"Cool" by Jerome Robbins: A Short Dance History Lesson
My most popular post is a short dance history lesson on Bob Fosse examining “The Rich Man’s Frug,” so I thought I’d do another! Before quarantine, my Theater Jazz dance class was learning “Cool” from West Side Story. There is something so beautiful about the way choreography is handed down from teacher to student as a living record. A quick crash course in Jerome Robbins’ dance style: best known for his blend of musical theater and ballet styles, Robbins emphasized character work, relationships, and emotion in his dances. Above all, he wanted his choreography to be authentic and relevant.
Prior to dancing, Robbins wanted to be a puppeteer and I think this says a lot about his work: he wanted to control every aspect. He was known to ruthlessly cut or change music, dancers, and choreography and wavered on every minute detail. While filming “Cool,” the dancers took matters into their own hands and lit their kneepads in a bonfire outside his office to ensure they wouldn't have to do yet another take.
“Jerry has a reputation for being difficult. He drives himself crazy with his work, questioning everything over and over, trying this and that until everyone else is ready to go crazy too- but only because he believes there is a right way and a wrong way, not just a possible way. Jerry is one of the most complex people I have ever known, capable of every human response in the book: wise, generous, pragmatic, accepting, unreasonable are just a few.”
It’s nearly impossible to capture Robbins’ style in a quick summary. In his own words, “I don’t have a school of dance as much as an approach to theater and presence on the stage and what it is I want to evoke on stage and in the audience...Saying in movement which evokes a whole atmosphere, life and relationship, which cannot be said in words but which is understood through movement and gesture by the audience.” He constantly strove to keep his movement ‘fresh’ and covered a wide range of subjects, his style evolving to fit each decade. Over the course of his career, he created more than 60 ballets and choreographed countless Broadway hits, including Gypsy, Fiddler on the Roof, and The King and I.
“Cool” from West Side Story showcases Robbins’ style: unadulterated movement telling a story about real American issues of the time. Towards the beginning of the movie, Tony says “Riff, did you ever stop to figure how many bubbles there are in one bottle of soda pop?” This analogy persists throughout the rest of the show. In the movie version, “Cool” is performed after the leaders of the Jets and the Sharks are both killed. (As a side note, in the stage musical, “Cool” is sung by Riff and is performed right after “America,” Ice is named Diesel, and Action takes over leadership of the Jets instead of Ice.) Leading up to the big rumble, it is as if the soda pop bottle has been shaken up. In “Cool,” they open it a tiny bit at a time to release the carbonation, then quickly close it before it erupts. “Cool” utilizes breath work as the Jets try to calm themselves down, even making a “shhhhhh” sound like a fizzing soda bottle. The movements explode, limbs spread out as far as possible as they rocket toward the ceiling, and then are tamped down as the cave into themselves, hunching over toward the floor.
Leonard Bernstein’s music similarly fluctuates over the course of the musical and songs frequently switch time signatures. If you’d like to go down a musical rabbit hole, google ‘hemiola.’ It refers to three beats of equal value squished into the time normally occupied by two beats. Hemiolas are a common feature in Latin American music, and in West Side Story. Hemiolas amp up the energy and tension of the show. To link themes together, Bernstein uses three note motifs (expertly explained in this video). In “Cool,” we hear the Conflict/Hate motif that symbolizes the tension between the two gangs. This motif is based on the sound of a shofar, a traditional Jewish horn closely linked to the idea of sin and atonement. It would be impossible to discuss the choreography separate from the music because they fit so seamlessly together. Bernstein and Robbins were frequent collaborators. Robbins’ use of levels mirrors Bernstein’s music, which ebbs and flows as the Jets whisper-sing then yell out a startling “Pop!” Each component feeds off and heightens the other. This discussion between Maria and Anita nicely sums up the motivations behind Robbins’ choreography in West Side Story:
“Maria: Why must they always fight?
Anita: Well, you saw how they dance— like they gotta get rid of something quick. That’s how they fight.
Maria: To get rid of what?
Anita: Too much feeling. And they do get rid of it. Boy, after a fight, that brother of yours is so healthy.”
Robbins wanted to choreograph dances that captured the reality of American life, rather than the ideal. The gritty reality of racism and gang warfare in West Side Story does just that. To promote authenticity, Robbins kept the cast members for the Jets and the Sharks separated from each other during rehearsals and continuously posted news stories about gang violence on the bulletin board backstage. He was known for quizzing dancers about details such as what their characters had eaten for dinner the night before.
The staging of “Cool” highlights Robbins’ trademark focus on community and relationships. At the beginning of the number, the dancers are facing Ice as he sings with their backs to the camera. This broke from traditional staging with dancers who watched each other instead of always presenting to the audience, something Robbins did frequently in his stage productions. Throughout the number, dancers alternate between dancing to the camera, looking at and interacting with each other, and dancing with their backs to each other and the camera as they attempt to recollect themselves.
Something that fascinates me about Robbins’ choreography is the way he plays with effort. The Jets show just how much effort it takes to launch themselves into the air, collapsing into sweaty piles. It reminds me of tennis players who grunt or yell when they hit the ball. They are not afraid to show you how difficult it is. At the same time, Robbins wanted movement to seem informal and spontaneous, claiming classical steps should appear as easy as breathing. This is the aspect of dance I am more accustomed to- making impressive physical feats seem simple and effortless. In “Cool,” he purposefully made the choreography awkward to execute in order to frustrate the dancers. Many of the movements feel physically uncomfortable, even impossible. For example, in the dance section after the iconic snapping while running, the dancers do a double pirouette without any preparation, forcing the dancer to propel themselves with as much energy as possible. In contrast, when the three women begin their section they glide forward effortlessly. By the end of “Cool,” all of the dancers are breathing heavily, shoulders heaving up and down. There is no attempt to hide it.
“Cool” exemplifies many qualities that make a piece a "Jerome Robbins" piece: a fluid mix of musical theater and ballet styles, a focus on relationships and raw emotion, and the sheer “American-ness” of it. You can’t watch “Cool” without feeling something. When I first heard the were remaking West Side Story, I wondered how they could mess with a classic. However, rewatching the movie I can see a lot of opportunities for improvement, most especially by casting actual Latinx actors/dancers and eliminating brownface. That said, I do hope they stick with much of the original choreography.
I had a lot of fun doing all the research for this piece! I am thinking my next short dance history lesson should be a female choreographer. Maybe Twyla Tharp since her autobiography is in my to-read pile? Who is someone you’d like to learn more about?