Throughout the week there were various events that I could have attended. A few friends and I decided to attend the Narragansett tribal dance and drum circle. As I entered the room, the tribal members were seated around in their traditional clothing. Seeing the traditional outfits was quite a culture shock. The program started with drummers who played processional music as tribal dancers entered the room dancing. The music was played on a traditional drum that was a heirloom to the tribe. As the program continued there were different dances demonstrated for the audience, that represented parts of the tribe’s life. One of the dances performed was a traditional dance called the Great War. This dance symbolised war and was performed before a …show more content…
The dance started with a woman all wrapped up in a blanket then as she continued she started to unravel from the blanket with extravagant spins and arm movements. The dance ended when she dropped her blanket in front of the man she was courting. Additional dances were performed throughout the night while the tribe also educated the audience on their history. The presentation was the perfect representation of a multicultural event. The mission statement says “respect[s] cultural, individual, and role differences due to age, gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language, and socioeconomic status.” (psychology department uri)many aspects of the event could be related to this. I grew up in Rhode Island and never learned much about the Narragansett tribe or their culture. Their culture and mine are very different, which was shown by the members of the tribe work ethics. Members make intricate clothes and accessories, that can take up to months or years to create. On the other hand if I wanted clothes I would go to a store and pick the first item that caught my eye. The differences in work ethic can be related back to …show more content…
Walking into the multicultural room where tribal dancing was held was a complete culture shock. As they began to drum and do their traditional dances I was very uncomfortable. The lyrics were being yelled, and every time the drum was hit I would jump in my seat. Also the members of the tribe had on face make up which to me was a bit peculiar, as in my culture if I was to wear face paint I would be looked at as “weird”. However as the event continued I became more comfortable, I got use to the noises and I began to appreciate the history of the Narragansett tribe. Everything they did had a story behind it, which I could either relate to or found it interesting. As I began to understand their culture and listen, I appreciated each dance and every outfit even
The next work of the program, Courtly Airs and Dances, is a multi-movement work composed by Ron Nelson. The piece is split into six movements: Intrada, Basse Danse, Pavane, Saltarello, Sarabande, and Allemande. Each of these present distinct characteristics that separate it from each other movement, yet all are united by being a style of dance. The first movement, Intrada, presents a fanfare-like opening to the multi-movement work. The trumpets and brass section as a whole lead this, as they create a sense of nobility. The key is major and the tempo is one that could be described as allegretto—it is not a fast tempo, yet more brisk than an andante pace. The texture is homophonic, as there are different parts being performed by different
In this Chapter, I explore a contemporary venue for belly dance in America, the Arizona Renaissance Festival. I examine how belly dance functions at the festival and how the festival uses the past as an exotic entity. The Arizona Renaissance Festival creates a fantasy culture for entertainment and reinforces America’s ties to a European heritage. Contemporary representations of belly dance are examined, illustrating how this multifaceted dance simultaneously connects to and denies its Orientalist roots in America. I also examine how images of belly dance from the nineteenth century impact contemporary dance through costume inspiration. Due to the numerous styles of belly dance in America today, I focus on only two different forms of belly dance, American tribal style belly dance or as it referred to ATS and Egyptian cabaret.
“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.
2. The marketplace was already bustling with people. There were common settlers, craftsmen, Native Americans, and blacksmiths. Everyone in the town had taken a day off to celebrate and watch the Procession. The celebration had a shadow of the Elizabethan time in which the political leaders, priests, clergymen, and various other people tried to bring in their old tradition within their celebration and clothing. There were a few wrestling matches going on as fighting with staffs going on somewhere else. The most entertaining scene for the people was a fight with swords and shields on the platform of the pillory. English settlers wore dark sullen colors while the Native Americans dressed in embroidered deer skin, belts and beads, feathers, and bows and arrows. Even though they were separate from the English crowd, they weren’t the most “savage” or wild of
On the morning of December 29, 1890, many Sioux Indians (estimated at above two hundred) died at the hands of the United States Army near Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The Indians were followers of the Ghost Dance religion, devised by Wovoka, a Paiute prophet, as a spiritual outlet for Indian repression by whites. The United States Army set out to intercept this group of Native Americans because they performed the controversial Ghost Dance. Both whites’ and the Sioux’s misunderstanding of an originally peaceful Indian religion culminated in the Battle of Wounded Knee. This essay first shows how the Ghost Dance came about, its later adaptation by the Sioux, and whites’ fear and misunderstanding of the Dance, then it appraises the U.S. military’s conduct during the conflict, and American newspaper coverage of events at Wounded Knee.
Different Dance Styles by Doris Humphrey and Maud Allen that Presented New Dances that Displayed Innovative Movements.
Early in the novel, an assortment of American Indian elders gather to celebrate the return of Archilde, the main character, to his family homestead. During this event, a number of historically and culturally insightful stories are shared allowing one to glimpse into the lives of the Salish people as they interacted with settlers, first feeling the positive effects of technologies, such as axes, and later feeling endangered by harsh new weapons and foreign practices (McNickle 65-74). During a Fourth of July celebration, the Salish people celebrated by completing traditional midsummer dance activities. This section seems to emphasize the discrepancy between the perceptions of the Salish people and the general population regarding Native American traditions. Those viewing the dancers made fun of their customs and belittled their traditional activities while the older Salish people revered their customs as they were “almost real enough to make it seem like a spirit come from the grave” (McNickle
In our day and age where our youth are becoming more aware of the history of the country and the people who inhabit it, the culture of Native Americans has become more accessible and sparks an interest in many people young and old. Recent events, like the Dakota Access Pipeline, grab the attention of people, both protesters and supporters, as the Sioux tribe and their allies refuse to stay quiet and fight to protect their land and their water. Many Native people are unashamed of their heritage, proud of their culture and their ancestors. There is pride in being Native, and their connection with their culture may be just as important today as it was in the 1800’s and before, proving that the boarding school’s ultimate goal of complete Native assimilation to western culture has
It was approaching dusk as the conspicuous line of dark vans entered the reservation. These vehicles served the purpose of furnishing transportation for about 30 members of a Cleveland area youth group, whose mission was “to bring good news to the badlands';. In short, the group was ministering to the Indian children of the Pine Ridge Reservation, which was in close vicinity to the natural wonder found in the foothills of “the badlands';. The trip became a tradition for my church and I traveled there on three separate occasions. Each year, the team received a welcoming that could be described as anything but inviting. In fact, the first year the trip fell on the Fourth of July and as we drove in, our vehicles were bombarded with fireworks. I could never really grasp why we were so despised. After all, our intentions were commendable. The matter became clearer after I read Zitkala-sa’s “American Indian Stories';. Within this text, a Native American expresses her beliefs that actions similar to ours serve merely in altering culture.
For my final project I decided to do a form of dance and that form of dance I chose is ballet. I decided to choose ballet because every since I was a little girl I always admired the how graceful and elegant the dances carried themselves on stage. Throughout growing up I gain knowledge from friends who did ballet and pointe that it is not as glamorous as it is perceived. Ballet dancers go through excruciating lengths to be as elegant they can be on stage and I condemn their strength and persistence to do this form of dance. I believe ballet is one of the most beautiful forms of dance because ballet dancers practice to perfection and on stage you can definitely see how passionate they are about this form of dance.
Dance is a type of sport that usually involves movement of the body, often carried out to different types of music depending on the style. Dance is practiced in many cultures as a form of expression or social relations in a spiritual or performance setting, and is even used to express certain beliefs and ideas. Dance does not have traceable roots and it is not possible to say when exactly dance became a part of culture, but historical evidence shows that dance has been an important aspect of rituals, services, revels, and entertainment since the ancient developments. Since dance was discovered, it has become prevalent. Many different forms and styles of dance are used all around the world today including ballet, swing, hip-hop, and even the tango and salsa.
Dance is a type of recreation that is great fun, exercise and sport. Dance is the movement of the body usually to rhythms or music. It is a form of expression and can even be considered a way of non verbal communication.
...ess the beauty of such unique ceremony.” As he told the very story with deep tones, he would raise his hand clutching a green blade. He said the oldest native gave it to him and that in the exchange the blade gave off light. In return the captain gave his most personal affect, his fathers pocket watch. His time with the natives he said was the best time of his life. The captain believed that the Indians were untainted beings; he said he could feel a connection between the people and believed that their power was routed by a natural energy, native to the land. But the Captain's stories were hard to take in full, the man had a thirst and he drank regularly. No matter how much he drank the captain only needed three hours of sleep to right him. He would wake up perkier than a horny pig and scold us till we joined him. With the captain gone. God to save us…
Dance, it is a big part of our world and it always has been. Dance is used to show something, really anything something that happened in history, something that would never really happen in real life. But in dance that does not matter because you show pictures and images with the movement of your body. People have always danced since the beginning of time to show what they are feeling.
Dance is an ancient human practice, however the earliest record of human dance remains a mystery. By