On the night of Saturday, April 13, 2014 I went to Arabian night at Sheik Hookah bar in downtown Norman, Oklahoma. This was one of the multiple places between Oklahoma City and Norman to experience a belly dancing performance. I chose Sheik Hookah Bar because it was the most convenient of all the locations. The dance I attended was titled “Arabian Nights”. The dancers use their movement and body language to communicate movements used by dancers in the Middle East. The atmosphere of Sheik was dark and relatively quiet. There were low lights, and a relaxed environment. When I entered the bar, I chose my hookah flavor, and had the option of also purchasing a drink for the show. I came with two of my good friends, who had also never attended a belly dancing show. This dance was different than any other I had ever attended. Afterwards, the experience gave me a new outlook on the types of dances in the world.
The belly dancers began the show with rather slow movements, beating along with the beats of a drum. They began with body rolls and flowing movements of their arms. They then started using their hips, which appeared to be the main area of focus throughout the performance. Each movement started with, or included movement of the hips, and everything was very fluid. The dancers started doing a few turns, and then went on to form a variety of formations. The dance movements began to increase rapidly throughout the performance and really began to speed up during the middle of the show. The dancers were all in sync with their movements, which seemed difficult due to the unstable beats.
Throughout there were many full body rolls, which gained attention from the audience because, as if there was a center ele...
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...complete awe of the speed they could shake there hips, move their stomachs, and the extent their bodies were able to bend.
Overall, this dance experience was one I would highly recommend to other students participating in this class. It was unlike any other live performance I’ve experienced live. I would enjoy seeing more Arabian performances, in hopes to continue to amaze me. Seeing this live performance compared to watching dances online was the full effect and experience watching it live. Requiring students to view a show live truly shows us as students the hard work the dancers put forth, and the time and effort the dancers put into the show, and everything coming together. The lights, music, and dancing felt much more personable. It’s a gift that I was able to view this performance right here in Norman, Oklahoma and is an experience I will never forget.
I really like how they included the puppet in the dance and that later on the puppeteers where actually performing on their own showing that what’s in the background also matters. That was very inspiring and very well done as Kidd Pivot is know for having highly trained dancers. In the video from Ohad Naharin “minus 16”, which we have seen before” I can say that it is Dance Theater and Physical Theater work. The dancers are also highly trained but in a different way than Kidd Pivot’s dancers. Do they end up naked at the end? I wasn’t sure about that
Human beings are fascinated by heroes. Joseph Campbell believes that throughout history heroes have followed a hero’s journey model or monomyth. This means that there are common patterns that can be found in many hero stories. Time after time, people have read about heroes leaving the ordinary world to complete the quest that will change mankind and better the hero. While many tasks and challenges may lie in the hero’s way they always return victorious. The Hero serves a dual purpose. Heroes are smart, brave and resilient. They show the world what is possible through hard work and perseverance. Heroes also reflect the fears and limitations that people are faced with. Heros inspires people to be the best versions of themselves. Chihiro the main character in Hayao Miyazaki’s film Spiri
At some points the dancers would move fast and quick with swift motions but in the
A pretty, perfect ballerina with a pink tutu, twirling with her arms above her head; ladylike hair with a Barbie-like face—these are the stereotypical images of dancers that come to most people’s minds. The real image is a sweaty dancer with ripped shoes, broken toes, blood coming out of her tights, and that’s really what dance is. People don’t see this, because dancers are so highly trained to mask this intensity, to make everything appear absolutely effortless. (Berkey)
In the beginning the dancers start out standing completely still and gradually sit down in a chair, with their heads facing down, which brings their upper bodies into a hunched over position. A few seconds later they quickly fling their upper bodies up into the air, taking them out of their seats, and then gently sit back down. When the dancers are on their chairs, their bodies tense up and with their heads facing down as if gravity and pressure weigh down the dancers, restricting them. The dancers free themselves as they break through confinement and jolt their bodies up out
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 ...
During the performance, the principle of spacing was demonstrated when the dancers scattered themselves across the stage and used excellent spacing. As each scene approached, they respectfully stationed themselves in their allotted positions. Never was the stage oddly spaced or bare. Also, the core principle of dance was demonstrated by using rhythm/time. This referred to the speed of moment of the dancers. Throughout the play, the time of the dancers fluctuated. There were times of excitement when the dancers expressed feelings of joy and therefore they had a fast speed but there are other times when the dancers were confused and uncertain and as a result, their speed were much slower and calmer.
circle. Sometimes as a up and down movement is done while standing in place. Costumes
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.
The Folklorico group presentation I was honored to observed was the “Grupo Folklorico Juventud” from North Salinas High School. I decided to attend to this presentation because I use to be part of this Folklorico group. I also enjoy watching the dances for the reason that I believe they are beyond beautiful. It is amazing how a simple dance could transmit so much information while representing a region from Mexico. From my observation experienced, I noticed every region has different movements and customs for a reason. While observing the presentation I noticed most women used long skirts to create different shapes. They usually create the eight shape, half a circle or an entire circle which is created when the dancer does an entire spin while holding and moving their skirt. The skirt is also moved in different levels, such as high, medium, and low. The two levels that are used in most of the dances is the high and the medium level. While dancing the men and women usually do the same steps and movements. All the dances include “zapateados” which are known as foot dances or stomps. The “zapateados” are usually done with different parts of the feet such as the toe, heel and the sole of the feet. The dances include “zapateados” with different sections of the feet because every part creates a different sound. Most of the dances also include jumps and turns. It is extremely important for the
... focus. The dancers execute techniques and moves that are absolutely graceful and beautiful. The moves flow nicely from one to another. Towards the end of the dance all of the dancers begin to fade away into the darkness of the stage except for three of the dancers. After some time, each dancer begins to dance back into the spotlight to join the other dancers. They do not come all at once but instead one by one. This dance has a lot of shadows because of the way the stage is lit up. The dancers’ white tights have a purpose, they are meant to stand out in the dark and demonstrate that the dancers are still a part of the dance. Within the dance there are some small stunts. The dancers pick up other dancers and pose them in the air for a small amount of time. At the very end, the dancers return to their positions on the ground just like from the beginning of the dance.
During the late 80’s, Phil Alden Robinson developed a sensational story that revolved around a real life account of a sport tragedy. The viewers were immersed in a touching account of how sport, a social interest, can play a powerful role in human bonding; thus becoming a very spiritual component of life. It in itself has a profound effect on the societies’ spiritual experiences; and just like religion can respectfully be considered a form of spirituality for a modern society, as exemplified in Robinson’s movie ‘Field of Dreams’. This story resonates far beyond the power of dreams, its appeal lies in a vision of a perfect sport and the love for which can inadvertently resolve issues no matter how grand. The plot at first presents itself as a complex; or maybe even a strange series of events, but somehow its scenes string themselves into a moral about redemption and deep interpersonal bonds.
Jonas, Gerald. Dancing: The Pleasure, Power, and Art of Movement. New York: Abrams, 1992. Print.
Dance is a part of every culture. Whether it is the fire dances of the native Hawaiians, or the Tango from Spain, dance is a part of every culture. This event is not an event I would usually attend. I am not into art of any kind except music. At first, there were two reasons I went to this performance.
A ballet dancer’s general intention when performing any piece is to convey a message to the audience. A message is relayed through the dancer’s strategic facial expressions and body movements. Each movement has a purpose in articulating the dancer’s energy, and confidence within themselves to express the emotions and inspire the audience (Lucas). A dancer’s energy and