The Little Mermaid: The Lack Of School Dance

Gender is a sociological idea, in which it is not based on biology. While there is some biological differences between the sexes, the “meaning” of being male or female is based on social norms. Like race, these “biological” differences provided a system of enabling inequality between the sexes. History offers many examples of the gender norms over time. Women, for centuries, are few as the homemakers and often viewed as intelligent. Despite living in the twentieth century with greater equality, one does not need to go far to see how society and media influence our perception of gender. Advertisements in various media persuade its audience to buying their products. However, the means of attracting and persuading the audience can have underlying messages. Even in entertainment for young girls these underlying messages are prevalent. One example is the popular film, The Little Mermaid, in which the main protagonist is a young female. The protagonist gave up her identity to satisfy her lover. Even traditional gender roles are at work; the film showed young girls that to be happy and successful one had to find a husband and must relinquished one’s identity (Wood 1994). The generalized perception of male and female are polar opposites. Males are viewed as masculine, strong, authoritative, powerful, and devoid of emotions. Females are viewed as beauty, fragile, nurturing, emotional and sole purpose is to please men. These ideas can lead to sexism, which can have negative effects on

First, I feel music affects the way people dance. Back then people had the “Waltz,” “Charleston,” and tap dancing. Now a days, people twerk, grind, and red nose. The dances I named first are classic dances that are widely respected to this day. While the previous dances falls into the hands of degrading music.

Dance. Is it a sport or an art? Most of you sitting there are probably going to roll your eyes and think to yourself "No, there is absolutely no way dance could possibly be a sport! There is no athleticism, strength, skill, endurance, or muscle involved; therefore, dance is an art." Well I am here to tell you how completely wrong you are. Dance is not only an art, but a very physically and mentally demanding sport.

Why do people dance? Dance can be used as an everyday activity for young teens or kids to have fun and enjoy being on stage. Another reason is that dance is a way for those who struggle with anxiety to be able to dance away their anxiety and be relaxed for a few hours. Many people believe that dance is just for children because children tend to have the energy and confidence to dance and go on stage. What the society does not know is that dancing is not just for young people, many older women and men enjoy dance just as much as kids do. Some men and women (including kids) suffer from anxiety and attending the dance class helps them and relaxes them. Dancing does help people deal with their anxiety because it helps calm the mind and boosts self confidence.

There are a number of fairytales, either from Grimm’s Brothers or Hans Christian Anderson, that portray numerous social issues that we still face in modern days. Social issues could include racism, equality between men and women, and ethnocentrism. These are social problems we face daily, and we have yet found solutions to eliminate\ the plentiful social issues. As said, fairy tales and children’s book always show hidden messages on problems that humans face every day. A very famous short story, which is known also by its movie, has an abundance in social issues that people face to this day. This short story is called “The Little Mermaid”, by Hans Christian

Some may argue that dance is an art and not a sport. Yet, it has the same characteristics as a sport does.

In this argument, it is important to distinguish what type of dancing is being discussed, as there are many different types of varying levels of difficulty. Paige Abrams puts it this way: “You can dance at a club for fun, as a hobby, as a serious passion, or you can dance as a career” (2). Just as a person can play catch, which has some of the basic components as baseball, it is not considered a

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.

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

Do you like gum? Particularly Trident gum? You do? Me too! My favorite flavor is spearmint, what’s yours? But have you ever tied the name of the chewing gum in with Greek mythology? Hmmmm… I’m guessing not. Think of the logo and name ,and maybe you’ll get a hint from Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Poseidon, under the sea, trident…. yes?

My father eats the core of his apples. Every time he goes for his usual afternoon snack, I watch with disgust and fascination, as he begins his snack in an ordinary fashion: crunching down on the red skin, orbiting the surface until only the northern and southern hemispheres retain their original size, then he adjusts and continues to munch through another orbit, crunching and munching on the pale yellow spikes of juicy flesh until he reaches the center of the planet, then, from bottom to top, in a measly six bites, seeds and all, the planet is reduced to a stem. His outlandish behavior signifies the thought that, just as apples, humans are made of skin, flesh, and a core, and no one should truly want to reach the core.

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

Dance is said to have existed prior to the invention of written languages, and was perhaps an essential aspect of storytelling for the passing of knowledge and information from generation to generation. And it has been, since time immemorial, a part of every culture and religion as a means of self and collective expression.

This solo to me was moving. Performed by Rebecca Seitz it showed how one person could be trapped in a prison of her own doing. The costume was magnificent, it was a long flowy skirt that wrapped around the dancer and was pulled by someone behind the seen. She used the skirt as an extension of her self to me it represented something that meant a lot to her, more so a burden and rather than accepting it and learning to move on. I felt like she continued to dwell on the past or in this case the tail of the skirt. However at the same time it reminded me of The Little Mermaid. The Little Mermaid was the story of a younf mermaid who was willing to give up her life in the sea to gain a human soul. Just like in Undertow Seitzs long skirt represented

For most elementary age students around the country the core subjects such as science, math, and reading are separated from the arts. However, schools across the country are slowly combining the arts with the other subjects and are finding success. Dance is one form of art that would have multiple benefits for students. Dance and physical movement should be incorporated into elementary education because it improves students’ attention and interest in learning, improves learning in core subjects, and promotes a healthy lifestyle in students.