...African music and dance * In texture, African music consists of a single line of melody without harmony. * As with most African dialects, where pitch is important in conveying meaning, variations of musical effect derive from tonal inflection and timbre. * The essential communal spirit of African culture is reflected in the use of Call-and-response chants similar to those of African poetry. * The most distinctive characteristic of African music is its polyrhythmic structure. * A single piece of music may simultaneously engage five to ten different rhythms, many of which are repeated over and over. * African dance is also communally preformed and shares the distinctively dense polyrhythmic qualities of African music. * A wide variety of percussion instruments, including various types of drums and rattles are used in the performance of African rituals. * Also popular are the balafo (Xylophone), the bolon or kora (harp), and the sansa. * The bolon and the sansa were believed to contain supernatural powers and to be dangerous, and were outlawed by many African tribes. * Africa was the origin of the banjo, which may have been the only musical instrument permitted on slave ships and traveled across the Atlantic in the 16th century. All other instruments were forbidden. * The dynamic convergence of poetry, dance and music generates a singularly dramatic experience in African culture. * The African Mask * African masks and...
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...A thorough look at Africans in America would not be complete without considering African-American dance. From plantation dances that enslaved Africans used to express their tragedy and triumph, to the ever-changing slick motions of modern hand dancing, black rhythmic movements are an integral weave in the fabric of American culture. Dance grew out of hardship but became entertainment. African dance has contributed a plethora of qualities to dance in America; and we can see proof of this through the dance of today. Being such a diverse country, America has the gift of consolidating unique moves from various societies to acquire an outstanding dance collection. American dance as we know it would be totally different if not for African Americans....
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...African Dance takes on many shapes and forms due to the hugeness of the continent of Africa it’s self as the worlds second largest continent. There are fifty-four countries in Africa that each have their own unique cultural traits such as rituals, customs, and dialects. Because of this large geographical diversity in the places African Dance is practiced, no two forms are the same so it is preferred to call it African diaspora to reference the slew of dance forms that are included in Africa. Despite the differences of the African forms, Professor Welsh has picked out seven commonalities that can be found across the board. These commonalities are polyrhythm, polycentrism, curvilinearism, dimensionality, epic memory, holistic performers,...
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...CREATIVE DANCE History of Creative Dance Creative dance is perceived differently by different sectors of the education system. In many provinces, creative dance is part of the physical education curriculum. More recently, two provinces— British Columbia and Saskatchewan— have considered placing dance under the rubric of arts education. The aspect of creative dance that is emphasized reflects the position creative dance is assigned in the curriculum. When in the physical education curriculum, creative dance lessons typically focus on development of the motor skills involved, with little concern for the experience’s aesthetic potential. In arts education, the primary focus is creative dance’s aesthetic potential. Advocates view creative dance not only as having potential for developing motor skills or aesthetic sensibility, but as a means to improve students’ self-concept and as a valuable component of an integrated curriculum. Upon closer scrutiny, however, these different ways of justifying creative dance may prove contradictory. “Creative dance” is a particular form of dance. This form is typically taught in elementary schools because unlike other dance forms, it does not require years of training. Basically, creative dance involves the use of movement elements to express thoughts and feelings. Dimondstein (1974) expands on this definition when she considers dance to be “the interpretation of a child’s ideas, feelings, and sensory impressions expressed symbolically in movement...
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...on the stage perfectly. There was circular, horizontal, and vertical motion. There was tempo in the music. It was fast when it needed to be fast, building up anticipation for the audience, and slow when it needed to be slow in other to blend with the dancers move and the narrator’s voice. I caught rhythmic pattern in the music as there was emphasis on the beat. Some voices and beats were repeated over and over again. There was use of some African language called Swahili. There was use of strength and energy. At the very beginning the narrator was yelling at the top of his voice. The narration was done mostly in forms of music. There are counts before music change and they made use of silence. There was stillness in between the first ten minutes of the show. I do believe the producers’ intent was achieved because the performance was done according to the story most people are familiar with. Through dance and movement, the storyline were expanded by combining a variety of Ballet, Jazz, Modern Dance, African Dance, and Cultural Dance. The choreography was a huge success because it makes me and most of the...
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...On the Alvin Ailey Dance, I saw that ballet movements in the choreography because their movement is the same to the ballet dance. For example, the way they are expression of their face, classical ballet walk, and first position feet/arms, second position feet/arms, third position arms, fourth position feet/arms, fifth position feet/arms. I do not see that this dance is like the jazz dance because it is more serious of that. For instance, this magnificent work, created by Alvin Ailey in 1960, is a dance on land and in water, a journey through African-American spiritual music and, for dancers, an act of reverence for the generations that came before (Kourlas). Jazz dance is the idea for Physical fitness so it opposites to the Wade in the Water...
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...York and saw her onstage at the Dance Center, Robbins was later invited to join the company after an audition arranged by his sister. The dance centre group comprised of dancers with widely varied backgrounds and individual styles ran by Senia Gluck Sandor and his wife. They were fusing ballet and modern dance in a series of highly theatrical, stylised productions. Attempted to dramatise the political, social and economic struggles of the day. Sandor advised Robbins to study ballet again in which he took the advice and began classes with Ella Daganova. This ballet influence upon Robbins is shown throughout West Side Story remarkably within the Dance at the Gym, the Promenade section. Within the promenade relevé is used precisely in and out of chassés, as well as this, similar to classical ballet, movements are repeated two or three times as Robbins has done with the motif of chassés into the clicking of their fingers followed by the circular knee movement. Furthermore, the way in which Robbins uses non-balletic styled movement such as the knee circles and clicks within the ballet section demonstrates specifically Robbins’ use of Sandor’s training through his use of fussing various styles, jazz and ballet in choreographing West Side Story. Having first taken classes informally from his sister, Sonia, Jerry went on to study with her teacher, Alyce Bentley, who taught interpretive dance in a small studio at Carnegie Hall. As interpretive modern dance developed in the 1930’s it held...
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...word for “sauce”, the dance is aptly named for the flavor or spicy technique upon which it actually centers upon. Salsa dancing has origin from Cuba where the blending of African drum rhythms and Spanish guitar evolved into a variety of Latin American music. Out of this music came the dances we know today as: Son, Danzon, the rhythms of Carnival, Cha, cha, cha, Mambo, Tango, and Salsa. Salsa is based on Cuban styles that had developed in the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s. In the ‘60s and ‘70s the salsa spread to other parts of Latin America like Colombia and Venezuela. Throughout the ‘70s, in an area in south-west Colombia called “Metropolis”, emerged as an important new center for salsa dance and music. This area was known as “the world salsa capital”. Types of Salsa Dance Salsa has been made into different forms of dance. I will briefly discuss the various types of dancing that available. Now, most of us have seen or maybe even experienced some form of Latin dance. The most popular and flashy of the salsa dancing is the L.A. Style. This form of Salsa is very flashy that uses dips and flips. L.A. Style is definitely great to watch, with the women being very sensual and the men tend do to a lot of jumps, flips and spins. Cuban Style is based of the rhythms of the music. It is also a non-partnered dance, which is optional. This style of dancing is also very male dominated because the men do more of the flashy dances than the women. The last dance that is awesome is the...
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...Dance Dance is an art form, moving the body, often rhythmic and to music. It is in many cultures as a form of emotional expression or exercise, and is sometimes used to express ideas or tell a story. There are many styles and genres of dance. African dance is interpretive. Ballet, ballroom and tango are classical dance styles. Square dance and electric slide are forms of step dance, and breakdance is a type of street dance. Dance can be participatory, social, or performed for an audience. It can also be ceremonial, competitive or erotic. Dance movements may be without significance in themselves, as in ballet or European folk dance, or have a gestural vocabulary or symbolic meaning as in some Asian dances. Many contemporary dance forms can be traced back to historical, traditional, ceremonial, and ethnic dance. For example, some Sri Lankan dances are related to aboriginal, mythical devils known as, and according to local legend, Kandyan dance began as a ritual that broke the magic spell on a bewitched king. Dance can be categorized in various ways, as in solo dance, partner dance and group dance, or by purpose, as in ceremonial dance, erotic dance, performance dance, and social dance. Many early forms of music and dance were created for each other and performed together. This paired development has continued over time, producing paired dance/music forms such as the jive, waltz, tango, disco, and salsa. Some musical genres have a parallel dance form such as baroque music...
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...concepts, perspectives and traditions of dance that I knew existed, but never understood the meaningful history behind the art of dance. Reading the chapters and watching the assigned videos opened my eyes on the impact dance has brought to many aspects of history such: segregation, women’s rights and religion. While I was doing research for our midterm, this was the moment I really began to grasp the impact dance had on our cultural society. My choreographer was Katherine Dunham; she was an African-American woman who was gradually changed the cultural standard for American women dancers and choreographers. The extent of my dance career consists of one ballet class I took when I was five years old and let’s just say one class was all I needed to take, ever. Even though I am not very graceful and will not be the next Doris Humphrey, I still find the movements of dance delightful and highly entertaining. I have always thought dance was wonderful and beautiful form of art, but something that I was not fortunate enough to gain talent in and after learning just ONE minute of a dance my thoughts were reaffirmed. I chose to learn a portion of a Hawaiian Hula Dance, a video from our week three assignments Na Hula O Kaohikukapulani hula practice on Kauai. The types of dance styles that are seen in this video are dance for spiritual connection and worship dance. These forms are a lost art in the Hawaiian Hula dance; the original purpose for the Hula dance was for spiritual connections to the...
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...the black feminine body. Black people in ballet do not share a common experience, as black men have an easier time gaining significant opportunities based on the role of the male dancer’s function in ballet. Furthermore, black women have to deal with colorism in ballet; a phenomenon that does not happen to the same extent with their male counterparts. While ballet companies are attempting to move away from traditional norms, the lack of black women in significant roles, whether it be as dancer, teachers, and other positions within the institution, is a crucial issue that needs to be corrected. With more representation of black women in ballet, young girls in grassroot programs will have role models to encourage them to further their dance careers. Overall, black women have talent that is being ignored due to dated standards of beauty, but by becoming aware of the treatment of black women in the ballet community and instilling change, a new and inclusive standard of beauty can shine on the stage of...
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...The Argentine Tango is Argentina’s greatest contribution to the world of dance. Many Americans recognize the Tango as a sultry partner dance performed on shows like Dancing With The Stars or So You Think You Can Dance. However, there is a vast history behind the Tango and what we take pleasure in watching today. In fact, the establishment of the Tango is deeply rooted in the economic and migrant history of Argentina, more specifically Buenos Aires. In the late 1800’s, the impoverished state of Europe encouraged many people to migrate to the New World. Migrants from Spain, Ireland, Italy, Germany, and Turkey fled Europe with the common goal of a better life. Most migrants dreamed of settling in New York but instead many landed in Buenos Aires, Argentina. To their displeasure, Buenos Aires wasn’t the escape from poverty that they fantasized about....
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...Running Header: AFRICIAN ANCIENT MASKS African Ancient Masks Kie Morrison Hum 111 Professor Dodson AFRICAN ANCIENT MASKS In African masks can be traced back to well past Paleolithic time from 1875 to 1925. These art objects were, and are still made of all kind of material; included are leather, metal, fabric and various types of wood. African masks are considered amongst the finest creation in the art world today. Many of these African masks pieces can be viewed in museums and art galleries all over the world today. Masking ceremonies in Africa have great cultural and traditional significance. The latest developments and understanding of Aesthetic principal, religious and ceremonial values, have brought a grate insight in to the ideas and moral values the African express in their art. During the celebration, initiations, crop harvesting, war preparation, peace and trouble times, African masks are worn by a chosen or initiated dancer. It can be worn in three different ways. The three different ways the African masks can be worn is: Vertically covering the face: as helmets, encasing the entire head, and as crest, resting upon the head, which was commonly covered by material as part of the ancestors. Ritual ceremonies generally depict deities, sprouts of ancestors, mythological beings, good and evil. The dead animal’s spirits and other beings believe to have power over humanity. Masks of human ancestors or totem ancestors are often objects of family pride. The dancers...
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...of everything. There was the Choir, Dance Troup, and the Flute Choir; I remember always being in the front, learning how to read music to sing and play notes correctly. That is when I fell in love with performing arts, because I felt like all eyes were on me. When I was in the military I was introduced to what I called Black Art. Art that depicted African American people in various ways, but mostly strong, powerful and overcoming positive images that I enjoyed looking at and even debating about. My definition of arts is expression; expressing the way you feel whether in a painting, sculpture, dancing, acting or even decorating your home. Art is a part of our personalities and our creativity; everyone has something that they are passionate about something that makes them happy and feels like they can take over the world. When I about three or four years old my mother took me to see the legendary stage play Cats. I was only a child, and had never seen anything like that before. I remember telling my mother “wow I want to do that when I grow up”. The play made me smile, happy and excited seeing the way the cast interacted with the audience and the way they performed on stage gave me goose bumps, and I was hooked. After that experience I was always trying to find a reason to perform, I would put on little plays in my home for my mother I would sing and dance and act like I was one of the performers on Cats. My love for dance came a few years later when I reached...
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...Sahebi, Sherwin Conrad vs. Achebe 1. From the tone of Conrad’s view of Africa, he gives it a dark and mysterious view of the forests is never ending and nothing is silent. 2. The detail he gives shows how African life never rests among the winding paths that rivers lead you and how he is always on his feet ready for the worst to happen. He talks about the air being thick and dense with the tall tress surrounding the area where sunshine was blocked from the forest bring a view of darkness and fear. 3. Achebe views Africa as a marvelous place where he thrives and people are happy living according to their belief. 4. The details given from her shows the happiness of the clan dancing to the ekwe, and corrects to a celebration of a man taking the title of his clan. 5. The reaction Achebe has to Conrad’s choices are anti-parallel to each other. In Achebe’s paragraph’s, differences of tone, syntax, and detail are shown. Achebe’s tone is very unique in the way she writes her paragraphs. In the first and second paragraph, she talks about the clans performing peaceful dances. “Then from the distance came the faint beating of the ekwe…” a peaceful dance from a distant clan. “It is an ozo dance,” the man said from themselves. Achebe uses the Ibo language to show a difference of tone to indicate how the clans would talk among themselves. Conrad’s style of tone is much more different from Achebe. He uses more of a suspenseful tone than anything. Conrad says “we penetrated deeper and deeper...
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