Orff Suite

Original Performance on November 10, 1977

1977 – Dances created by Maida Withers for the Dance Construction Company with live accompaniment by The Hartwick Orff Ensemble for the American Orff-Schulwerk Association held at the Sheraton Park Hotel in Washington, DC on Thursday, November 10, 1977.

The video shows only two dances from Orff Suite.

The program featured:
*Bolero – Bolero (Spanish dances from the 18th century is stated as the form. By the unison of the dance steps with song, body motions, and castinets, the Bolero is partially close in form to the elementary dance forms.  3/2 time – related to the scheme of the polonaise

*Performance of new choreography – Orff-Schulwerk:
Auftak  (atapotheosis of the prelude.”  (quarter/half/half/quarter – the after-beating contraction “masks” the 1st quarter designated as down-beating and makes it appear to be an upward beat – all percussion instruments

Ekstatischer Tanz  (The unique phrase technique of the piece as rhythmic is presented by the complement clapping chorus, rattling and percussion.  The expectable tension between organic and instrumental sound is altered by a stylization of a high degree of abstraction.

Nachtlied (The night son an atmospherically suspended impression suspended completely on flowering sound, stands in sharpest contrast to the rhythmogram or the Ecstatic Dance.

Kehraus (The model of an even-numbered march dance “alla marcia” lies at the basis.  One can imagine the procession of a band approaching from the distance.  There are 9 8 -measure phrases.

Orff Suite was also performed on March 3, 1980, in Building K  with Phase Tracing I and Phase Tracing II.

The program also included a demonstration by MWDCCo of Music and Dance Improvisation and a Time/Dance Excerpt of Contemporary Choreography.

 


Artists and Collaborators
Collaborators / Dancers
Live Ensemble Music (Orff)
Choreographer/Director
Music - Time/Dance
1930-1932 Orff Music by
Other Performances
  • Building K Studio(map) on March 3, 1980