20th Century American Dance: 2 DVD Set
20th Century American Dance: 2 DVD Set
Buy both DVDs for a discount package price!2 hoursIncludes the following: For more information and video previews of each title, follow the links above. ReviewsAmerica Dances: Gettysburg College "Such resources ... may hasten the incorporation of movement into the study of music, making a substantive contribution to musicology. ... technology is transforming both our scholarship and its dissemination to students and colleagues. Dance merely described is only a skeleton. It requires kinesthetic transmission and the dancer to put flesh on." Marta Robertson, American Music: Multimedia Review Library Journal “Dancetime Publications, the company responsible for the unique instruction series on the history of American social dance, "How To Dance Through Time" has pulled together an equally unique "collector’s edition" of primary source film clips—mainly newsreels and television footage—of American dance. Culled from the National Archives and other news sources, these 60 clips, ranging from just a few seconds to several minutes in length, provide a rare glimpse into American trends and tastes through over a little more than half a century. Highlights include seconds drawn from an 1897 Thomas Edison film Charity Ball, early 1900s newsreels of young men and women doing a spontaneous "cakewalk" at a beach resort, film clips of legendary dance duo Irene and Vernon Castle, demonstrations of the Charleston from a 1960 episode of "The American Musical Theatre,"as well as scenes of dance marathons, contests, and the wild jitterbugging of the renowned late Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers. Granted the film stock is rough in spots (frequently, and understandably, dark, and grainy), but Dancetime has supplied an appropriate piano accompaniment for consistency throughout. Fun for both dance fans and scholars, this program is recommended for all dance collections.” LA Times “America Dances belongs in a category of its own: archival footage showing the evolution of dance within popular culture...not merely of historic interest, the footloose performances of the Charleston and other antique-fad dances gathered here are invariably more exciting than the watered down versions devised by contemporary choreographers for Broadway, TV or the movies.” Video Librarian “An engaging compilation of over 60 archival dance clips drawn from the vitagraph, Edison, and RKO studio libraries, among others, America Dances! presents an engaging historical look at the nation’s social dance scene, from the turn-of-the-19th-century cakewalk to the mid-20th century Harlem-born hit Lindy Hop…Expert Piano Accompaniment featuring period and original music adds to the nostalgic atmosphere… highly recommended.” Booklist ”This entertaining program traces the evolution of social dance. Film clips (including dance marathons, wacky dance stunts, and step-by-step tutorials) culled from period newsreels and vintage documentaries are organized by decade and labeled with captions...Fascinating for its glimpse into the fads, fashions, and popular dances (lindy hop, cakewalk, Charleston, and more) of the era, this is an excellent resource.” Dance Magazine "With more than sixty historic clips, this collection proceeds blessedly free of commentary…The film, the result of 20 years of research by Carol Teten, is a gold mine for anyone interested in vernacular dance – or just dance.” Dove Worldview ”These are actual films shot in the era presented, and the people and clothing were as much fun to watch as the dancing...I recommend this video for anyone interested in dancing, or history in general.” Midwest Book Review “A superbly presented treat for dance and movie enthusiasts, America Dances! 1897-1948 is a welcome and strongly recommended addition to personal, school, and community library Video/DVD collections.“ KCBS Radio, San Francisco, CA "America Dances - 1897 through 1948...it's a collector's edition of social dance on film...over 50 historical dance film clips from the first part of the 20th century...we get a record of our changing dance trends...” KRON-TV, San Francisco, CA "A beautiful documentary!" Jan Wahl SHOWCASE MAGAZINE ”I have discovered a wonderful dance company out West directed by one Carol Teten. The group has turned out a marvelous series of instructional tapes to enable you to learn the basic steps of dances from the Renaissance up to the middle of the last century, and they are a joy to watch.... But I am here concerned with a DVD that Teten has put together called "America Dances! 1897-1948... You have the option of playing the whole DVD straight through, which I advise on first viewing, or of going into the menu and watching only those single episodes, which educators will want to do. You see, this is a wonderful teaching tool for instructors of dance, music, American history and even psychology.... All in all, Teten did an amazing job in collating all of this material... All she wants is that we should share in her passion for the dance and its history. In that, she certainly has succeeded.” Dancetime! 500 Years, Vol. II: The 20th Century: Library Journal “DANCETIME! 500 Years of Social Dance. Dance historian and choreographer Carol Teten takes us on an educational and entertaining tour of dance through the ages. Dancers introduce centuries and styles with arch versification that reveals the soul of each dance (the minuet is formal and quaint, the sarabande is provocative)... The dances themselves follow, performed with authentic choreography by couples or groups on a lighted stage. The dancers… are splendidly costumed as befits each period, from perukes and beauty spots to poodle skirts to mohawks...Highly recommended for libraries with collections in history, dance, music, or costume." The New York Times "DANCETIME! 500 Years of Social Dance. Performances of 38 dances by the Dance Through Time troupe (in costume) trace history, fashion and romance from European royal courts in the early 15th century to disco and hip-hop." The Washington Post ”Stepping through history, choreographer and dance historian Carol Teten has assembled a video set, 'DANCETIME! 500 Years of Social Dance.' Over the years, the group from Kentfield, Calif. has toured regularly throughout the United States. For these videos, it weaves together 38 dances with interesting costumes and delightful musical selections as well as facts to please those who enjoy information concerning history, social studies, cultures, and costumes, as well as dance and music." Dance On Camera Journal "These instructional videos will be invaluable to choreographers who create dances for period films or for cotillions and charity balls. They preserve the art form and provide the story of the cultural phenomenon, thus making a perfect addition to dance, design, and anthropological libraries." Video Librarian ”… bonus features-such as added options of simultaneous instructive text diagrams and descriptions that truly take advantage of DVD's expanded capabilities.” Dancing U.S.A. "The essence of social dance is courtship. The history of social dance, as presented in the DANCETIME two video set, reveals much about the changing dynamics between men and women. Dancetime is a triple treat, appealing to scholars, ballroom aficionados and choreographers.” Dove Foundation Dove Executive Director Comments: “This DVD has many special features and is a wealth of information on the 20th Century of Social Dance. In the Special Features selection you can learn the Dance Descriptions, Timelines, Bibliography, Credits, Instructional Text and a Preview of Volume I. On a computer, you can access a Timeline or Bibliography that gives you more in depth information. You can dive into the text portion of the DVD either with the video or with just the text being displayed. The text is very informative. All the steps are explained in detail. There is just a ton of information on so many 20th Century Dances in this volume. Dance enthusiasts and history buffs will love it. Dancetime Publications did a marvelous job of putting this DVD together.” Library Bookwatch Official Newsletter of The Midwest Book Review. “Performed beautifully by the Dance Through Time dancers, each of these 45 minute DVDs span the entire recorded span and spectrum of Western dance… Taken together, these two superbly produced, performed, presented, and recorded DVDs comprise a complete course in Western dance and would be a welcome addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library collections.” Connecticut Post "Entertainment and Education are blended with great style in a new two-volume video. 'DANCETIME 500 Years of Social Dance' which takes us from Renaissance Court Dances to 1990s rap and MTV styles...each of the social dances has been scrupulously researched but there is nothing stuffy about the presentation. The wonderful performers race us through 500 years of changes in the ways that people have related to each other on the dance floor. Helpful subtitles give us background on what we are seeing, but most viewers will probably be too busy watching the highly skilled dancers to read the titles during a first viewing." |
