Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Bodies and geometry

Awesome, broad-ranging educational blog:
 http://longstreet.typepad.com/thesciencebookstore/2010/09/leggy-human-geometry-and-perspective-in-busby-berkeley-musicals-image-dump.html

I happened upon it when Googling Busby Berkeley, the master of geometric choreography.



Working in the 20s, 30s and 40s, Berkeley choreographed for Broadway and Hollywood. His dance numbers involved dozens or hundreds of showgirls in elaborate, shifting geometric patterns.
Though innovative in his stage and film techniques, Berkeley was accused of collectivism - for reducing the dancers to cogs in the choreographic wheel (see above). But if you ask me, that's pretty much the fate of chorus girls.

Just consider A Chorus Line, the award-winning 1975 musical choreographed by Michael Bennett. This scene addresses the desperation of dozens of dancers competing for spots in the chorus. Here are the lyrics: http://www.theatredance.com/aclly1.html