Identify a section where free jazz is utilized and describe its significance to the storyline, especially since free jazz did not come to be until well after Parker’s passing.

1. Charlie Parker was a bebop pioneer, yet Alvin Ailey uses multiple genres of music in the soundtrack. Identify one section in this piece where non-jazz music is used, identify its genre, and explain how it RELATES to jazz (think about the 4 musicological subdivisions of music, this might help you to frame the conversation).
2. When Alvin Ailey actually does utilize jazz music, it sometimes steps outside of the bebop realm. Identify the location of at least one other sub-genre of jazz and discuss how musical improvisation is used in that section. Is there any dance improvisation in these moments? Elaborate.
3. Identify one section of the work where a bebop tune is featured. How is the musical quality of the instrumental soloist/soloists reflected in the movement of the dance soloist/soloists? How is the musical quality of the ensemble sections reflected in the movement of the dance ensemble sections?
4.  “Lover Man,” the great jazz standard, is featured prominently in one scene. Identify the singer of this version, highlight her contributions to jazz, and describe how the choreography works with/contrasts the poetic sensibility of this song.
5.  Identify a section where free jazz is utilized and describe its significance to the storyline, especially since free jazz did not come to be until well after Parker’s passing.
6. From the opening prologue (not the spoken prologue of Judith Jamison but the opening dance scene) and through to the scene where two female dancers “walk into” the cabaret after dancing alone together and join other men and women “at the club” various dances and dance steps of the jazz century are referenced.  Identify at least four (4) movements/dances from the video, giving specific dance and dance move names and their location in the video  (give the reference number indicating at exactly what point/s, e.g., from 00-.37 dancers do the waltz; this is just to give you an idea of how to state movement locations), the period in history (year/s) the dance was popularized and any specificities pertaining to classroom lecture and/or movement laboratory sessions connected to the dances/dance movements you reference.
7. The opening scene uses objects/props in very specific ways.  Discuss how, focusing not solely on blow-by-blow description of what the dancers do with their bodies (I’ve seen the video and do not want poor recapitulation like, “he bends down while carrying a trumpet” or, “he blows into the saxophone as if he is playing”) but the manner in which the storyline or action is brought forward and developed through the use of objects and props.  Objects are used throughout almost the entire ballet but especially in the first few scenes.  Why do you think Alvin Ailey chose to do this?  Support your opinion with material culled from Jazz Century course material together with your critical thinking.
8. Two overarching Jazz Century themes–Competition and the Collective versus the Individual–are used as choreographic devices in this ballet.  Identify two moments (one for each theme) where this is evidenced in the film, explaining how the devices are utilized.  While there are some very blatant examples of both themes, there is not only one correct answer to this question; your success in answering this question lies majorly in how well you illustrate and support your examples.  Remember to always reference your examples with the specific location (time-wise, using the timer at the lower edge of the video screen)
9. The scene leading to Bird’s institutionalization can be considered a turning point in the ballet’s development.  a) Why?   b) How is the shift from ‘external to internal’ accomplished in terms of sound and movement?    c) Describe what you hear, what you see and what you, the viewer, as a result are led to feel, using Laban’s Effort/Shape terms in your discussion.  If you merely list you will receive no credit! 

Immediately following Charlie Parker’s hospitalization, women appear on the scene, clearly as part of a healing process.  Describe how this healing is expressed through movement.  Please include in your discussion how gesture is employed, since it plays such an important role in this scene. Explain why this scene is transformative and how it in some way “justifies” the radical changes seen in both the music and dance of the final chapter which follows.  Yes, this is an opinion-oriented question; backing your thoughts up with critical analysis and examples from the viewed material, with references to what we have learned and discussed over the semester will turn your opinion into an intelligent hypothesis