James Kudelka

James Kudelka glides comfortably between the worlds of ballet, modern dance, and postmodern dance. As one of Canada’s most prolific choreographers, he has a repertoire that bridges classical and contemporary modes as he moves skillfully between revisiting classical behemoths such as Swan Lake and creating entirely new works driven by his masterful relationship to music and his ability to push the boundaries of ballet vocabulary and partnering. This chapter contextualizes Kudelka’s work within the historical narrative of ballet in Canada and his impact on the repertoires of the National Ballet of Canada and Les Grands Ballet Canadiens. Kudelka’s dominant themes of love, sex, and death; his vocabulary and strong emphasis on artistic collaboration; and his musical awareness are all crucial elements of his creative process and are integral to his exploration of the human condition through ballet.

Etruscan Dance Culture as Represented in Tomb Paintings from the UNESCO Heritage Site in Tarquinia (Italy)

Karen Kain, recipient of the Companion of the Order of Canada and artistic director of the National Ballet of Canada, wrote an autobiography entitled Movement Never Lies referring to a truism about professional dance. The UNESCO heritage site of Tarquinia (Italy) featuring Etruscan tomb dance imagery has never been studied through Classical scholarship from the perspective of a professional dancer nor from the perspective of analysis of depiction of movement. The author of this presentation, a former dancer with the National Ballet of Canada (1986-1992) who is a Classics Major, has endeavoured to prove that examination of movement depiction can be used as evidence to provide insight into Etruscan culture. Methodology for the study is based on the premise that Etruscan dance representations of humans Ca. 2500 years ago and the techniques of the dancer of today reflect actions by the same species; therefore, a comparative is possible for the essence of the movement communicated. Results of the study indicate that representation of the Etruscan dance language is realistic and stable, is organically derived, is immensely practical, and has unique features within the Mediterranean cultural milieu. This preliminary study highlights the possibility of using ancient Classical cultures as models and terms of comparison for better understanding aspects of modern societies. It is salient that in contemporary culture, woman and children are dying to dance (from eating disorders), while Etruscans seemed to be dancing to live or to become ambassadors for an afterlife indicated by the Etruscan models.