Dance Performance Review Paper

Dance began as a form of communication and storytelling. Thousands of years ago dancing served as a way for people to tell a story and helped distract themselves of the hardships they faced. Furthermore, dance was a form of storytelling through communication, which then turned into using storytelling through dance as entertainment. According to the History World, many dancers during the BC time danced in front of only a few people to get a story across. That later turned into hundreds of thousands of people as dance was used by many. Today, dance is also a form of entertainment and storytelling, but in a modern sense. However, today perfection and technique are stressed more than they were in the past. Yet, the passion for dance has not changed. Many dancers who share this passion also have many of the same qualities. Among a discourse community of trained dancers, one expects to find individuals who are healthy and active athletes, expect perfection from themselves through competition, and religiously attend dance performances.

Outside of medicine, I spend my leisure time dancing and choreographing. My love for dance and music stems from my early childhood. I recall listening to Disney songs and “choreographing” dance moves – moves that appeared as uncoordinated, but exquisite loose wiggles. As a result of my parents’ high expectations and strict upbringing, dance was an important activity because it served as a safe haven away from the stress and pressure I felt as a child. Dancing was, and is still, my source of joy and amusement.

important foundation in understanding the broader scope of how dance can be seen as a

At the eighth grade level, 57% of eighth graders attend schools offering a credible level of instruction in music; the figure for visual arts is 47%, while data for dance and theatre were not collected. At the secondary level, 91% of our schools offer music, 89% offer visual arts, 12% offer dance, and 45% offer theatre.”(“National Core Arts Standards” 3).This proves that even though schools are incorporating the arts, dance in not a priority. This is a recurring issue in schools. There are many schools that do not offer enough dance classes even though dance is a part of the core curriculum. I believe that this should not happen because the Federal law requires that all schools receive funding from the state or the local government and if they get this money they must be able to give all students access to the arts. Another fact that is mentioned that I understood already was the purpose for the National Core Arts Standards. These standards were created to promote the arts and showcase the benefits that the arts have. The standards also represent the goals students and teachers can achieve through creating and

“If we’re not acknowledging all of these benefits of dance, then there’s a therapeutic modality that we are ignoring that exists there,” said Ali.

Dance is the beginning of the unit and therefore serves as an introduction to mental and emotions.

Dance is one of the most beautiful, expressive forms of art known to mankind. It expresses joy, love, sorrow, anger, and the list truly goes on for all the possible emotions that it can convey. Dance not only can express how one feels, but it can tell a story or even be used to praise a higher power. Dance has intricately played an important role to every culture over the course of time. Two forms of dance that have not only stood against the test of time but have influenced the development of other various styles of dance is none other than Classical Ballet and Modern Dance.

Dance is still a means of representing and expressing particular emotions or experienes; however, I might add that its applications extend beyond entertainment and can serve a more rigorous agenda.

This paper explores my main question, “how does movement through dance affect the mental and emotional dimensions of wellness?” I will explore the many unknown benefits that come from dance as well as share expressions of my personal thoughts on the subject. I will also share my personal experiences as well as others’ experiences with dance. In the research portion of my paper, I will cite studies supporting both the mental and emotional benefits of dance. This paper will also explore the perspective of a professor of dance, as well as the lived experiences of actual dance students. My interview will support my paper as it reinforces the findings in literature. I will discuss my future plans on the subject of mental and emotional dance; stressing the need for individuals to dance as the benefits can be

Ever wondered what it would be like to leap through life, twirl right through, as if the world has completely stopped around you? To be able to pause everything in a silence that allows you to hear your own heartbeat? The silence on stage as you perform is a sense of peace within your inner body that is being channeled through a movement of effortless motion. In European history, dance was considered to be a way of celebration for many cultures. Although it was said that dance did require physical agility, dancers were never considered athletes because the movement was not taken seriously. Dance did not become popular in a more skillful way until later on. The debate of dance as a sport is very

“The arts are an essential element of education, just like reading writing, and arithmetic…music dance, painting, and theatre are all keys that unlock profound human understanding and accomplishment” (William Bennett, Former US Secretary of Education).

The benefits of dancing as a physical exercise are well researched, widely understood, and as a fitness, mobility and weight management tool, it is a multi-million dollar industry. Less studied and acknowledged are the benefits on our mental functioning, self-awareness, psychological well-being, self-confidence, self-expressions, concentration, social skills, etc.

What is dance? Dance is defined as lively movement using one’s body with or without music. Dancing means to feel someone existence to feel vitality, joy, and most importantly to feel alive. Anyone can define dancing as whatever they would like, but how is dance useful to our lives? Whether you are a ballerina from birth or if you are newly introduced to the art of dance, everyone can dance some way, shape, or form. Dance therapy provides psychological and physical benefits. It helps connect body and mind as one giving support to become rooted and balanced. In order to be centered and grounded while moving your body, a dancer must be in tuned with the center of gravity in relation to the earth. Dance therapy is also a great way for people

On December 1, 2017, in the University Theatre at California State University, Dominguez Hills, I observed the fall dance concert Rise. It was choreographed by Amy Michelle Allen, Marco A, Carreon, Sarah Cashmore, Jeff Hendrix, Erin Landry, Doris Ressl Acosta, and Kenneth Walker, with the long cast of dancers. The production was pleasing, and would not have been believable without the work from production designers, Frederick Depontee and Cheryl Sheldon. Rise is played out in eight different dance routines, which were Xtra Xtra, Scar Tissue, Hart Broken, Things Are A Stirrin’, and the rest are intermissions such as Female Energy, Women, Exotica, Strength In Numbers, and Makina.

“ Dance is the hidden language of the soul” ( Martha Graham). Dance is nonverbal and is often used by many people as a language. All people can tell emotions by dancing even beginner and amateur classes. In the world, there are many kinds of dancing, for instance, jazz, ballet, and samba. Each dance has completely distinct parts because all region`s cultures gave influences to each dance style in the past time such as classical Japanese dance and salsa. Furthermore, many people dance as entertainments and exercises and can trace many cultures by practicing dancing. Dancing is a necessary for people`s lives. The reasons why people dance are working as professional dancers, learning cultures and histories, and dancing with friends.