A Taste of Dance and History
What is dance? There are many different definitions of it; one read “a set of lively movement resembling a dance. That once again brings us back to what is dance? To me dance could be as simple as pointing your fingers to a course of intricate rhythms laid down for another to follow. Dance has many steps and turns and could be as complicated as you make it. Dance to me is a expression of one body to a beat. Four different forms thought out the ages will be covered, such forms are Native American dance, dance in politics, ballet and dance and technology. Each form gives you history along with sense of freedom and belonging.
The Native Americans dance for both common amusement and solemn duty. Many dances play roles to religious rituals and other ceremonies; while other are done in hopes to grantee success of the hunt, harvest, giving thanks, and other. The dances usually took place in open fields around a big fire. Sometimes is lead by a chosen leader, a war leader or medicine man. The native Americans right to dance was almost taken away but the natives fought hard to keep it. They had to move ceremonies deep into the heart of reservations to not be seen by governing bodies. Children were snatch from residencies, forced to homes. The native used dance a form of expression and had chosen to not let go. The dance styles usually consist for the purpose of the of oneself or community. They sometimes cover great deals of space with maximum energy or could be the direct opposite. There movements and use of objects could be compared to dance of this generation. With the angles of the foot movement that could be found in what people would call hard style. The natives use these movements in slower mov...
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...the tales of history.
If you are to really break down history, the things that always stick out are there traditions. Dance has been a part of almost every semi primitive civilization. Things such as dance and other traditions, are things that are implemented to keep an society youthful and always growing. Throughout time almost each civilization has had their own form of dance, and for without this we might have lost the knowledge and understanding of the older civilizations. Dance with its usage of different level, energy and space has help us pushing for more to try and perfect our styles or to create something new. Dance keeps us alive and youthful, it’s a form of ecstasy and enjoyment that have helped people throughout history while keeping traditions alive. Dance is enjoyment, dance is history, dance to me is simple whatever you make it and that’s art.
They had the freedom to do as they pleased, and today, Natives have their own dances on their reservations and other locations, such as Pow Wows. They have the right to dance and worship however and in whatever way they choose and please to. After reading other pieces on Leonard Crow Dog, I was saddened to see that he was in trouble for putting on the dances that he did. But, through his efforts, it was shown to the whole United States and how Native Americans will fight and make sure that they will not give up their livelihood. They could practice the way that they pleased as they were not hurting anybody at all. Leonard Crow Dog’s efforts were beneficial in shaping the rest of the nation in regards to his people’s culture and religion. This is significant to the rest of the country because it shows the length of religion freedom, and that even though the United States government in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries forced Natives into boarding schools and other places they did not wish to go, now the Natives could do as they yearned to because of Leonard Crow Dog. He was brave and dedicated to upholding the traditions that his people followed before him, and he wanted to instill them into the current Native Americans in that time period when he conducted those dances. Others before him were scared, or maybe not even
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.
With the vast number of genres and contexts in which dance has been and continues to be practised today, the nature of dance is a controversial subject. The word “dance” is as tricky a vocabulary as is “art”, difficult to define because of its subjectivity. Such judgement can depend on the time in question, the context in which it is presented, the genre of the performance, and so on. Chris Challis offers that dance is essentially the “choreographer’s concepts of the dancers, the major concerns of what s/he takes dance to be, and therefore possibilities of meaning” (150). Perhaps to be a choreographer is to define what dance is for oneself and communicate that to others through the presentation of choreographic works. Isadora Duncan, Yvonne Rainer, and George Balanchine were each pioneers of Western dance in their own times who challenged the preconceived ideas of the norms in dance by bringing forth new and innovative approaches to dance-making which challenged the nature, traditions, and definition of dance. While each one's inspiration, motivation, and approach to choreography is very distinct from that of the others, they share that they had clear visions of their own views on the nature of dance which they presented through their works. These choreographers were consequently instrumental in paving the way to broaden choreographic possibilities in the world of Western dance, and continue to have an impact on the dance community.
Ballet, a form of dance has been around for many years and did not start in America. Ballet has made its mark around the globe and many have and still are enjoying the art and entertainment that the ballet brings. Ballet is known as being the “core” of the other forms of dance as in modern, contemporary and even hip hop. People enjoy the form of dance on an everyday basis at family functions, parties and even just being home alone and many do not know that the dances they particularly like all originated from ballet. The history of ballet has been put into nine well defined sections the Renaissance Period, the Baroque Period, the Classical Period, the Pre-Romantic Period, Romantic Era, the Russian Classics, the Ballet Ruses, Ballet in Europe
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 ...
“The Dancer’s gift” is a love story between a young man and woman, Marcel and Samantha. But this novel was written not only to call feelings about love and passion; the main goal was to introduce students to sociological concepts. Overall, the book includes more than 180 sociological terms that flow with the story and closely connected to happening events. Marcel, a black man, arrives from Martinique (an island in the Caribbean Sea), and Samantha, a rich American girl, meet each other in college and fall in love. Both of them face obstacles in their lives: Marcel was grown up in a poor extended but a friendly family, while Samantha was a daughter of rich but divorced parents. Marcel comes to the U.S. to become a professional dancer, while Sam decided to become an attorney at law just like her father. Being lovers they decide to spend their Christmas holidays together and go to New York. Next holidays they go to Marcel’s homeland, Martinique, where they realize that there lives a woman who is pregnant by him. At that time all dreams of Sam just collapse due to this bitter disappointment, which becomes one of the reasons why they break up. Throughout the story, they both meet with numerous social issues such as education, marriage, gender issue, racism, deviance, divorce, religion, race and ethnicity. In this essay, the three main reasons why this novel is an effective tool for learning sociological concepts will be discussed.
“Who knows only his own generation remains always a child.” This quote from George Norlin echoes the edification that cultural exposure can offer. How does African dance relate to do modern dance? The two are so heterogeneous in their make-up that one would not think of them as having similarities. The truth, however, is that all dance forms are linked in some way or another; they all strengthen and sharpen each other. Modern dance has its roots in African dance with the emphasis placed on the connection of weight and gravity. Brenda Dixon Gottschild names five aesthetics that are present in African dance. A particular piece that draws attention to the relation of the five aesthetics to modern dance is “Split Sides”, choreographed by Merce Cunningham.
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.
Native American Ritual Dancing “It has often been said that the North American Indians ‘dance out’ their religions” (Vecsey 51). There were two very important dances for the Sioux tribe, the Sun Dance and the Ghost Dance. Both dances show the nature of Native American spirituality. The Ghost Dance and the Sun Dance were two very different dances, however both promote a sense of community.
Is dance a sport or not? Some people in our world today consider dance just to be all frilly and fragile. Dance takes time, effort, determination and impeccable strength. I believe that dance is a sport because it has the same components as any other sport. In any other sport you need to work hard with a lot of effort, and that is exactly what dancers do. For example, most beginning dancers practice between five to ten hours a week. Although most people in our world today look at dancing as nothing more than tutus and twirling, a good dancer must have a mind mentally engaged, a body able to endure physical challenges, and toned dedication and skill.
The exhibit offers education to the masses, preservation of Native Indian culture, and research ideas into the origins of native dance. Proper consent for use of the photographs and due diligence in referencing the displayed information is standard for any display. This exhibit offers examples from many cultures and religious backgrounds. One area that could be of ethical concern is the interpretation by the local cultures of origin for each of the dances listed. The section that list the background and location of the author is very informative and perhaps offers some assurances to the local inhabitants that proper representation of their ceremonies is being
Dance can be defined as moving your body and doing steps depending on what type of dance form one is dancing on. Dance was created around 9,000 BCE in places of India. Many different types of dance forms include Tango, Cha-Cha-Cha, Sumba, Rumba, Bollywood, Salsa, Street Jazz, Disco, and Contemporary. Contemporary dance was found around the 20th century. An important figure in creating Contemporary dance form was Martha Graham.
The Northern Territory is known for its culturally diverse population and some would say it is the ‘multicultural hub’ of Australia. With all of these cultures comes distinctive customs and traditions. Throughout history dance has been used to help people develop a sense of identity, the younger generations are also taught social patterns and values through the different dances. The significance of these traditional dances was to reinforce and celebrate cultural law and practices including the celebration of the passage from child to adulthood or spiritual worship. The predominantly Western culture in Australia often causes minority groups to struggle for recognition regarding their beliefs and traditions. This is parallel to the Australian dance industry, where many cultural dance groups feel they have to justify who they are and are often
Dancing and music in general have evolved through time. People who danced in style in the sixties would not fit n the generation of the new millennium. As years have passed by, it seems the style of dancing is getting to be dirtier than ever. Parents do not approve of this lifestyle and this way of dance. It is inevitable that dance will change throughout our lives and so will its style. Dancing has changed in relation to music, behavior and time passed.
Dance is an ancient human practice, however the earliest record of human dance remains a mystery. By