Commonwealth Speakers:Dance and Theatre


Martha Graham is the subject of a talk by Joyce Henry. Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Through our dance and theatre offerings, you will have the opportunity to learn historical dance forms, understand how a script turns into a play, and see how movement and ideas relate and influence each other.

May I Have the Pleasure of this Dance?
Performing in historically-correct ballroom fashions, Jef Savage and Nancy Walker will present ballroom dances performed during the Revolutionary and Civil War eras. The presentation will examine the origins of the dances and their social context. A look at the ballroom fashions of each period explain how clothing affects dance and movement. The dances will be interspersed with educational explanations and short humorous readings of the day (e.g., a 1781 journal entry describing George Washington dancing a minuet). Savage and Walker also will demonstrate how historical dances are reconstructed by describing the basics of notation reading to participants. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to play a Victorian parlor game. Posters of dances from period manuals, photos and fine art portraiture will help to illustrate the presentation.

Jef Savage and Nancy Walker, Mercersburg
Performers, Instructors & Researchers

Art Imitating Life
Almost everyone has an idea for a play or screenplay—but how do you judge its potential? Carlyn Aquiline will discuss how dramatic writers often are inspired by the world around them; offering insight into how real life and contemporary culture can be transformed into art. Using resources like autobiographical experiences and newspaper articles, Aquiline will lead participants in a writing workshop designed to help them recognize an idea with theatrical potential and to develop it into the basis for a play. Participants are encouraged to bring an autobiographical story and a recently-read section of a newspaper, along with a writing pad and pencil.

Carlyn Aquiline, Pittsburgh
Literary Manager & Dramaturg, City Theatre Company

In the Lineage: A Recent History of Dance
Veteran dancer Lisa Kraus has worked with teachers from the schools of legends Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham, and with choreographers like Trisha Brown, who represent many of the most important ideas in dance today. With slides and demonstrations of dancing and video clips, Kraus will examine the ideas developed by influential choreographers, how these ideas relate to the broader culture of their time and how dancers take ideas from their mentors and develop new work.

Lisa Kraus, Blue Bell
Dancer, Choreographer & Critic. Instructor of Dance, Swarthmore College

Martha Graham: Pennsylvania's Unsung Revolutionary
Born in Allegheny, PA, Martha Graham revolutionized the world of dance during the 20th century, drawing upon her roots for such seminal works as Appalachian Spring and Frontier. Rejecting the artificialities of balletic movement and romantic plot, Graham pioneered new means of expression, traveling relentlessly to reveal the truth of the human heart. With clips of Graham's dances and readings from her autobiography, former Graham student Joyce Henry will examine the legacy of one of Pennsylvania's greatest artists.

Joyce Henry, Collegeville
Professor Emerita, Ursinus College

100 Years of Dance in American Society
Performing in period clothing, Jef Savage and Nancy Walker will present social dances from the Civil War, ragtime and modern ballroom eras. The presentation will reflect on the importance of dance and its cultural and social context in America. The origins of dances, the ways in which they are reconstructed from period dance manuals and changes in etiquette and dance fashions also will be examined. Readings from the various periods will help participants to understand the origins and contributions of the dances. A "mobile museum" of related artifacts will be on display. Artifacts will include fashion plates and lace, ball cards and invitations, items of clothing, etiquette and dance manuals and chromolithographs of dancers. The format for this presentation includes explanation, demonstration and interaction.

Jef Savage and Nancy Walker, Mercersburg
Performers, Instructors & Researchers

Prisoners, Victims and their Families: A Creative Response Towards Healing
Underlying violence, crime and incarceration are stories of suffering and victimization—but also stories of redemption. Teya Sepinuck works with both perpetrators and victims of crime to reveal these stories. This presentation will examine how former offenders and families (who have lost loved ones to murder, prison and the streets) have come together to create and tour a unique theatre project. Through this presentation, Sepinuck will offer participants a glimpse into the real world of crime, punishment and transformation.

Teya Sepinuck, Philadelphia
Founder & Artistic Director, TOVA

From Page to Stage
Of all forms of literature, drama may be the most involved with community life, transforming issues of social significance first expressed on the page into live, public performance. Carlyn Aquiline's presentation shows how a professional theatre company transforms a written text into what an audience sees on stage. Asking participants to join in as actors in scene readings, Aquiline will suggest how a reader of a script can imagine it as a stage performance. She will then guide members through the production process (using costume sketches, set models and lighting plots) to illustrate every step—from casting to rehearsal to the final production. Some fascinating stage tricks using real props, costumes and set materials will be revealed.

Carlyn Aquiline, Pittsburgh
Literary Manager & Dramaturg, City Theatre Company

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