Dance Analysis: West Side Story "America"

• At 1:43 the lead performer, Debbie Allen, does a Quick Time-Turn of the entire body and ends with Stillness of the lower body and Sustained-Overbalance of the upper body. Allen then continues the dance phrase in Quick Time while the background dancers, in a straight line, are juxtaposed with a Sustained Time sequence with Quick Time shoulder movements incorporated.

At 2:01 Allen carries out another Quick Time-Turn in a pirouette leading into high kick while Turning in Sustained Time. She then proceeds with four Turning steps that Transfer Weight creating a visual of Overbalance.

At 2:08 Allen does a series of four Turning-Jumps, the first three are executed in Sustained Time and the final Jump in Quick Time.

Time & the Six Categories of

Movement

• Costume
• Length
• Character
• Motif
• Slashing
• Character

Laban’s concept of Time relates to Sustained and Quick Time and Dunlop’s Categories of Movement are: Transfer of Weight, Turning, Travelling, Stillness, Jumping and Overbalance. In examining certain fragments or phrases of the dance one can deduce the combination of some of the two concepts of movement.

Seven Dynamic

Colours

1:44 - SWINGING

stepping across with skirt in opposition

2:08 - BALLISTIC

unpredictable direction changes

throwing, yet controlled energy

2:13/2:17 - PULSING

isolated legs and shoulders

2:44 - TO AND FRO

touch step touch, jump sisson section

ALL - SUSTAINED

uninterrupted continuity

There is a motif that happens a few time with the music and isolations. A timing of 1, 2, 3, and, ah happens a few times in the dance.

• at 1:38 they go into this dance with the motif by walking to the beat and using a dabbing motion with their hand hinging at the wrist.
• at 1:50 Debbie Allen repeats the motif with a balistic slash using her head.
• at 2:13 she does an isolated slash of her shin, but it is generated from her hip.
• The uses of her dress isolated are to excentuate the accents in the music

• Colour
• Landmarks

Valerie Preston-Dunlop describes seven dynamic qualities or colours within dance. These colours include pulsing, vibration, swing, sustained, falling, ballistic, and to and fro. Taking a closer look at West Side Story’s America choreography, it is clear to see many of these colours present within the movement.

Throughout the dance there are landmarks in the music that send the dance into the next section. At 1:34 there is a cannon in the music that propels into the start of the dance.

At 1:44 there is a shift and it gets a bass, at 1:46 the music opens up and the main dance begins, it gets a puerto rican feel to it.

at 2:10 Trumpets come in and this brings the rest of the girls in to join Debbie Allen

at 2:20 the music tones back to stop the dance and start the singing.

at 2:30 the music cuts out right before the big finale dance break.

1980 Broadway Revival

Choreography: Jerome Robbins

Featuring: Debbie Allen