Inside: Raleigh on Film; Bethune on Theatre; Behrens on Music; Trevens on Dance; Cole on Patrick Heron, “Color Magician”; Seckel on the Cultural Scene; Rossi ‘Speaks out’ on Online Exhibitions; New Art Books; Short Fiction & Poetry; Extensive Calendar of Events…and more! Vol. 29 No. 2 September/October 2012 Two Dramatically Different Views of Dance from the Early Twentieth Century By FrAncinE L. TrEvEnS Freud claimed there are no productions. her style presents a older generations. coincidences. therefore, i guess i crisp, clear and concise history of the mr. Franko, who must attribute to kismet the fact that musical phenomena, which dramati- authored many books two widely divergent books about cally altered social dancing. and won the 2011 Out- dance during the early-to-mid twen- the photos in this book have the standing Scholarly tieth century landed on my desk at same spontaneous feel as the danc- research in dance the same time. ers themselves had back in the day. award from the con- First to arrive was Rock ’n’ Roll the music was such, as ms Sagolla gress on research in Dances of the 1950s, by lisa Jo points out, that young people could dance, is Professor Sagolla, part of the american dance not merely listen, even if in a the- of dance at the uni- Floor series from Greenwood. ater. they had to move to the beat. versity of california, Second was mark Franko’s titled they danced on their seats and in Santa cruz; director Martha Graham in Love and War the aisles. of the center for Vi- subtitle The Life in the Work from a good deal of space is given to sual and Performance Oxford university Press. the first realityt V show – american Studies, and editor Both are profusely illustrated Bandstand - which in turn gave rise to of Dance Research hardcover books. Both are 6 ½ by 9 many of the new dances. it discusses Journal. ½ inches. Both are histories of dance not only the moves of elvis Presley, he does more than during that period. Both are under which so scandalized the older gen- research, he excavates 200 pages with extensive glossaries of erations, but the fact that most mu- into the psyche of ms Jacket design caroline mcdonnell notes and bibliographic attributions. sicians playing this new music also Graham and presents cover photo by Barbara morgan there all similarities end. to use a were impelled to move to it. how during and fol- culinary comparison, one is hot dogs, She notes societal, economic and lowing her time with erick hawkins, with a dictionary at their elbow to be the other sweetbreads. i’d guess over political causes and fallout. She various dances came into being. sure they get all the nuances of this 90% of people enjoy hot dogs. i’d guess remarks on the emergence of the unlike ms. Sagolla’s, mr. Franko’s intense scholarly work. less than 1% enjoy sweetbreads. adolescent culture in the 50s period book was not intended for the average When i began reading this book, any one with interest in rock ‘n’ of economic abundance. She includes reader. it is a deep and dense delv- i remembered an incident in my own roll history can enjoy reading ms the beginning of dancing with a part- ing into the psychological, mythical, career. i had just moved to Spring- Sagolla’s book, available in both hard ner without making physical contact. social, political and environmental field, massachusetts and was hired cover and as an ebook. For those of us While i jitterbugged to this music, i influences which moved martha to write performance reviews for who were around during that period settled down to marriage and mother- Graham from the late 30’s through the weekly newspaper. i was on my it is a big helping of nostalgia. i was hood before moving on to that phase. the early 50’s. he examines, expands way to tea at a neighbor’s when the particularly impressed at the num- this twist solo dancing reminded me, and explains multiple causes and es- paper with my first review arrived. i ber of dances which were inspired by when i first saw it, of whirling der- pecially the affect of erick hawkins grabbed it and brought it along. my rock ‘n’ roll music – dances i never vishes. it seemed dance had moved on her private life and her creative hostess invited me to read the review knew existed although i was a teen- from a courtship ritual back to its work in that time period. mr. Franko aloud, which eagerly i did. She com- ager in that period. Some of those she prehistoric beginnings as a mystical favors an elitist vocabulary which plimented me. details, many of which had their be- set of moves. it preceded and perhaps will have college students sitting continued on Page 7 ginnings in african-american dance predicted the “me generation”! are the hard line and the madison, ms. Sagolla devotes a good deal of the Stroll, the Slop, the Walk, the space to 50’s films which helped keep CSS Publications, Inc. Support the Arts; circle dance and then, the major rock ‘n’ roll alive and active. it is a PO Box 730 Enrich your Life change in 1960 - the twist.. comprehensive and easily compre- Mt. Marion, NY 12456-0730 ms. Sagolla, a columnist and critic hended history of the early twentieth www.arttimesjournal.com 845-246-6944 for Backstage and the Kansas city century dance craze which reflected Star, teaches at columbia univer- the american spirit of the time. She sity. She has authored several other shows how these dances began with Subscribe to ART TIMES books and choreographed over 75 teenagers and worked their way into ART-LITERATURE-DANCE-MUSIC-EXHIBITIONS-THEATRE-FILM-ART-LITERATURE-DANCE-MUSIC Sept/ Oct 2012 aRT TIMES page 2 Peeks and Piques! SiNce mY liFe is filled with art and my privacy, happy that my study has over-worked and under-paid caregiv- Commentary and Resource for the Fine & Performing Arts artists, i’ve allowed myself to live in no phone and no room for visitors. my ers who have to live and work day art timeS (iSSN 0891-9070) est. 1984 is pub- lished bimonthly by cSS Publications, inc. with a somewhat rarified world, a world old study (the one that burned down a after day in the real world of sickness copies distributed along the Northeast corridor of beauty, ideas, philosophy and lofty couple of years ago) had a shade that and pain. how many of them, after primarily throughout the metropolitan and hudson Valley regions, connecticut, massachusetts and endeavors. Sort of spoils us, however, pulled down over my door with large putting up with un-appreciative and New Jersey each month. copies are also avail- when we are sometimes abruptly lettering in magic marker that read crabby patients during long shifts of able by mail to subscribers and arts organizations brought up against the “real” world “GO aWaY!” i didn’t replace that sign responding to those irritating buzzers throughout the uS and abroad. copyright © 2012, cSS Publications, inc. — as i’ve recently found out. i’d run because, by now, everyone who knows constantly going off, have the time to Publisher: cornelia Seckel into a bad patch of physical setbacks, me, knows me. i don’t like drop-ins, enjoy my world of art and artists? Of editor: raymond J. Steiner spending the last six weeks or so in a hovering, or over-solicitous do-good- visiting art exhibits and museums, of contributing Writers: variety of doctor’s offices and at least ers. Yet, here i was, for days on end, a browsing through colorful art books, henry P. raleigh robert W. Bethune ina cole dawn lille one full week in a hospital. i’ve been virtual prisoner to the needs, whims, of gently floating though a world of Frank Behrens Francine l. trevens at the mercy of doctors, nurses and duties and business of a never-ending beauty, ideas, philosophy and lofty Subscription rates: caregivers, being prepped, poked, line of strangers. thank goodness for endeavors? So let’s hear it for the uSa: $18 /1 year $34 /2years Foreign: $35 /1 year $45 /2 years prodded and pricked through all that “mercy”! i mean, what would we licensed nurse practitioner, the r.N., contact for Print and Online advertising rates: hours of the day and night, and not do without those caring souls who the l.P.N., the c.N.a., the P.c.t., the cSS Publications, inc., PO Box 730, mt. marion, always being a gracious recipient of devote their lives to the well being of doctor, the hospital attendants, the NY, 12456. Phone or Fax (845) 246-6944; all that attention. “mercy”, however, their fellow men? i was going to “get technicians, the receptionists — the email: [email protected] is the operative word here when re- better” whether i wanted to or not! entire gamut of medical profession- Web site: www.arttimesjournal.com advertising reservations are due: June 15 for Jul/ ferring to caregivers in general. From and that was it! Getting my “vitals”, als. they surely do deserve our full aug; aug 15 for Sep/Oct; Oct 15 for Nov/dec; dec “specialist” to “attendant”, i’ve found taking my pills, changing my iV bag, appreciation and we can only hope 15 for Jan/Feb; Feb 15 for mar/apr; apr 15 for may/ Jun. items for inclusion in the calendar must be up- that, to a person, these are very spe- and so on and so on, on their schedules that there is a special place ready for loaded to www.arttimesjournal.com/submitevent.