Dance Ethnography

Native American art forms have been dwindling in the past few years. Even though they have been decreasing, some tribes gather still to continue traditions. Art forms such as dance, pottery, and weaving have been passed down from generation to generation. There are many different types of dances including war dances, grass dances, and rain dances. Each dance has its own meaning and represents something unique. Native American dance is a creative way to tell a story, share values, pass down traditions, and communicate traditions of their ancestors in the 21st century.

When I was four years old I was introduced to a tall, petite, beautiful ballerina who spun around the room with elegance, and effortlessly captured the crowd with her stunning abilities. As a little girl, I sparkled with admiration and was inspired to be all she was, it was from that point on, that I ventured into an unknown world of art, strength and expression. Now being eighteen years old with about fourteen years of experience in the dance world, I have learned and developed the norms, values and practices of the culture, and the conflicting theory within it.

Have you ever taken an dance class? Or played a sport? Well, there is conflict over if

Since the beginning of time African people have valued and honored dance and music in the most secret way. They knew that dance and music was a gift from the Gods that they worshiped and that it should be respected as a valued custom in everyday life. Although, dance on the African continent differed from region to region dance and music had always been a part of tradition across the continent and throughout the African Diaspora. Nadine George-Graves explains that, “Spirituality means different things to different people, and in many respects, it defies definition, which is, of course, part of its power. Too, spirituality has long been considered a path to healing and liberation” (George-Graves 136). Dance and music was a way in which people

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

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.

I was volunteered to sing a solo. Even though the song I was supposed to sing was the third song of the night, I was shivering with fright. I was shaking so hard that when I was applying my eyeliner, I accidently did a winged eyeliner instead of the natural looking one. Voices in my head were telling

The music played a large role in determining the style of the pieces in the show by Koresh Dance Company. It set the theme and mood for the dances. Also, the choreography was dependent on the beats and variations in the music. This basis added to the themes of the dances as well.

1) My favorite type of music is hip hop. I grew up listening to great hip hop artists such as Eminem, Drake, and Lil Wayne. I like this kind of music so much because I can express myself through listening to hip hop. All my family and friends listen to hip hop also.

Feminism plays a large role in many dance styles in today's society. It is a key tool to use while teaching younger students as proved by the women showcased in the films provided as well as in the articles, “The lens in which I look through everything now is feminist theory and pedagogy” (Jennifer Bolt). Throughout the interview, Bolt touched on how she felt as if she had a loss of voice when it came to fighting for the dance program, it connects back to her learning about how women had to fight for their voice in society when she was just a girl. Claire Wooten explained how she tended to steer away from what she called “The F word” (Wooten) when directing her classes due to how announcing feminist theory right off the bat seemed to put people off. Wooten stated she directed her classes from an emancipatory standpoint, attempting to remove herself from the equation to heighten student experience and self-progression.

The body is most often used to understand how a person identifies themselves and their sexuality as it is conveyed to the public via appearances and presentation of the body. These appearances are interpreted in conventional society, and can be viewed with distain when it does not fall within the norms of society. Exotic dancers are often criticized for their appearance based on how society has categorized and idealized their gender. To compensate in such a harsh environment, dancers tend to rely on body technology to maintain or manipulate their body to receive more attention and propagandize their body for their work. Often, the use of body technology creates rifts in a dancer’s identity and how they associate themself sexuality. The various

Dance has been a natural movement form since the beginning of time. The origin of dance is unknown, just as the knowledge of the benefits of dance are unknown to many in our society. Many people do not enjoy dancing and also do not fully understand the positive benefits that come from dancing. Researchers such as Edwards, Duberg, and many more have found countless mental and emotional benefits of dance that originate from movement patterns, brain connections, and even expressions of emotion. Many are aware of the physical benefits of dance, but beyond the physical benefits of dance, there are also emotional and mental benefits that come from dance as well.

As an African American I have felt the brunt of the under representation of minorities in dance. The dance world is changing, it is becoming more diverse and we see society is opening up to various dance styles. Though this is the case, if one were to look-up “professional dancer” on google, a minority is nowhere to be found with-in the first few images. La A.M.I.D is going to bring together minorities who have the common passion of dance. Building a community among minorities to increase exposure to the many minority owned dance companies and studios. Informing members of professional training and job opportunities. Educating members on the minorities who help revolutionize the dance world. As well as provide industry tips and tricks. Empowering

Communication is one of the basic elements of any society. In order for any a human being to survive they must communicate meaning that humans are very sociable. Communication is something that we have been learning since we were kids. It has become natural to communicate in all situations. We’ve learned to communicate in writing. Due to technology becoming more advanced we not only write in the form of letters, but now we can send and write to communicate to other people by text messaging, emailing, public speaking, and non verbal communication. We have also learned to smile when we are happy, cry when the tough gets going, and scream when danger is near. Throughout the years we have become more aware of the things we say. We don’t scream fire in a room full of people or we know that we don’t talk to our teacher the way we would talk to our friends. As we get older we become apart of different groups. Without notice we become accustom to the rules, the way they communicate, and the ideas and interest of the group, also known as a discourse community. I myself belong to a discourse community. At the age of five, I discovered my passion. I knew then exactly what I know now, that I am in love with dance. Dance helps me express myself in ways that I could not even imagine being capable of doing verbally. It is my escape from the rest of the world because it puts me in a place where I am completely comfortable. I don’t know where I would be without it.

In one my classes; Dance Appreciation, I had an assignment to view a dance piece on YouTube. The dance that I viewed was called “She without arm, he without leg, Hand in Hand”. The dance was not only informative, but it was enlightening to watch.