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Humanity’s artistry and creativity has slowly evolved and changed throughout the years. From cave paintings, to Renaissance portraits, to Victorian literature, and finally to modern experimental craftsmanship; art has been part of the human culture for years. This includes the evolution of what is known today as modern dance. Each type of new dance trend allows performers to accentuate and manipulate the body in new and certain ways. However, as seen in the popular movie from 1984, ‘Footloose,’ not all people agree with the notion that dance is something that Christians should associate with. The main character has to fight for his right to express through dance, but his argument can be expressed even further to those who still believe that dance is not something that should be in God’s …show more content…
While this type of dancing is still in the world today and was prominent in the Old and New Testament, other types of dance are actually beneficial in the Kingdom of God, letting followers become more like Christ and his ideals as well as letting them praise the Lord through their body. My goal is to prove that, through the teachings of the prophets and Jesus Christ, much of dance in the modern setting is encouraged in God’s heavenly Kingdom.
Like said before, dance has been part of the human culture ever since the beginning of history, going back to depictions of ritual and shaman dances before the time of written history began. An article from Illinois Wesleyan University on the evolution of sacred dance, specifically for religious purposes, states that, “the universe is permeated by rhythm, harmony, and patterned movement…Therefore, it is perfectly natural that man respond deeply and significantly to these ordered rhythms that make up his life, his world, and his universe.” It seems as though it is in human nature to dance, or to connect with the earth because Creation is natural patterns and music that can be reflected in human bodies. However, even the
Every dance that is created by a choreographer has a meaning and or purpose behind it. The dance choreographed could be used to send a political, emotional, or a social message. Regardless of the message being sent, each dance created possesses a unique cultural and human significance. This essay will examine and analyze two dance works from history and give an insight into what each dance work provided to the society of its time.
Learning about Dance: Dance as an Art Form and Entertainment provides visions into the many features of dance and inspires scholars to keep an open mind and think critically about the stimulating, bold, ever-changing and active world of dance. Learning about Dance is particularly useful for those who do not have a wide and diverse dance contextual, such as students in a preliminary level or survey dance course. This book consists of twelve chapters. Chapter one dance as an art form focuses on the basic structures of dance. Dance is displayed through the human body, it has the control to communicate and induce reactions. Dance can be found in many different places, it enables the participants and seekers to touch and knowledge the joy of movement. Dance is discovered as being one of the oldest art forms worldwide. Dance existed in early cultures was recognized in a sequence of rock paintings portrayed dance. Since this discovery of rock paintings, several other forms of art have been found that depict dance. People used rituals in order to worship the gods and believed that the rituals held magical and spiritual powers. During the ancient period civilizations sentient decisions began to be made with regard to dance. Other periods that had an impact on dance were the medieval period, the renaissance period, and the contemporary period. Chapter two the choreographer, the choreographer is a person who comes up with the movements created into a dance routine. The choreographer expresses themselves through choreography because this is their way of communicating with the audience. In order to be a choreographer you must have a passion for dance. Each choreographer has their own approaches and ways of making up a routine. Choreographers ...
José Limón left more to the dance community than a collection of marvelous dances and the memory of his own powerful performance. He developed a technique, a specific style of dancing, that could be passed on to future generations of dancers and choreographers. Throughout his career, José touched hundreds of audiences with dances that expressed a profound understanding and respect for the joy and pain of the human experience. In his own words, he sought “demons, saints, martyrs, apostates, foods and other impassioned visions” to shape his choreography. To him, dance was more than a series of well-executed and ingeniously shaped movements; it was the inevitable expression of the human spirit. Limón’s dancers were taught to transcend their rigorous technical training in order to find their own dramatic and emotional motivations for
...ating with each other and these are the same values that are being passed on to this generation. The dancers in South-central Los Angeles, uses this form of art to express their feelings and it a form of communicating just like their ancestors did back in there days. At the same time, it allows them to have a much deeper connection with their roots.
The freedom of the American life and culture of the 1970’s overflowed to make a major impact on music and dance during this period. American culture flourished. The events of the times were reflected in and became the inspiration for much of the music, literature, entertainment, and even fashion of the decade. Choreographers wanted to motivate the dancers to leap into the unknown and experience the contact of dance in their own way.
Through her cultural influence on dance, as well as her impact on reinventing dance itself, Anna Sokolow has gone down in history as one of the great modern dancers. Her Jewish roots were a huge basis for the dances she would perform and the messages that she would try to get across, which is significant to me and my own similar religious views. It was important for dancers and choreographers to speak up for what they believe in and disseminate their message throughout the world of the arts, and Sokolow was one of those who did this with great success. Through her unique style of movement, her eye-opening piece Rooms, and her own personal connection to Judaism, Anna Sokolow’s inspirations and works come together to address a powerful issue in Jewish society and culture during her time.
St John, Graham. "Electronic Dance Music Culture And Religion: An Overview." Culture and Religion 7.1 (2006): 1-25. Academia.edu. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.
Considering descendants’ effort to bring this culture back in society, this entire dancing performance, masks, and the idea of interacting with the outside world must not have been merely correlated to their religious and spiritual ritual. It might have been their identity; a symbolic of their society which their ancestors had built and passed down to them.
Ramsay, B. (2000). Dance theory, sociology, and aesthetics. Dance Research Journal, 32(1), 125-131. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1478286
[6] Cohen, Selma Jeanne. International Encyclopedia of Dance: A Project of Dance Perspectives Foundation, Inc. New York: Oxford UP, 1998. Print.
On September 2nd, I experienced one of the most enjoyable folk dances, known as contra dance, at the First Baptist Church. Due to my cultural and religious background, this experience was new to me and full of mystery. However, it led me to wonder how social music, especially contra dance, is powerful enough letting strangers dance and communicate with each other in a perfect harmony.
New Dance is described as a developing art form; this dance was articulated in the early 20th century. According to Chapter 8 in History of Dance book, “the new dance emerged as a response to the ballet that populated the variety shows and music halls, which had a rigid formula of steps and poses” (Kassing). The New Dance was a product of several strands that interlaced together dancers’ studies and backgrounds; these strands and others were woven together in a historical, political, and societal framework. For instance, one strand of New Dance consisted of the concepts, techniques, costumes, and stage settings from around the world. These strands influenced major dancers and choreographers, such as, Isadora Duncan, Loie Fuller, Ruth St. Denis, and Ted Shawn.
Jonas, Gerald. Dancing: The Pleasure, Power, and Art of Movement. New York: Abrams, 1992. Print.
Like many Indian arts, Indian dance also has its root in religion. Without the religious and cultural background of India, the growth and beauty of Indian dance is not possible. In ‘Natya Shastra’, there is a small story about the origin of Indian dance. According to Hindu mythology, dance first existed in heaven. There was always a constant conflict between the Asuras and the Devas for wealth and power. The Devas were tired of the Asuras’ greediness and jealousy.
Dance is an ancient human practice, however the earliest record of human dance remains a mystery. By