Richard Powers (dance historian)
Encyclopedia
Richard Powers is an expert in American
social dance
, noted for his choreographies for dozens of stage productions and films, and his workshops in Paris, Rome, Prague, London, Venice, Geneva, St. Petersburg and Tokyo as well as across the U.S. and Canada. He has been researching and reconstructing historic social dances for twenty-five years and is currently a full-time instructor at Stanford University
Dance Division. He teaches a variety of social dance history and practicum classes for the dance division of the Stanford University Drama Department. He joined the Dance Faculty in 1992 and serves as a faculty liaison to the Friends of Dance at Stanford organization.
Richard founded the Flying Cloud Academy of Vintage Dance (1981) to produce large-scale monthly recreations of Victorian and Ragtime Balls. Formed the Flying Cloud Troupe, a 30-member performing company (1982) and co-founded the supporting Fleeting Moments Waltz & Quickstep Orchestra.
Richard started and directed the Stanford Vintage Dance Ensemble (1992) and serves as an advisor and choreographer for the Swingtime Dance Troupe
.
Recipient of the Post-Corbett Award, Cincinnati's foremost arts recognition (1992).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
social dance
Social dance
Social dance is a major category or classification of danceforms or dance styles, where sociability and socializing are the primary focuses of the dancing...
, noted for his choreographies for dozens of stage productions and films, and his workshops in Paris, Rome, Prague, London, Venice, Geneva, St. Petersburg and Tokyo as well as across the U.S. and Canada. He has been researching and reconstructing historic social dances for twenty-five years and is currently a full-time instructor at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
Dance Division. He teaches a variety of social dance history and practicum classes for the dance division of the Stanford University Drama Department. He joined the Dance Faculty in 1992 and serves as a faculty liaison to the Friends of Dance at Stanford organization.
Richard founded the Flying Cloud Academy of Vintage Dance (1981) to produce large-scale monthly recreations of Victorian and Ragtime Balls. Formed the Flying Cloud Troupe, a 30-member performing company (1982) and co-founded the supporting Fleeting Moments Waltz & Quickstep Orchestra.
Richard started and directed the Stanford Vintage Dance Ensemble (1992) and serves as an advisor and choreographer for the Swingtime Dance Troupe
Swingtime Dance Troupe
Swingtime Dance Troup is a student-run swing performance troupe based at Stanford University in California.It was founded the fall of 2002 by four students – Megan Kale, Darick Tong, Maria Reese, and Andy Huang – in the wake of the dissolution of the Vintage Dance Ensemble. It is Stanford...
.
Recognition
Powers was selected by the Centennial Issue of Stanford Magazine as one of Stanford University's most notable graduates of its first century and was awarded the Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel Award for distinctive and exceptional contributions to education at Stanford University (1999).Recipient of the Post-Corbett Award, Cincinnati's foremost arts recognition (1992).
Choreographies in film
- Ragtime era dance for the 1989 film Cold Sassy TreeCold Sassy TreeCold Sassy Tree is a 1984 novel by Olive Ann Burns. Set in the U.S. state of Georgia in the fictional town of Cold Sassy in 1906, it follows the life of a 14-year-old boy named Will Tweedy, and explores themes such as religion, death, and social taboos...
- 19th century ballroom dances for the 1989 film North and SouthNorth and SouthNorth and South may refer to:Literature*North and South , novel by Elizabeth Gaskell*North and South , series of novels by John Jakes**North and South , first novel in the series...
- Ragtime era dance for the 1994 film Spring AwakeningSpring AwakeningSpring Awakening is a rock musical adaptation of the controversial 1892 German play of the same title by Frank Wedekind. It features music by Duncan Sheik and a book and lyrics by Steven Sater. Set in late-19th century Germany, it concerns teenagers who are discovering the inner and outer tumult of...
- Victorian ballroom dances for the 1986 TV film Mrs. Perkins' Ball