America Dances! 1897-1948
America Dances! 1897-1948
A Collector's Edition of Social Dance in FilmView the Cover | The Program | Read the Reviews
This DVD/VHS represents 20 years of film collectibles by dance historian Carol Teten, Artistic Director of the internationally known dance company, DANCE THROUGH TIME, and President of DANCETIME PUBLICATIONS. 75 minutes
Program
Reviews of AMERICA DANCES! 1897-1948A Collector's Edition of Social Dance in Film 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" (no catalogue number). “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.” |
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