We have done a lot of reading, watching of videos, and discussion in the first 3 weeks. This is space for you to reflect.
You can talk about something that is sticking with you from one of the topics:
- Ancient Dance in Egypt
- Ancient Dance in China
- Turn of the Era Dance in Greece and Rome
- Bharata Natyam
- Indigenous American Dances
- Court Dance in Chine
- Court Ballets in France
You can talk about one of the intersections that is interesting to you. That might be:
- Religion
- Colonialism
- Sexism
- Politics
- or how multiple of the above intersect with each other "on the dance floor".
“Dancing in the midst of turning, whirling hoops is a means of transcending chronological time and its traumatizing, disease-causing effects….The hoop dancer dances within what encircles him, demonstrating how the people live in motion within the circling spirals of time and space.”- Paula Gunn Allen.
ReplyDeleteWhen we covered the Indigenous American Dances, we talked about how native Americans viewed their dance as a way of connecting to their ancestors and/or families as well as mourning and sort of “praying” for crops or rain. Also that their transcendence is more of a circular chronology, rather than a past and a future, as it is for us (not Native Americans).
I found it interesting that through their dances, they align their spirits (those living and those not) and experience movement together. The feeling of connecting to others in a higher dimension through dance must be what enhances the spiritual (or religious) experience.
Beautiful.
DeleteTaniya- When talking about religion and dance, I get really interested because what that aspect you get to see how other religions express their beliefs and worship through dance. Dance has always accompanied religious ceremonies and sacred rites since pre historic times. Some religions are different, specifically for my religion which is baptism , we use dance in a way to praise god, in praise dancing, with using slow and intricate moves. We also do upbeat dances which could be considered in the genre of jazz.
ReplyDeleteAt first, I thought that Chinese court dance and French court dance are very similar, because their dance movements are soft and smooth. But now I know that they still have a lot of differences, for example, the Chinese court dance presents the audience with a symbol of national unity (which is reflected in the large number of people who dance from the heart), while the French court dance reflects the The royal family's control over other people (reflected in the royal family's various training requirements for dancers).
ReplyDeleteLast week I’ve learned that for many cultures dance is what connects feelings, emotions, stories and history to the people. Dance is what connects them to their souls. In France ballet was danced to tell a story of how great the king was and how he was symboled to the sun. Dance shaped all cultures and it what’s reminding us of the past.
ReplyDeleteWhat is interesting to me is how Indigenous Americans have a dance for almost every natural phenomenon, for instance, they have a dance called The Green Corn Dance which they do in the beginning of every harvest season it is also a religious practice, in this dance men and women have different roles women are responsible for tempo and men do the singing. I think its fascinating how in Indigenous American tribes men and women work together and have equal rights and they both contribute in their own way to better the community they live in where in other parts of the world women are fighting for their smallest and simplest rights. -Jasem Alsahaf
ReplyDeletei also thought the dances of Indigenous Americans was interesting. Many dances played a vital role in religious rituals and other ceremonies. dances were held before any new journey or season. it was believed that dancing guaranteed the success of hunts, harvests, giving thanks, entering another stage in life and more.
ReplyDeleteWhat stuck with me the most was the story of indigenous american dances and their culture. Specifically how the United States has affected their livelihood. I never really learned about indigenous american tribes and their history shocked me. We are truly living in their land and most people do not realize it. It is crazy to me that their culture was purposefuly eradicted by white America. We must appreciate the land that we are in and respect those that lived and still live in it.
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