Blog 5: Why It Matters To Me...

When I first entered Peck School of the Arts as a dance major, I had no technical training whatsoever.  My first modern dance teacher was Andre Tyson, who was an Ailey dancer in his prime and who taught Horton technique.  My first roots in the field of modern dance lie with Lester Horton.  After that semester, I have always wanted to continue studying and training in Horton technique because of the values that I believe it holds.  I never felt stronger, more grounded and focused, than I did in that technique.  Lester Horton’s fortifications were hard, but the results that they yielded unto me were undeniable.  I would love nothing more than to do them after all these years and see the improvement in myself.  Even more, Lester Horton was a pioneer of his times.  Reading about him was inspiring and I felt, often times, that I had things in common with him, specifically his love and appreciation for various arts, skills and crafts.  He was uniquely gifted in many aspects of crafts and it was because of this that I think he was so brilliant.  He was able to take in everything and be inspired by it, but at the same time offer it back to the world in a way that was ultimately Horton.  I think people should take note on this because so many times I have seen works of art by people who are following a style, but not making it their own.  And what is even more amazing is he did not sacrifice the authenticity of the things that he was doing, such as when he made the dances and costumes based off of Native American traditions.  He was submersed in the things that he was interested in, which made him almost an expert about them.  He knew what was right and what wasn’t right, and what went and what didn’t and he made those details clear in his work.  He was devoted to his dancers and his goals, which I found very uplifting.  It makes me want to have the same kind of mindset about my ambitions.  He is an excellent role model for me and it is because he was so dedicated to achievement.  I think that in today’s world, remnants of Horton can still be seen in the Ailey Company, definitely.  He was such a major influence in Alvin Ailey’s life and since many of the company’s dances are Ailey’s original works, the influence still lingers.

Blog 4: Horton's Contributions

Lester Horton’s contributions to the field of dance are subtle and few, but they do exist.  Mr. Horton was definitely a leader of his time.  He took the time out to study the dance styles and characteristics of many different Native American groups and for that reason he was able to provide the steps to various ethnic dances.  Lester was very open to different cultures and races, as seen in his dedication to learning about some of them individually.  It is because of this that he was able to open up the doors for many performers who, without him, probably wouldn’t have had a big career in dance.  Alvin Ailey is a clear image of this and Horton’s technique and training definitely live down in the roots of the Ailey Company.  It is very apparent in the choreography.  Lester Horton was also a very innovative designer for props, costumes and sets, which was inspiring to other artists around him because he was so good at so many different crafts.  His codified technique is probably one of, if not his greatest, achievements.  This technique is a pillar for core strength and support and for finding groundedness and stability in the dancers’ body.  Horton was an avid researcher, which is why many of the things he did are so accurate and useful.  He was really a role model for anyone wishing to make their way into the field of dance.  Lester Horton’s use of authentic movement vocabularies from various ethnic groups speaks to his dedication for the recognition of different races.  He truly did leave an impression on those around him, as well as those who had the opportunity to work with and under him.

Blog 3: What Was Going On In the World?...

During the early 1900s there was a lot going on in the world.  There were wars, technological innovations, and entertainment and the arts.  Lester Horton lived from 1906 until 1953.  During those times, there were many things that happened that could have inspired him, changed his views and/or influenced his ways of thinking.

The 1920s...

-The growth and the general acceptance of the Ku Klux Klan.

-The Scopes Trial, which found John T. Scopes guilty of teaching evolution in schools and caused tension about evolution versus creationism.

-World War I had come to an end (post WWI era)

-The Soviet Union is created in 1922.

-October 29th, 1929 referred to as "Black Tuesday" the stock market has its worst crash in American History and is the leading cause of the Great Depression.

-John Logie Baird invents the first television in 1925 and later in 1928 the first color television.

-The 1920s for music was referred to as the "Jazz Age" because at the time jazz was huge, as well as jazz influenced dance music.

-The surrealist movement for artists begins, which features artwork and writings that incorporate surprise, juxtapositions and non-sequitur (conversational pieces, characteristics).

-The Art Deco movement begins, in which linear symmetry was a major change over from the curves and asymmetrical shapes in everything from architecture to jewelry.  Art Deco's basis was purely decorative.

In the 1920s, Lester Horton was just making his way into the dance world.  He was seeing dance like the Denishawn Dancers and getting his first dancing jobs.  I have no doubt in my mind that the growing KKK played a part in his life.  Though there probably was little to no interaction with them in his life, Lester Horton was very interested in cultural and ethnic matters, especially ones of injustice and racism.  He was open to giving African-Americans chances where they were usually excluded, such as Alvin Ailey, Carmen de Lavallade and James Truitte.   Also, jazz music was on the come up.  I am sure that Lester was inspired through this music in some kind of way, whether it would have been through dancing for another choreographer or coming up with his own early ideas for choreography, or possibly taking into consideration doing a collaboration with a musician in his future.  Lester was always interested in various art forms, so I believe that the emergence of different art movements would've been something very influential to him. 

The 1930s...
-World War II begins on September 1st, 1939.

-Hitler and fascist Germany begin their rise to power in 1933.

-Dust Bowl spreads across the United States caused by massive drought, dust and sand storms, and barren fields and crops.

-The Great Depression takes its affects throughout the United States.

-Prohibition in the United States is enacted in 1920 and is finally repealed in 1933 due to the ratification of the Twenty-First Amendment.

-Color movies/Technicolor movies are becoming increasingly popular by Warner Bros.

-Kodachrome, the first color film, is produced by Kodak in 1936.

-Radio becomes the mass media method.

In the 1930s, The Dust Bowl and The Great Depression were affecting everyone in the Nation.  I’m sure that this had some type of impact on Lester Horton and his dancers in terms of finances and travel.  Also, the Nazis were on the rise in Germany.  With Horton’s sense to the plight of all nationalities, I’m sure he had a sense of empathy for them.  Also, advancements in media, such as tv, film and radio were on the rise.  This made it easier to see what was going on around the world and draw inspiration from nation and world-wide matters.

The 1940s...
-United States becomes involved in WWII after Pearl Harbor in attacked and faces the Empire of Japan in the Pacific War.

-The Holocaust kills between 11-17 million people.

-Hiroshima and Nagasaki occur as US attacks Japan in retaliation. (August 6th and August 9th, 1945)

-Commercial television is developed.

WWII was coming to an end, but it was ending in many deaths around the world.  The Holocaust had killed millions of people, Hiroshima and Nagasaki had killed thousands in Japan, Lester would likely have been empathetic to the plight of these people as well.