The Skeleton Dance
The Skeleton Dance, produced in 1929, was the first of Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies, a cartoon series which had no leading characters and which served as a vehicle for experimentation in the still new and developing animation medium. The cartoon was directed by Disney, with animation by Ub Iwerks and music by Carl Stalling (scoring Grieg's March of the Dwarfs). The cartoon was the result of Stalling's suggestion to Disney that music be used not just to support character action (as was done in such films as Steamboat Willie, the first cartoon with synchronized sound), but to provide the thematic foundation upon which an animated story could be crafted. In a sense, it was the first music video.
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Announcing In These Times’ New Agreement with the National Writers Union
Freelance contributors are essential to the quality and success of In These Times and independent media, and this agreement is one way to demonstrate their value to our publication and our commitment to transparency.
For more information about the National Writers Union, visit nwu.org.
Read the full agreement, which reaffirms a floor for the rates of our freelance editorial content, as well as our current rates (which are higher) and submissions guidelines below.