Analysis of Ghost Dances - Gcse Dance - Aqa - a* Standard

always been known for the risky and powerful movements which are often why dancers retire from the company. The dancer’s movements were often very intense and emotive, such as the “throws” across the stage in which the dancers would, almost violently, launch themselves across the stage in different forms (leaps, falls and flips to name a few). Another section where the movements were emotive is where the dancers were thrusting their hips in different positions to perhaps show sexuality in “self”.

All Indians must dance, everywhere, keep on dancing. Pretty soon in next spring Great Spirit come. He bring back all game of every kind…all dead Indians come back and live again. They all be strong just like young men, be young again. Old blind Indian see again and get young and have fine time. When Great Spirit comes this way, than all the Indians go to mountains, high up away from whites. Whites can't hurt Indians then. Then while Indians way up high, big flood like water and all white people die, get drowned! After that, water go way and then nobody but Indians everywhere and game all kinds thick… (Wovoka, The Paiute Messiah qtd. In Brown 416).

In “Stripping the Emperor: The Africanist Presence in American Concert Dance”, Gottschild begins by introducing unique aspects of the Africanist aesthetic including how it embraces differences and instead of the tradition European idea of resolving conflict, Africanist aesthetic presents a question and demonstrates the beauty in accepting conflict. One way in which the Africanist aesthetic differs from European ballet is how they utilize polycentrism, having multiple centers of movement, and polyrhythm, when different body parts keep multiple rhythms. Other ways include the high-affect juxtaposition, changes in mood, movement, or tempo, to the drastically contrasting sharpness and intensity in the movements. Gottschild’s main point in

Looking at a number of different sources about the different tribes of this time and looking at letters written at the time Kracht found a number of tribes that revived the Ghost Dance for purposes that fit their needs. The sources Benjamin R. Kracht found helped him support the idea that the Ghost Dance did not die out in 1891, but actually lasted until around 1916. These five groups all had a specific group that participated in the Ghost Dance, these were the five Ghost Dance headquarters. “Afraid-of-Bears and his followers danced on his land west of Carnegie; a second group met east of Fort Cobb; the third Ghost Dance group formed in Alden, ten miles south of Anadarko; the fourth Kiowa group was situated on Sugar Creek, west of Saddle Mountain; and a Kiowa-Apache congregation was located near modern Apache (p.460).” Thus, this information showed that these five groups after 1891 kept the Ghost Dance alive in their own

It was created in 1981, and was influenced by the political oppression in Chile. The style was contemporary ballet blended with South American folk dance. The setting of Ghost Dances is a rocky Andean location suggesting the mouth of a cave. The colours (blue's, greens and greys) of the backdrop were very effective and complimented the costumes and movement by adding to the eerie atmosphere. The whole stage was lit by a dim white light. The 'dead' wear everyday clothes, which are beginning to disintegrate. The Ghost Dancers appear as skeletal figures in striking skull masks. The piece is accompanied by Andiean folk music, with panpipes, guitars, and flutes. The tune is infectious, rhythmic and tuneful. The style of the choreography is sinuous and graceful, incorporating

The Paiute's had a special dance that they would do to honor someone. The dance was called the ghost dance. The dancers would wear a ghost shirt and they would make them selfs look like a

The two live dance works viewed this year were “Emergence”, performed by Sydney Dance Company, choreographed by Rafael Bonachela, performed at the Princess Theatre and a recorded dance performance titled “Image”, choreographed by Jason Northam and Liesel Link. The two dance performances substantiated were exceedingly diverse and dissimilar. The two performances juxtaposed their intentions and interpreted opposing elements through diversity in movement vocabulary, structural devices and form, performance skills and technical elements.

The third Mexican cultural activity that has survived and influenced the development of Chicana cultural practices in the U.S. is the Folklorico dances. These dances can be seen in the U.S. especially when there is a Mexican celebration or event. I personally experienced begin part of a group that danced folklorico. The dresses we used for the dance were inspired by the Yucatan look. We also accessorized with a crown of flowers made with fabric, long earrings, and a necklace of perals. We also combed all our hair back, and used make-up. It took alot of time to learn the three dances, and a lot of practice for the dance to come out good. In the end it was all worth it because I learned how to dance and how the women dress to dance. This cultural

them. Part of the religion was a ceremony known as the Ghost Dance. The Ghost Dance was to “invoke

Throughout the settlement of Western America, Native Americans were culturally assimilated. This was an attempt by the Americans to transform the Natives’ culture and civilize them through white education and living on reservations. However, the Natives preserved their cultures, tribal identities, and even developed self-sustaining economic practices. First, The Ghost Dance Movement was a revival of Native beliefs that further helped them regain hope through religion. Specifically, it was a religion of the late 1880s and early 1890s that combined elements of Christianity and traditional Native American religion. It fostered the Plains Indians’ hope that they could resurrect the great bison herds and call up a storm to drive whites back across

Throughout the entire performance the dancers’ are surrounded by a line of haunting tree branches which provide physical as well as visual boundaries

Response: I found Katherine A. Dettwyler’s, Dancing Skeletons; Life and Death in West Africa very interesting though I did not like the way in which it was written. To me it was written in a very scattered brain way, similar to how a hyperactive childs diary would look like. At times when Dettwyler was trying to explain something, she would go into tangents, mostly about her own personal opinions of the topic, which ruined the mood of the book, lessened the impact of whatever she was talking about at the time and frankly, it just annoyed me. I found it difficult to understand what was trying to be said and it made it difficult to read. I think if she didn’t try to cover so much in such a small book- malnutrition, female circumcision and other random topics- I would have enjoyed it more. One thing that I did like was how she wasn’t political on her trips to Mali, she just talked to people. She didn’t preach just talk and I think that’s what helped improve these people’s lives. It was interesting but I wouldn’t read it again or recommend it like I did for the Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down.

The retelling of spooky ghost stories has been a favorite activity in many cultures, wether it be around a campfire of written in various articles and book. Perhaps one of the most mysterious supernatural activities can be reported on the islands of Hawaii. Known as the Night Marchers, these spirits have been known to roam the land, revisiting ancient war sites and significant historical landmarks. In the book, “Marchers of the Night” by Helen P. Hoyt, a renowned Hawaiian author, he describes his first experience with the Huaka’ipo, or the Night Marchers. “In all the hundred years of my life I have seen the Marchers of the Night, the Huaka’ipo, only twice…” (Hoyt 1969). He then continues to explain how “on the night of the sixth of August, 1918, a night sacred to Ku, ancient god of all warriors” the Night Marchers, which their torches and pounding drums came to his house in the town of Waianae. Based on the many stories about the Night Marchers and the other cultures around the world who have similar spirits, I will attempt to demonstrate that these ghosts are more fact than fiction.

Mauro Bigonzetti choreographed the first performance, Deep. This contemporary piece infused African influences that focused on togetherness of the human community. As the dancers brought their arms and legs together in a crossing shape towards their hearts, they expressed love and togetherness. Also, the angular movements with a contrast between sharp and smooth complimented the effortless lifts and breathtaking moments that made the audience wonder how they execute such strength and grace. Also, the choreographer’s use of modern music with a twist of African influences was a great mesh between tradition and modern day.

The movement is, above all else, gestural. The gestures start out as being removed from meaning and feeling, but eventually become more sensual and fulfilled. The gestures are also what could be considered taboo. Both dancers grab their breasts, groin, and thrust their lower bodies repeatedly throughout the piece. As the dance progresses, the movement goes from being placed and calculated to becoming something more reckless and passionate. There is also a lot of