A great deal of the world possesses a vague sense of the existence of the dance world, but they do not know much past that. The assistance of reality television shows, such as Dance Moms, So You Think You Can Dance, and Dancing with the Stars, present the inner workings of the dance community to the general public. Unfortunately, the publicity can change how society perceives the dance world. Reality television affected the dance world by contributing an air of commercialism to it, influencing younger dancers to suppose the main focus should be in the eye-popping tricks rather than artistry, and it drives audiences focus on the glitzy costumes and dazzling on stage performances rather than exhibit the sweat, blood, and tears that go into putting together the final product. Reality television provides the dance world with a negative connotation because it supplements an air of commercialism. Choreographers may undergo a need to “water down” their routines to entertain the audience so they would understand. “I definitely always go for creative and artistic-but I’m very much aware of our audience, too, so I don’t go to the point where it’s just so internal that they wouldn’t get it,” stated Mia Michaels, a choreographer on So You Think You Can Dance, (The Real Deal N.P). The dancers and choreographers must remember that it is not a concert dance venue; their obligation makes it so the audience is able to relate to the performance. Michaels went on to say, “We’re spoon feeding people who don’t dance. Give them too much all at once, they won’t get it,” (The Real Deal N.P). Commercialism has also affected how the dancers portray themselves. Sure the audience wants to watch a passionate dancer, but “the portrait of a dancer that emerg... ... middle of paper ... ... always think about how their dances would look from all angles rather than just from head on; creating a challenge and learning experience for those choreographers. As Wade Robson, who headed up one of the first dance competition shows, “The Wade Robson Project,” states, “ What comes along with good opportunities for choreographers in big prime-time situations is a responsibility to fight to keep the integrity in the work,” (The Real Deal N.P). Works Cited Burke, Siobhan. “Who Needs the Drama?” Dance Magazine – If It's Happening in the World of Dance, It's Happening in Dance Magazine. Dance Media, July 2013. Web. 31 Mar. 2014. Macel, Emily. “For Real?.” Dance Magazine – If It's Happening in the World of Dance, It's Happening in Dance Magazine. Dance Media, Sept. 2008. Web. 31 Mar. 2014. “The Real Deal.” Dance Spirit. Dance Media, 10 Nov. 2008. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
As pioneers have come to pave the way for dancers of all colors, genders, and body shapes, we continuously see growth in the dance community as a whole. Although we have our legends, such as Martha Graham and George Balanchine, who established the foundation of dance, modern-day artists are following in their footsteps and transforming social standards day by day with the advanced tools we have as millennials. Two women who I believe are part of this monumental movement are Aesha Ash and Camille A. Brown. Aesha Ash is a former prima ballerina who has made many strides in her dance career, often being the only black performer with major companies such as New York City Ballet. Nonetheless, Aesha is also an entrepreneur who has established an
Dance is an ever evolving form of art; in much the same way that one can categorize and differentiate between eras and styles of architecture one can also do so with dance. These eras at times have sharp delineations separating them from their antecedents, other times the distinction is far more subtle. Traditional forms of dance were challenged by choreographers attempting to expand the breadth and increase the depth of performance; preeminent among such visionaries was Seattle born dancer and choreographer Mark Morris. Mark Morris' began as one of the millions of hopeful individuals attempting to simply make a career in dance; he not only succeeded but managed to have a lasting effect on the entire landscape of dance.
Throughout the years, America has pursued the performing arts in a large variety of ways. Theatre plays a dramatic and major role in the arts of our society today, and it takes great effort in all aspects. Musical Theatre, specifically, involves a concentration and strength in dance, acting, and singing. This is the base that Musical Theatre is built upon. For my Senior Project, I helped choreograph multiple scenes in a community musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie”. Choreography is a way of expressing oneself, but it has not always been thought of for that purpose. Agnes de Mille’s expressive talent has drastically affected how people see choreography today. Agnes de Mille’s influence in the world of dance has left a lasting impact in the Performing Arts Department, and her revolutionary works are still known today for their wit, lyricism, emotion, and charm.
By universal definition, "sport" is listed as "an activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively." Football, basketball, baseball, soccer and other primary activities have always been concretely defined as sports in society. However, one of the most physically demanding activities is constantly forgotten when it comes to the realm of sports- dance. Dance requires a tremendous amount of training and creates an aura of competition in which people compete to be the best, win, and take home the trophy- just like in traditionally accepted sports. These sports, however, do not possess an element of psychological health threats that some competitive dancers unfortunately must account for due to the emphasis placed on physical appearance.
Reality based television has a broad landscape ranging from competitive game-like shows to programs following the daily lives of a group of people. Every major network now has some form of reality programming because the genre’s shows are high in viewership and require low costs for production. The genre is appealing to viewers because it provides them with a first-hand look into the lives of everyday people, which allows them to observe social behavior that helps them determine what is appropriate or not (Tyree, 2011, p. 397). Since the majority of modern reality stars start out as unknowns, frequent viewers of reality programming believed that fame is obtainable if they appear on a popular show (Mendible, 2004). According to Mendible’s evaluation of the genre in the article Humiliation, Subjectivity, and Reality TV, people enjoy reality programs beca...
Ramsay, B. (2000). Dance theory, sociology, and aesthetics. Dance Research Journal, 32(1), 125-131. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1478286
Li’s passion for ballet shows on and off stage through his arabesques, flexibility, fouettés, grande jeté and pirouettes that were nothing less than perfection. I understood that becoming a dancer requires commitment, passion and having a great memory as there’s many moves, routines and ballet terms that you need to learn. When I was performing on stage, I felt free and that I could own the stage as it felt like it was my second home. I also felt complete within myself just as Li felt. To perform on stage, you need to be light and graceful along with connecting to the music using precise steps, poses and formal gestures. The film used dance, music, scenery, and costumes to portray a story characterised by Li’s dance. Classical ballet dancers require the utmost grace and I’ve found that you also need a tremendous level of concentration and memory. This portrays when his choreographer Ben Stevenson asked Li Cunxin to replace the main male role due to an injury on the day of the performance to memorise new dances and perform them in front of an enormous crowd. Many of my performances have been in a group where we all need to be in sync and work together. This film highlighted that in order to become a professional ballet dancer, you have to prepare to work extremely hard no matter how gruelling the schedule is in order to
The typical idea of a dancer is that they are tall, slender, full of energy, and lucky because they dance with all of the “stars”. Much of this is true, however, what many people do not think of are the many hardships that a dancer goes through in order to achieve their high status in the dance world. It takes much hard work and determination along with good direction to become a dancer. However, nothing good comes without a price. Dancers often times have many pressures put on them which can lead to physical and emotional damages. These damages occur through the pressures from the media, parents, teammates, and the stereotype that society has placed on dancers.
Some people in this world live their lives based on what they see on television. As a matter of fact, television is popular for its influential impact on society and the creation of different stereotype groups. People from all over the world let television run their lives and with all the television shows such as, the overly exaggerated reality show Jersey Shore a show that targets the age bracket of twelve to thirty-four year olds promoting domestic violence, partying, and alcohol. Painting a very vigilant dangerous stereotypical group Jersey Shore has had a big impact on the young teens and adults of America. Another television show that receives its views by promoting stereotypes groups is Fox News. Targeting only what Fox News thinks will get a rise out of the society and notorious for only showing one side to a story. Television nowadays promotes
... social dance. Many people in today’s society enjoy social; dancing. Chapter eleven dance concert, properly planning and establishing a dance concert is of the utmost importance. The partnership with the lighting designer usually takes priority over all other factors. One of the most important issues concerning customers has to do with mobility. The dancer must be able to move comfortably in the costume. The task of producing a dance concert is an overwhelming and tiring one. Chapter twelve dance in education and career in dance, many dance educators present the argument that teaching and learning dance as an art form is obviously absent from the American student education. There has always been and always will be people who have a love, desire, and passion to instruct and learn the art of dance, will ensure an important place for dance in higher education.
Steve Paxton: Speaking of Dance – Conversations with Contemporary Masters of American Modern Dance. Academic Internet Video. Directed by Douglas Rosenberg. Oregon: Alexander Street Press, 1996.
Jonas, Gerald. Dancing: The Pleasure, Power, and Art of Movement. New York: Abrams, 1992. Print.
[6] Cohen, Selma Jeanne. International Encyclopedia of Dance: A Project of Dance Perspectives Foundation, Inc. New York: Oxford UP, 1998. Print.
After I began to learn to dance ballet, I found out that these elegant movements actually require a lot of strength, flexibility of the bodies and brain’s participation to make it looked elegant. The dancers’ movements in the performance were so fluent and elegant and it is not hard to imagine how hard they had practiced, stretched and use the strengths to do all the ballet poses with their bodies look longer and longer. Their expressions also impressed me a lot. By looking at their expressions, the audience can easily understand the scenes and blend into the story. The performers actually not only are required to have good dancing skills but also are required to have some talents to be actors. Moreover, they also have to be good at expressing their feelings on the