If you order your research paper from our custom writing service you will receive a perfectly written assignment on comparison of dance forms. What we need from you is to provide us with your detailed paper instructions for our experienced writers to follow all of your specific writing requirements. Specify your order details, state the exact number of pages required and our custom writing professionals will deliver the best quality comparison of dance forms paper right on time.
Our staff of freelance writers includes over 120 experts proficient in comparison of dance forms, therefore you can rest assured that your assignment will be handled by only top rated specialists. Order your comparison of dance forms paper at affordable prices!
1.Dance is often misunderstood outside of its particular social context. Discuss the social context and aesthetic of the dance of the Cook Islanders and explain the reaction of the first European sailors and missionaries to visit the Islands.Dancing is a part of virtually all religions. Religious dancing is common in modern-day primitive cultures. In nature-based societies and religions, the rhythm of dancing was an imitation of the rhythm of nature, more than mere mimicry, dancing was an attempt to understand and unite oneself with those rhythms. In some cases, religious dancing became secularized and it lost its original sacred meaning, as in the case of the familiar Maypole dance, which is now an innocent childrens game but which originally symbolized the plunging of a huge phallus into the earth to fertilize the crops.In the Cook Islands dance was largely communal, primarily focused on the genitals and also a part of traditional education. The Cook Islands, which are located in the South Pacific, are comprised of 51 islands and have a population of 51,000. This was a geographically isolated island society where procreation was an imperative. The fertility god was among the most important in their society. Sex and sexuality were not perceived as evil. In the 17th century a group of Victorian missionaries came to the Cool Islands and proceeded to strip the people of their culture and conform them to Christianity. The missionaries viewed their dances as vulgar because of the focus on the genitals and the rhythmic pulsing of the hips and pelvis. The missionaries did not realize that the Islanders were responding to their lifestyle of survival. The remote location of the islands made procreation a huge key to the survival of their culture and this carried over into their social interaction and dance. In contrast the islanders also viewed the public lip to lip kissing of the Christian Missionaries vulgar and foreign. Essential aspects of the dance survived the cultural devastation of the Christian missionaries.Still to this day Christianity is a big part of the Cook Island culture. Few old traditions have managed to remain; the remnants of old social dance stay embedded in the Islanders. Traditions such as strong drum and bass beats, which signal arm and hip movement, are an example of their history.
Write a research paper on comparison of dance forms
.Discuss the concept of transcendence through dance and the forms that it assumes. Refer to three different cultures.The dictionary defines transcendence To rise above limits, exceed, out do and outshine. There were many examples of this in the book and videos but I chose three that in particular stood out in my head. The first would be the Serpent Ritual that is performed by the Pullava caste of Kerala. This dance appeases the serpent god who rids the community of misfortune. This dance is used to purify the body and spirit. Virgin girls fast before this ritual and are used because it is believed that their minds are the same as the snake. Elaborate floor paintings (see picture) made from ground spices make up the Mandala. The Mandala is where much of the ceremony takes place. This floor painting may take many hours to do and represents the ancestral home of the snake gods in the forest. If the gods are satisfied they will reveal themselves in the girls. The girls will start to feel a sensation in their left side and will eventually consume their whole body and make them blind. Then they will move about on the floor in a sweeping motion with their hair and hands erasing the Mandala. Here the dance exceeds the limitations of the body. Their mind and spirit are consumed with their ritual and dance. It may appear to the untrained eye that they were dancing within their bodies but their bodies were moving in correspondence to the spiritual presence of the serpent. The Bharatan Natyam finds its roots in the religion of India. Bharatan Natyam creates an energy of transformation for the dancers. It uplifts the dancer and the beholder to a higher level of spiritual consciousness. This energy allows the dancer to tell a story without speaking a word and for the dancer to become the very person in the story. One female dancer who was dancing Bharatan Natyam to lord Shiva invited him into her heart and actually felt his presence. She had danced the same dance since very young and this particular time she rose above the limits of the dance and transcended into the meaning of it. She was surprised that she could actually feel a presence within her. Movement, our first language, reaches beyond any vocabulary and reason. It communicates from the innermost soul - that which cannot truly be expressed through words.In Java they dance the Bedoyo where nine women dance in perfect unison and it is inappropriate for one person to try to stand out above another. One female dancer recalled a story of another seeing nine spirits dancing harmoniously with one another. This was an example unlike the rest where the dancer felt him/herself being uplifted through the dance. The dancer of the Bedoyo experienced the transcendence of herself as well as the other dancers. She may have been able to view each dancers emotion because they were so symphonic to one another, as one rises to the next level so do the others..Discuss the importance of dance in preserving cultural identity.Dance can mean many different things to many different people; religion, theater, power, intoxication and self-expression are all reasons to dance. In Japan they dance the Bugaku, which is the oldest dance in the world (100 years). In Japan the preservation of the past is very important and society as well as the individual families take on the responsibility. Bugaku displays Japanese ideals of courtly decorum of clarity and control. Bugaku was never meant to seen out of court and was kept there until right after WWII. Japanese believe in a Shinto religion, which literally means continuity. The correct dance maintains harmony in the universe. In the dance Bugaku, the four dancers face North, East, West and South and wear identical costumes. Combined these steps create an overall dance, which will preserve the continuity of the cosmos. These steps when repeated over and over are thought to make time continue forever. Which could mean that it takes a piece of time and makes it seem longer than it is because you are becoming a higher being through dance or it could mean that by always dancing these dances and passing them from generation to generation that time goes on forever as the dances and culture are the time. This dance is imperative to the Japanese culture. The belief that this is not just a dance to be dome through time and space but yet to control and continue time and space.Similarly, in Java the Royal Dance pavilion preserves absolute tranquility. The Sultan picks out a theme for the dancers and then the dance instructor will choreograph a piece, it could center on such things as peace, harmony or tranquility. This hierarchal order is significant to the Sultan to ensure control in court and over his people. In Java this kind of dance encouraged a peaceful way of mind which is a good thing for such a small island because if there were any rebels it could cause major problems for the Sultan. I looked up Indonesia's tourist web site too see if there was any additional information about the dance of the Bedoyo (they refer to it as Bedoyo Ketawang of Solo) and I found out that this dance which was a major part of the Javanese history is in peril of becoming lost due to the lack of young dancers able to perform them. Which leads me to ponder the question of whether the Bedoyo only served its purpose in the past and now government and political leaders are finding new ways to control the people or if the young are missing a huge part of their cultural identity and past?The Yoruba, of Nigeria, life is thoroughly permeated by religion. It is not just a part of African culture, but a catalyst of it. The Yoruba claimed to have 401 gods. The traditions and beliefs of the early Yoruba was influenced in part by the prominent objects of nature around them. Here you see a painting of Oshun; Yoruba goddess of the rivers that sustain life, she rules love, beauty and the arts, especially dance. Streams, rivers, lakes and waterfalls carry her voice on their waters. Adorned with gold jewelry, she speaks to one of her birds, the parrot. She is holding the fan of a priestess of Oshun who is the mediator between the divine/natural world and the world of people (the cross in the circle indicating a meeting of the two worlds), from Osogbo, Nigeria. She is said to be the protector of children in the village and also watcher of those crossing rivers. Yoruba philosophy was life affirming, concerned with life whether in rocks, soil, plants, animals or human beings. Yoruba philosophy asked questions to help him come to grips with his environment, thereby shaping his mode of thought. Yoruba culture in Western Nigeria has withstood the upheavals and turmoil of internal civil wars, slave raiding, and the influences of Western culture, not only by taking in the cultural traits, but breathing new life into them from the old traditional culture.4.Discuss and compare dance in the court of Louis XIV and the Big Adae at the court of the Asantehehe. Historically dance has played a big role among the ruling powers of many societies just as it has among common people. Often it was not only the privilege but also the duty of the monarch to dance--and to dance well--in order to honor the source of his or her power, to display authority, to set standards of elegance by which members of the court would be judged, and to maintain the court hierarchy. Some of the defining characteristics of court dance are displaying power, exemplifying refinement through movement that is considered elegant, beautiful, and noble. Many court dances are extremely difficult and must be learned from a dance master. Asante people were at the height of their power in the early years of the 1th century. Survival as a distinct people in the face of much colonization, invasion, was due to military prowess and genius for political organization Asanthene (the King) combined in his person the powers of head of state, head priest & commander in chief, but was never an absolute monarch. Louis the XIV used his keen sel-marketing skills to display control over vast resources, including both people and material goods The Asanthene traditionally was required to be an excellent dancer just as Louis XIV was an excellent dancer who would train everyday. The dances are performed at the Big Adae (Ritual Day) in which the hierarchy of chiefs, subchiefs, and others gather to show homage to the asanthene. The dances in the time of Louis XIV were large spectacles that would be performed by various levels of court. The Asanthene movement is refined, dignified, and is passed from generation to generation by each courtier; anyone can do it, but must be skilled to avoid drum censorship and the humiliation; umbrellas are symbolic; hand gestures are very important. This is much like the dance of Louis XIV in that the movements were refined and passed down through generations. The Ashante had drum censorship which would signal the dancer that he or she had made an error and to stop. In the courts of Louis XIV an error in dance would lead to a decline in courtly status and embarrassment. The costuming of the court dances could be compared to the elaborate jewelry and umbrellas of the Asanthene both symbols of status. Please note that this sample paper on comparison of dance forms is for your review only. In order to eliminate any of the plagiarism issues, it is highly recommended that you do not use it for you own writing purposes. In case you experience difficulties with writing a well structured and accurately composed paper on comparison of dance forms, we are here to assist you. Your persuasive essay on comparison of dance forms will be written from scratch, so you do not have to worry about its originality.
Order your authentic assignment and you will be amazed at how easy it is to complete a quality custom paper within the shortest time possible!
