Dunham Technique: Contractions [video recording]

Title

Dunham Technique: Contractions

Type of Material

moving image

Collection

Katherine Dunham Collection (Library of Congress)

Subjects

Dunham Technique

Ballet dancing--Study and teaching

Dunham, Katherine--Teachings

 notes

In 2002, with funds from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Library of Congress undertook the documentation of Katherine Dunham’s dance technique. Included in this website are clips on breathing; contractions; fall and recovery; pull-through contraction or full body roll; second position plié with footwork; second position plié with parallel stretch in fourth position; second position plié with contraction and release variations; advanced second position leg lift; leg swings with single circle; leg swings with two circles; twelve-count leg swings; progressions including the Dunham walk—slow; Dunham walk—single step; Dunham walk—double step or triplets; fourth position contractions; rocking horse; and rocking horse with ronde de jambe; and progressions based on Haitian traditional dances, including yonvalou, Congo Paillette, and mahi.

Vicky Risner, Executive Producer; Terry Carter, Producer/Director; Beate Glatved, Assistant to the Producer; Thomas Hurwitz, Director of Photography with funds from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation to the Library of Congress for the documentation of Katherine Dunham’s dance technique.

Performer

Demonstrated by Matthew Williams with Dara Adler, Adrienne Armstrong, Doris Bennett Glasper, and Yasmine Lee. Mor Thiam and William Cepeda, drummers. Recorded in New York in October 2001.

Videorecording identifier

WebEdit 3.18.04

Updated

09-27-2004

Last Updated: