Text 1Dance choreographer Alvin Ailey's deep admiration for jazz music can most clearly be felt in the rhythms and beats...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Dance choreographer Alvin Ailey's deep admiration for jazz music can most clearly be felt in the rhythms and beats his works were set to. Ailey collaborated with some of the greatest jazz legends, like Charles Mingus, Charlie Parker, and perhaps his favorite, Duke Ellington. With his choice of music, Ailey helped bring jazz to life for his audiences.
Text 2
Jazz is present throughout Ailey's work, but it's most visible in Ailey's approach to choreography. Ailey often incorporated improvisation, a signature characteristic of jazz music, in his work. When managing his dance company, Ailey rarely forced his dancers to an exact set of specific moves. Instead, he encouraged his dancers to let their own skills and experiences shape their performances, as jazz musicians do.
Based on the texts, both authors would most likely agree with which statement?
Dancers who worked with Ailey greatly appreciated his supportive approach as a choreographer.
Ailey's work was strongly influenced by jazz.
Audiences were mostly unfamiliar with the jazz music in Ailey's works.
Ailey blended multiple genres of music together when choreographing dance pieces.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Text 1: "Dance choreographer Alvin Ailey's deep admiration for jazz music can most clearly be felt in the rhythms and beats his works were set to." |
|
| "Ailey collaborated with some of the greatest jazz legends, like Charles Mingus, Charlie Parker, and perhaps his favorite, Duke Ellington." |
|
| "With his choice of music, Ailey helped bring jazz to life for his audiences." |
|
| Text 2: "Jazz is present throughout Ailey's work, but it's most visible in Ailey's approach to choreography." |
|
| "Ailey often incorporated improvisation, a signature characteristic of jazz music, in his work." |
|
| "When managing his dance company, Ailey rarely forced his dancers to an exact set of specific moves." |
|
| "Instead, he encouraged his dancers to let their own skills and experiences shape their performances, as jazz musicians do." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Both texts demonstrate that Ailey's work was deeply influenced by jazz music, shown through both his musical choices and his choreographic approach.
Argument Flow: Text 1 focuses on how Ailey's admiration for jazz appeared in his musical selections and collaborations with jazz legends, ultimately bringing jazz to audiences. Text 2 examines how jazz influenced Ailey's creative process itself, particularly through incorporating improvisation and encouraging dancers to have the same creative freedom as jazz musicians.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? What statement both authors would most likely agree with based on their texts
What type of answer do we need? A point that finds common ground between both perspectives on Ailey's relationship with jazz
Any limiting keywords? "both authors would most likely agree" - the answer must be supported by both texts, not just one
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Both texts clearly establish that jazz was a major influence on Ailey's work
- Text 1 shows this through his musical choices, collaborations with jazz legends, and how he brought jazz to audiences
- Text 2 shows this through his choreographic approach, using improvisation and encouraging the same creative freedom found in jazz music
- The common thread is that both authors present jazz as fundamentally shaping Ailey's artistic work - whether through the music he chose or the way he approached creating and directing dance
- So the right answer should recognize that jazz was a significant influence on Ailey's artistic work
Dancers who worked with Ailey greatly appreciated his supportive approach as a choreographer.
- Claims dancers appreciated Ailey's supportive approach
- While Text 2 mentions his encouraging management style, neither text discusses dancers' feelings about it
- No evidence in either passage about dancer satisfaction
Ailey's work was strongly influenced by jazz.
- States that Ailey's work was strongly influenced by jazz
- Text 1 supports this through his musical choices and collaborations with jazz legends
- Text 2 supports this through his incorporation of jazz elements like improvisation in choreography
- Matches our prethinking perfectly
Audiences were mostly unfamiliar with the jazz music in Ailey's works.
- Claims audiences were unfamiliar with jazz in Ailey's works
- Text 1 actually suggests the opposite - that Ailey "helped bring jazz to life for his audiences"
- No evidence in either text about audience unfamiliarity
Ailey blended multiple genres of music together when choreographing dance pieces.
- Claims Ailey blended multiple music genres
- Both texts focus specifically on jazz influence only
- Neither passage mentions other musical genres being incorporated