Jacqueline Keller, a slim 60 year old still moving beautifully. I would show her – as best I could – the movements and then, with her ability to read the notation, we checked through the score for clarification of specific details. With her wonderful positive attitude she was a joy to work with.

The Sigurd Leeder Exhiubition moves from Zurich to Appenzell near to Herisau where Leeder lived and taught during his last decades. The opening vernissage is to be on December 9th; on the 10th I will be giving a talk about the book, how it developed from my 1936-8 classroom notations which I had revived in recent years to the delight of present day students. They loved the range of space encompassed and the variety of dynamic qualities – very different from present-day classroom techniques. Aware that Leeder’s work is now so little known, I undertook to contribute to future generations by publishing a selection of contrasting Studies with a historical introduction, information on the dance curriculum at the Leeder Dance School, and with study and performance word notes to accompany each Study..

*www.dancebooks.co.uk

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Jean Kirsten - A New Exhibit

Submitted by Charlotte Wile - September 23, 2017

Following are photos of Jean Kirsten's new exhibit in Hamburg, Germany (September 2017).

To see larger im
ages,  go here.


For other postings about Jean's work, see:



    Movement in a space.




    Installation with models from Platonic solids, Laban's constructions and a wall drawing.





    Some examples from Jean Kersten's series "Inkrustations-Serie" (each from 2017, cotton or other fabric, 80 x 80 cm).

Saturday, June 10, 2017

Labanotation Ballet Readings

Submitted by Mei-Chen Lu and Charlotte Wile - June 10, 2017
Facsimiles prepared by by Darcy Rile

We thought you might enjoy the following ballet materials from our archives. We will be adding further readings in the future.



Ballet Collection, published by Dance Notation Press (1980)

Contents:

Coppelia, choreographed by Arthur Michel Saint-Leon
  - "Bolero,[notator?]
  - "Dawn," notated by Carl Wolz (1962)
  - "Scottish Dance," notated by Christine Smith [1967?]
  - "Follies: Galop Final," notated by Allan Mile (1970)

Giselle, choreographed by Jules Perrot/Jean Coralli
 - "Three Themes," notated by Odette Blum (1966)

Raymonda, choreographed by Marius Petipa

- "Variation I," notated by Ann Hutchinson (1961)

Sleeping Beauty, choreographed by Marius Petipa

- "Bluebird Girl's Solo," notated by Ann Hutchinson (1963)

Swan Lake, choreographed by Lev Ivanov

- "Les Cygnets," notated by Ann Hutchinson (1964)

Le Carnaval, choreographed by Michel Fokine

  - "Chopin," notated by Carl Wolz [1962?]
  - "Papillons," notated by Ann Hutchinson [1961)

Carmina Burana, choreographed by John Butler
- "Love Flies" from "Court of Love," [notator?] [1959, 1970]

Valse Brillante, choreographed by Rose Lorenz

 - [notator?] [1959, 1970]


Monday, May 15, 2017

Jean Kirsten - New Works

Submitted by Charlotte Wile - May 16, 2017

Jean Kirsten has sent us the wonderful images below of his recent Laban inspired work.
       For larger images, Go Here


For other postings about Jean's work, see:
      Photos of Jean Kirsten's Installation "Rubber Twist with Rudolf"
      Artworks by Jean Kirsten
      Photos of Jean Kirsten's Exhibition "To Laban"



Ă„rztehaus Markkleeberg 2016.jpg:
The 5 Plantonic solids in front of a public building (physician house) in Leipzig-Markkleeberg.



wallpaper.jpg:
My design inside [Arztehaus Markkleeberg]: The wallpaper with notation symbols.





ceramic.jpg:
Some ceramic works inspired by notation symbols. I did this during a workshop in October last year.



Chemnitz.jpg:

Platonic Sculpture, tetrahedron, octahedron, dodecahedron and icosahedron inside the cube. This was shown in an exhibition during the museums night in Chemnitz/Saxony last year.



notation chair.jpg:  A normal Chair (IKEA) painted with notation symbols in 2017.




Trinity London 2016.jpg:
Last year the (75th) Laban Guild AGM and conference took place in the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance In London. I showed there this installation with Laban models and Plato solids.



For Sophie (Taeuber, Hans (Arp) and Rudolf (Laban).jpg:
Three works that I exhibited at Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich/Switzerland during a conference with the name Monte Dada, 100 years after the birth of Dada. I give them the name "For Sophie (Taeuber, Hans (Arp) and Rudolf (Laban).“


Wednesday, May 3, 2017

American Bandstand Dances in Labanotation

Submitted by Mei-Chen Lu and Charlotte Wile - May 3, 2017
Facsimile prepared by Darcy Riley

The American Bandstand was a popular TV music-performance show that aired from 1952 to 1989.

This posting offers a facsimile of American Bandstand Dances in Labanotation, by Nadia Chilkovsy (1959).

Contents:
  • How to Read Dance Steps
  • Jitterbug
  • Fox Trot
  • Conga
  • Cha-Cha
  • Stroll
  • Bunny Hop
  • Facts About the American Bandstand
  • Dances and the Author 

Friday, February 24, 2017

116 Modern Dance Classroom Combinations, by Ray Cook

Submitted by Charlotte Wile, February 24, 2017

116 Modern Dance Classroom Combinations, by Ray Cook (1979) contains a full range of modern dance classroom sequences written in Labanoatation. It is a wonderful resource for both teachers and students.


To view a facsimile of the book, Go Here.