Category: Dance

Executive Summary

The people born between 1946 and 1964, commonly referred to as the baby boomers, are being targeted by many entrepreneurs because of their control over the disposable income in Canada. Examples of people with entrepreneurial interest in the boomers are Beverly and Robert Tang. The two have a great record in dancing. Most of the lessons are conducted by the Tang’s. However, they are considering using other methods to make more money from the boomers. Top on their agenda is investing in a learn-to-dance video. The video is to be availed for internet users, who would like to purchase, interact with others or download the video. A lot of money (approximately 1.4 dollars) is needed to succeed in this venture. They decide to enlist the help of a third party, in this case, Tim Draper. This is because Draper is a successful person who has used the internet to prosper his business. Two other experts are also consulted on the chances of success of this venture.

Introduction

Baby boomers are famous for their love of dancing. Consequently, many investors are targeting them for various dance-related services. Beverly and Robert Tang are past dancing champions who have taken the initiative to offer dancing lessons for the baby boomers. However, there are challenges that they are facing. This paper shall analyze the case of the Tangs in their attempt to become a world-class dancing company.

Background & Statement of the Problem

Beverly and Robert Tang are people who have a passion for dancing as evidenced by the fact that they are former champions in dancing in North America. They feel that they can use dancing as a source of income so they seek for a way to do this. They both agree on the idea of targeting the boomers because of the role they play in the economy of Canada. They feel that those in this category may not have a lot of problems parting with their money in order to attend dancing lessons. Consequently, they invest 20,000 dollars in a learn-to-dance video, which they intend to market through the internet. This is the source of their problems.

They consider enlisting the help of a successful entrepreneur, Tim Draper, who has used the internet to market his business and succeeded. In order to make their meeting with Draper successful, the duo looks for a brand coach to help them but he ends up disappointing them.

When they eventually get a chance to speak to Draper, some blunders, such as Robert referring to Tim as ‘Steve’ arise. At the end of their conversations, Draper does not give them a precise answer concerning their request. Moreover, two experts, Lina Ko and Robert Herjavec, give their views. Although Herjavec appreciates the idea that the duo has, he points out some areas of weaknesses in their plan. He cites lack of enough technological knowledge among the boomers as a reason why their idea may not work. Instead, he is of the view that dancing should target the younger generation. Precisely, he sees that marketing using internet may not work out for the duo. On the other hand, Ko disagrees with Herjavec’s view that the boomers are not very knowledgeable in technology. Targeting the women is also seen as a pro for them. However, she recommends that they change their language. Reinventing oneself can be used instead of retirement. Again, the two need to divide the boomer market because of age disparity.

Situation Analysis

Strengths

Dancescape is a company that is run by two people who have been champions in dancing in North America. Being a past champion, the two have a vast wealth of knowledge which they could have amassed while they were the reigning champions in dancing. This means that many people can be willing to trust them with their money in exchange of quality dancing lessons. Having perfected in this area because of their numerous engagements in dancing and beating the rest of the contestants to emerge the champions gives them an advantage over the rest in the same field.

Moreover, the two are renowned public figures and who may have some fanatics. It is therefore possible for people to join their institution just for the sake of being associated with the famous champions in dancing.

The timing of their venture is also good because of the many popular dancing shows that have had a positive reception from the audience.

Weaknesses

Although the Tangs have a brilliant idea, some weaknesses can be noted in this venture. Their very first meeting with Draper, a person who they have a lot of hope in that he is going to help them in launching their marketing through the internet, does not go as they had expected. This incident confirms what the brand coach had forewarned. The tangs seem not to value other people’s advice when doing any new task and this may lead to greater problems in future.

Opportunities

Dancescape has numerous opportunities that can be utilized well to take the company to greater heights. The use of internet to market its products is one of the many opportunities that the company can grasp. This is because; most of the people can access the internet easily and cheaply. The world has now become a global village because of the presence of internet everywhere, hence; the Tangs goal of being a world-class dance lifestyle company can so easily be achieved.

Threats

Since the Tangs are dealing with an area that is very popular with the young people, his target group may not be very comfortable engaging in the same activity that majority of the youths are doing. Also, the language used by the Tangs when dealing with the boomers may not be very appealing to them, causing the boomers to seek for another dancing place where they are not called by names that make them appear like they are very old.

Analysis of Alternatives

When they seek to involve an experienced third party to help in advising them, the problem seems to become more complicated. This is because their initial talk with Draper seems to have taken the wrong turn due to the some blunders they make during their interaction with him. What complicates the matter further is the lack of a blatant ‘yes’ or ‘no’ from him.

Another problem that arises is when the experts give their views on their chance of succeeding. Herjavec, the owner of a computer company does not seem to endorse the use of internet as the best means to reach out to the boomers. Being a specialist in the internet, his views are not to be taken lightly or dismissed without a second thought. On the contrary, Ko, who has been extensively involved with the boomers, does not seem to have any problem with the use of internet as a means to reach out to the boomers. Her problem is that the Tang’s have not segmented the market to cater for the needs of the boomers in various age categories as well as the use of language.

Precisely, the two are in a quagmire whether to wait for a response from Draper, a person who has used the internet to successfully carry out his business venture, or to go by the computer specialist’s view- probably because he understands the audience better or to adopt Ko’s suggestion- having worked with the particular target group that the duo is targeting.

Recommendation and Implementation

The best option would be for the two to come together and see how they can reconcile all the opinions they have received to come up with one perfect solution. Since the Tangs know what they wanted with their company from the word go, they should consider going back to the drawing board after receiving the opinions of different people and see the one that is closest to their final goal.

Several options are available to the Tangs. First, they can opt to go by Herjavec’s advice. This means that they will not consider the internet as the major tool of marketing their video but will look for another option. Alternatively, they could go by Ko’s advice. This means that they use the internet because even the boomers are able to access the internet. However, they should segment the market because of the age difference among the boomers. Again, this option would call for a lot of care in the names they use to refer to the boomers and the stage they are in life. Retirement should be out of their vocabulary. The other option is waiting for Draper to give them a feedback after their initial meeting. However, this option may not be very reliable.

Conclusion

Beverly and Robert Tang are faced with a crisis that they need to resolve in order to achieve their dream of being a world-class dancing company. Despite the threats and weaknesses that they have, there are many opportunities and strengths they can capitalize on.

Introduction

The crisis induced by the COVID-19 pandemic created challenges for creative enterprises in Australia, including the dance industry. Sydney Dance Company (n.d.), an enterprise that organizes performances and offers contemporary dance classes for clients with different proficiency levels, ranging from beginners to advanced dancers, had to alter its offer due to the pandemic. The business needed to account for the clientele’s changing attitudes to self-care and infection prevention, as well as the national guidelines to limit public events and gatherings. Started in the late 1960s by Susan Musitz, Sydney Dance Company (n.d., para. 4) has launched multiple innovations, including interdisciplinary collaborations and becoming the first non-Asian company performing in the People’s Republic of China. In 2020, after closing its Ultimo studios to comply with public health advice, Sydney Dance Company (2020, p. 1) launched the Virtual Studio platform. It offers different subscription modes and pre-recorded and live-streamed lessons for various audiences. This replacement of the service delivery mode in response to the changing public health landscape exemplifies creative destruction in the dance education market required to adapt to audiences’ new expectations and prevent revenue loss.

The Virtual Studio as the Example of Creative Destruction in Australian Entrepreneurship

The notion of creative destruction is inseparable from the concepts of innovativeness and innovative activity. Basically, innovation is what creates the circumstances for creative destruction. Schumpeter, the author of the creative destruction theory, applies biological processes, such as mutation, to the realia and evolution of industrial companies (Borrup, 2018). From his perspective, industrial mutations occur in the form of the revolutionization of economic structures, the destruction of older ways of doing things, and the emergence of the replacing practices or products (Borrup, 2018). In biology, mutation results from exposure to mutagens or agents of change. This could be compared to new external business and regulatory environments that limit the enterprise’s ability to physically interact with the consumer, thus urging the need for innovative change. Innovation, whether imitative or radical, presents the implementation of new ideas, products, or methods with the purpose of generating greater inputs or increasing competitiveness (Nuruzzaman, Singh and Pattnaik, 2019). According to Schumpeter’s understanding of innovation, the latter should refer specifically to changes in the production function that lead to decreases in costs and increases in outputs (Günar and Doğan, 2020). Therefore, to cause actual creative destruction by revolutionizing business processes, entrepreneurs need ideas that are innovative in terms of both contents and the ability to promote wiser approaches to resource utilization. Based on the connections between destruction and innovation and the terms’ definitions, it is possible to demonstrate that the Virtual Studio exemplifies creative destruction.

The opening of the Virtual Studio by Sydney Dance Company meets the definition of a true innovation capable of causing creative disruption in the industry. The reasons for this include the transformation’s intentional nature and the ability to produce a greater efficiency by replacing the old way of providing services. Importantly, Schumpeter’s reliance on the perspective that innovation is a new idea that is operationally feasible and beneficial fully applies to the company’s Virtual Studio (Günar and Doğan, 2020). Firstly, aside from assisting the company in meeting public health recommendations, the decision to broadcast group dance lessons instead of conducting them in person can decrease production costs. It is achieved by eliminating dance studio maintenance expenses since teachers typically broadcast lessons from their apartments (Sydney Dance Company, 2020). Secondly, lesson broadcasting can produce greater financial outputs by removing geographical and capacity-related barriers to selling more subscriptions. With lessons available online, Sydney Dance Company (2020) can attract foreign audiences and increase its customer outreach without establishing physical studios outside of Dawes Point and New South Wales. At the same time, the maximum possible number of clients to attend the broadcasted lessons is not specified, implying that no particular limitations are actually applicable (Sydney Dance Company, 2020). With this approach, when selling subscriptions, the organization can exceed its dance studios’ average capacity without threats to users’ safety, which has positive implications for revenue generation. The discussed example of destruction is part of a larger trend in the Australian arts sector focused on the digitalization of service.

Creative destruction finds reflection in the ubiquitous “onlinification” of products in the creative sector, including Sydney Dance Company’s dance class offers. The recent pandemic has accelerated the global shift towards entrepreneurship in the online space, thus harming traditional offline businesses that rely on face-to-face service provision (Wojnicka-Sycz et al., 2022). Based on surveys, the Australia Council for the Arts (2020, p. 3) concludes that new restrictive bans on gatherings announced in March 2020 caused income losses exceeding $5 million for those in the Ausdance Network. Many studios have closed with no alternatives for income generation, but the preference for online solutions has also increased (Australia Council for the Arts, 2020). Wojnicka-Sycz et al. (2022) recognize the global digitalization scenario as an instance of Schumpeterian creative destruction as the product delivered online seeks to replace its traditional analog. The case of Sydney Dance Company’s (2020) transformation effectively exemplifies this need to deconstruct the traditional way of conducting dance classes by changing the service delivery channel to the company’s own online video streaming platform. Another aspect of the deconstruction refers to keeping lessons scheduled, as opposed to the industry’s long-term practice of using pre-recorded courses as a replacement for traditional classes (Sydney Dance Company, 2020). This can create the effect of real-time communication with the instructor, which is innovative and takes service delivery to the next level (Sydney Dance Company, 2020). Thus, the organization instrumentalized creative destruction by launching the Virtual Studio and offering an innovative replacement for traditional classes, which has enabled it to continue operations despite closing the Ultimo physical studios.

Conclusion

In summary, Sydney Dance Company has adapted to Australia’s COVID-19-related bans on gatherings to offer an innovative, technology-mediated way of conducting dance classes, which exemplifies creative destruction. The company’s Virtual Studio offers scheduled broadcasted dance lessons for dancers with various proficiency levels and subscription options that involve unlimited access to lessons. It emphasizes flexibility and convenience for both long-standing and new customers, thus making the innovation operationally feasible and preventing the nullification of demand. Moreover, this innovative way of conducting contemporary dance classes enables the company to incorporate larger trends affecting the country’s creative industry, such as digitalization, into its offer. By initiating transformation and offering a new product type, at least as a temporary replacement, Sydney Dance Company has effectively responded to the changing circumstances of the performing arts industry. Particularly, the transformation addresses limited access to face-to-face interaction with the target audience. In this manner, it has managed to avoid the total suspension of operations and retain its competitive advantage as much as possible.

Reference List

Australia Council for the Arts (2020) Summary of data: measuring the impacts of COVID-19 on the Australian arts sector.

Borrup, T. (2018) ‘Creative disruption in the arts—special issue introduction’, The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society, 48(4), pp. 223-226. doi: 10.1080/10632921.2018.1497392

Günar, A. and Doğan, S. (2020) ‘Innovation in the European Union within the framework of the theory of creative destruction: an overview after the global financial crisis 2008’, Ekonomi Politika ve Finans Araştırmaları Dergisi, 5(3), pp. 682-705. doi: 10.30784/epfad.822774

Nuruzzaman, N., Singh, D. and Pattnaik, C. (2019) ‘Competing to be innovative: foreign competition and imitative innovation of emerging economy firms’, International Business Review, 28(5), pp. 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.ibusrev.2018.03.005

Sydney Dance Company (2020) Sydney Dance Company launches virtual dance studio.

Sydney Dance Company (n.d.) About us: the company.

Wojnicka-Sycz, E. et al. (2022) ‘From adjustment to structural changes–innovation activity of enterprises in the time of COVID-19 pandemic’, Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research, pp. 1-46. doi: 10.1080/13511610.2022.203695

Jiri Kylian as one of the most prominent ballet-masters of the twenty-first century is known to perform a wide spectrum of emotions and feelings in his works, which fascinate with their perfection and beauty of movement. No exception is the “performance “Petite Mort”, which was first represented to public in The Nederlands Dans Theater in 1996 and was the part of the so-called “Black & White Ballets”. [Riding, 1999]

The performance consists of the two parts, which are thematically bound. They express the harmonic integrity of the personality and movements, which is accompanied by ideally matching motive by Mozart.

On the whole, analyzing the first part of the ballet from the beginning, we have to point out the appropriateness of the absence of sound accompaniment, which leads the onlooker to concentrate on the pattern of movements the six men perform.

It has to be mentioned, that group ballet without musical accompaniment is rather uneasy task, because each movement and breath has to be worked out in team so as to achieve synchronism and perfection. However, the ballet group managed to overcome the difficulties and dance simultaneously even with no sound.

We should acknowledge the unveiled “hand of the master”, Jiri Kylian, who has succeeded in showing the power of the men at the beginning of his performance. As a matter of fact, these are not only swords, which indicate the strength and beauty of the men, but also a certain set of movements, most of which are quite sharp and confident. From time to time the movements are altering from quick to slow; however, it only amplifies the feeling of men superiority and influence.

When the first notes of Mozart’s Adagio can be heard by the viewer, the picture drastically changes. According to the music, the way the men move alter from sharp to smooth, from confident to insecure.

We cannot but point out the beauty of the tissue raised, which has served a special effect of the cloudy sky or the thick fog (there the onlooker can apply his/her own imagination) and has prepared the viewer to the idea of the “petite mort” in the performance.

Further, there appear new characters, women, which, together with the men, execute a dance of tenderness and harmony, of great affection and, probably, even love. The performance proceeds with the solo dance of one couple, which evokes in the onlooker the same feelings. Without any doubt, a two-person dance is more impressive in terms of concentration of each kind of motion, every muscle movement every touch and gesture. The two-dance is indisputably more intimate and feeling-provoking.

However, the group ballet strikes the onlooker with its own peculiarities. For example, the performance by the same author called “Falling Angels”. Sharp synchronic movements in combination with fully expressed percussion music do not seek for perfection, because they already possess it.

Generally, belonging to the “Black & White Ballets”, which are devoted to eternal issues, the idea of the dance is expressed explicitly clear. The women dancing, who symbolize deprivation, inequality in rights and lack of freedom, are moving with their hands in a way the fallen angels would.

What is more, the lighting plays quite a significant part in interpreting the performance. Having a form of squares directed on each of the eight dancers, the ballet-maker creates an atmosphere of “being caught in a cage, being limited due to our inability to achieve complete perfection or satisfaction.” [Harkarvy, 1994]

Jiri Kylian is indisputably one of the most famous choreographers of our century and deserves this title practically, by having created a lot of such masterpieces, as the two discussed ballet performances.

Works Cited

Harkarvy, Benjamin. “In conversation: Jiri Kylian on the choreographer’s art – Interview”. Dance Magazine. 1994. Web.

Riding, Alan. “DANCE; With a Celebration Of Dutch Freedom, He Frees Himself“. The New York Times. 1999. Web.

Introduction

A movie is a visual medium and normally attempts to portray certain parts of written piece of thoughts of characters not explicitly expressed. The film Taxi Driver by Martin Scorsese displays the frustrations of an ex-marine officer in New York City who becomes a taxi driver to contain his chronic insomnia condition. The customs in the city are too much for this driver who served in the just concluded Second World War.

Produced in 1976, this movie was met with criticism and support in equal measure. On the other hand, the film Dances with Wolves by Kevin Costner is often described as a classical masterpiece of the early 1990s due to its unique theme.

The unique cinematography and performances have perfectly fused to express the main theme especially when the characters interact showing emotions and mood in every scene. This analytical treatise attempts to explicitly compare and contrast the cinematic themes creates by the two directors.

The themes

Recognizing the themes of loyalty and moral crisis, Scorsese brings this movie to life. He creates a very human action thriller that combines stories of both self-discovery and love for the taxi driver called Travis. Scorsese convincingly mingles the ‘futuristic’ and the ‘realistic’ imaginations to create a world of exotic reality in the busy city life.

There is a lot of violence and prostitution in the New York City. Travis has to adopt very radical actions to try and restore order. He shots the little Irish ‘pimp’ and his friends for encouraging the young lady into prostitution.

On the other hand, Costner in the film Dance with Wolves revises roles as defined by traditions of the Indians and Cowboys. As depicted in the film, tradition and religion control the lives of characters. Specifically, the Sioux tribe is depicted as a unique and traditional society. The American soldiers are portrayed as imperfect, genuine, viciously brutal, and semi thoughtless.

Traditions control the mourning of Elgin who is a lieutenant and Stone. Despite attempting to quantify historical events into context, the film has little on reversal aspect. The movie commences with a civil war featuring antagonists and protagonists of tradition as both teams attempt to create a diversion.

In addition, the Native Americans are painted as traditionally united group who appreciate peace, with strong family bonds and are desperate for opportunity of survival in the strife.

Unlike the film Taxi Driver, the film Dance with Wolves misses the truly poetic orchestrations of actions and heroic displays of bravado. The film Taxi Driver has an intriguing premise: heroism after dejection.

In the film Dance with Wolves, the director seems to be unable to convey the poetry and philosophical inclinations of the colonial masters and the natives of India. At the end, the underlying fear and destabilizations of the imaginative explorations mere summarized the plot rather giving it a poetic identity.

The Plots

The film Taxi Driver has the urban plot and the story revolves around a single actor. The actions of the taxi driver affect other actors directly in this action packed piece. Reflectively, this creates a feeling of imaginative casting. Scorsese even goes ahead to include slow motion pictures, yet the film is a high speed genre.

Travis is a character in the movie and always is worried of what will happen next. His character is associated with the unfortunate events when he loses his ‘girlfriend’ after his strategy to take her to a sex movie fires back.

In comparison, the film Dance with Wolves revolves around ‘the kicking bird’ and ‘Wind in His Hair’ that come to the society of the Sioux. The new society’s of the Sioux philosophy is to “take without asking”. During the film, characters display a clear caricature hint which defies traditional stereotyping. At the climax, Dunbar defects from traditional culture to new culture.

To align to the traditional setting aspects on production design and the society, this film heightens hyper-real palate of emotional expression. Moreover, this choice of setting was essential in the need for a proper balance of production aural, sound accordion, and scenes characterized by traditional practices such as sharing of pipe. Subsequently, this balance has facilitated the addition of decadent love and hatred feelings in the film.

Conclusion

The endings of the two genres are quite different. The taxi driver realizes that the item that he never valued turns about to be a necessity for his survival. After being arrested and interrogated by the police, he walks out a hero. On the other hand, the ending of the film Dance with Wolves paints the indigenous Sioux community as people united by shamanism religion and tradition.

The film ends with these people still in the bondage of neocolonialism. The two directors adopt totally different approaches and settings in the two films. Scorsese adopts the urban setting and modern way of life, while Costner adopts the traditional setting and the traditional way of life.

Introduction

Dances are the integral part of the Western culture. However, the representatives of the various ethnicities may have rather different attitude towards them. Although almost every nation in the world historically has its own traditional dances, the perception of the contemporary dances may be different among people. The aim of this report is to present and interpret the results of the survey on the attitude of people to contemporary dances.

Method

Internet Research

The research was conducted through the use of the relevant articles, books, and online video interviews. In particular, these sources included Questia internet library, Hampshiredance.org.uk, and Youtube.

Survey

In order to investigate the question of people’s attitude to dancing and the contemporary dance, in particular, a short survey was created. After its development, it was distributed among target group of university students. The fifteen individuals were questioned.

There were 80% of the females and 20% of males. The age groups were represented in the following way: 46.7% of the respondents – the age from 25 to 30, 26.7% – the age of older than 35, 13.3% – the age group from 30 to 36, and 13.3% – the age from 18 to 24.

The Results

Internet Research Findings

The results of the medical research allow concluding that dance “provides an active, non-competitive form of exercise that has potential positive effects for physical health as well as mental and emotional well-being” (Quin, Redding, Frazer, 2007, p. 1). Taking into account the results of the survey, it can be said that the respondents tend to be aware of the positive effect of dances on health.

Nowadays, the contemporary dances reflect the modern lifestyle and culture. It is said that they represent the adventures and visionaries of the modern choreographers (Morgenroth, 2007). Some people argue that there is a tendency of the feminization of salsa, especially salsa romantica, which tend to be less aggressive than salsa caliente (Negus, 1999). This statement is proved by the results of the survey.

Suzan Moss claims that the attending of the dance classes can contribute to the multicultural communication (Moss, 2000). Undoubtedly, dancing requires trainings. Matt Cornell, the contemporary dancer, says that it is really hard to maintain movement practice (QL2_Dance, 2012). The respondents gave different views on which kind of arts were the best forms to convey artists’ emotions.

It is interesting to know what the dancers and choreographers think about that and what inspires them. Sonya Tayeh says that she gets her inspiration from the cartoons and their superheroes as well as from paintings, and just from life experience (Boogie Zone, 2013).

The Japanese researchers of the contemporary dance emphasize the importance of improvisation in the contemporary dancing stating that the contemporary dance is the “process of dance creation itself” (Nakano & Okada, n.d., p.2073).

Survey Findings

The results of the survey show that the overwhelming number of the respondents is interested in the belly dancing and salsa. Their weights account for 26.7% each.

The number of people, who have ever attended the dance classes, and the number of those, who have not, were approximately equal with 46.7% giving the positive answer and 40% giving the negative answer. It is interesting to note that 53.3% of the respondents strongly disagree with the statement “The dances are just for girls”.

The results on the answering the question of what is the main benefit of dancing show that 86.7% of the respondents said that they consider it made you healthier, whereas as only 6.7% of people said that it made you popular and 6.7% said that they didn’t see any benefits.

It should be also noted that 46.7% of the respondents said that the contemporary dances were not considered as a trend in their professional circle. The respondents were also asked to express their attitude to the expression by Edward Hopper who said “Great art is the outward expression of an inner life in the artist, and this inner life will result in his personal vision of the world”.

The question was “What is in your opinion the best form of Art to convey the artists’ emotions to you?” The results show that 26.7% of people consider that it is the painting, and the same percentages of the respondents think that it is the photography and music. Literature is chosen by 13.3% of people and dance is considered to be the best form of Art to convey the artists’ emotions by only 6.7%.

Conclusion and Recommendations

In summary, it should be said that the majority of people like dances. They consider them as the integral part of any holiday. Belly dancing and salsa are the favorite dances of many people. The respondents are aware of the positive impact of dancing on health.

Overall, the results of the survey show that people have the positive attitude to the modern dances. I would recommend the development of the dancing classes and opening the new ones in our neighborhood.

References

Boogie Zone (2008). BZ Contemporary – Sonya Tayeh Interview. Web.

Morgenroth, J. (2007). Speaking of Dance: Twelve Contemporary Choreographers on Their Craft. New York, USA: Routledge.

Moss, S. (2000). Learning from Latina Students: Modern Dance Meets Salsa and Merengue. The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 71(3), n.pag. Web.

Nakano, Y., & Okada, T. Process of Improvisational Contemporary Dance. Web.

Negus, K. (1999). Music Genres and Corporate Cultures. New York, USA: Routledge.

QL2_Dance (2012). Contemporary Dance Interview: Matt Cornell with QL2 Dance – Quantum Leap in “Me Right Now”. Web.

Quin, E., Redding, E., & Frazer, L. (2007). Dance Science Research Report. Web.

The Power of Myth

The power of myth by Joseph Campbell is a video that can be viewed by any generation, and has many lessons that can be learnt. The video, which lasts for six hours, involves a student-journalist and a teacher-mythologist. It is divided into six parts, each with its own concepts. The key theme that is covered in this video is mythology, which is concerned with the manner in which humans seek spiritual satisfaction. Campbell’s life is a typical representation of these themes, since he is a celebrated storyteller and a learned scholar who tells stories on a range of historical myths from different countries (Moyers and Campbell 235).

Through illustrations by historical artifacts, these stories have been made very interesting. As the dance becomes increasingly exiting, Moyers who is a smart interviewer establishes a perfect harmony with Campbell, his mentor. As the video comes to an end, the viewers are convinced that myths are very essential for the human beings, since they define their survival including past, present and the future (Campbell 25).

Lord of the Dance

The setting of the dance when the movie starts is a church and the dancing troupe is led by a clergy – this gives the dance a religious association. Demonstration of historical artifacts in the course of the movie means that the dance is borrowed from a traditional theme. The dancers move majestically and flexibly in the floor of the dance, with some characteristic soft tones common with Roman Catholic Church. In the course of the movie, there is a demonstration of Jesus crucifixion procession, which symbolizes a religious commemoration ceremony. When the dance is being performed outside the church, the instruments and the mode of dressing by the dancing troupes symbolizes traditions of this community.

Later in the movie, a procession of a group of young men performing a traditional ritual is observed. This ritual is followed by a dance led by elderly men playing traditional instruments. The dance is followed by a procedure whereby one of the elderly men is drawing an exaggerated image that perhaps represents an important cultural heritage. The dance troupe is clad in a variety of dancing outfit that looks extremely fascinating (Gupta 56).

Comparison of the two videos

An example of similarity between the two videos is their outstanding attractiveness and creativity. In both videos, the audience is highly entertained and would love to watch the scenes again and again. In addition, the two videos entertain their viewers, and also contain certain teachings for them. The power of myth has taught its audience about the importance of myths for the survival of the human beings.

Lord of dance is rich in religious and cultural teachings. For example, demonstration of Jesus crucifixion reminds believers about the teachings of Jesus Christ, when he died for their sake. Interestingly, Lord of the dance has borrowed the old cultural practices and modernized it, hence making it more attractive and acceptable. Essentially, both videos have linked the old culture with the modern life. Lord of the dance is composed by a troupe of dancers together with their leaders, which makes it quite different from the power of myth, which is composed by only two key characters. The lead of the dance has some religious connotation, which is not present in the power of myth.

Works Cited

Campbell, Joseph. The Hero’s Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work. Novato: New World Library, 2003. Print.

Gupta, Shobhna. Dances of India. New Delhi: Har-Anand Publications, 2002. Print.

Moyers, Bill, and Joseph Campbell. The Power of Myth. New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2009. Print.

Lome Fuller (1862-1928) was born in Chicago and became famous for her serpentine dance which she accidentally invented during the rehearsal of a play called “Quack MD” in 1889. She began her career on stage as a child actress getting her education as an actress. Although the play “Quack MD” failed, Fuller’s dancing was so successful that she abandoned the career of an actress and performed as a skirt dancer in her twenties. In 1892 she moved to Paris to try her luck there. She performed at the Folies Bergeres, a place known for its circus-style acts, and became a celebrity there. She visited the United States occasionally, but never stayed for a long period of time.

Fuller recalls that she invented her serpentine dance during her rehearsal for the part in the play (Fuller 43). She tried to create a hypnotic effect for her character in front of the mirror. Thus, she wore a long silk skirt and began to wave her arms holding the ends of it. The cloth caught the light of the sun coming through the window and, thus, a special effect was created on which Fuller based her famous serpentine dance. Fuller mainly used the skirt dance as a basis for her performance. Still, she was a pioneer of the modern dance and did not have any specific role models.

Although she had only several dance lessons in her life, she could mysteriously operate with fabric, shaping it into different figures and sculptures, and this skill made her famous. She never injured herself in dance because of its simplicity. Still, the light effects she created for her performances and the skills in playing with fabric made her popular. She learned to operate with lamps to achieve the desired effect while she swirled her skirt on stage. Fuller was one of the first performers who used electric stage lighting which is common nowadays.

Although she never reached the desired popularity in the United States, she had many followers. Even when Fuller came to Paris, she met there a young woman who copied her style, and she had to prove herself as the original creator of the serpentine dance. It was the reason why she had to perform the first two nights under the different name there. Still, her dance images were astonishing and created a sensation in Paris. In her dance, she used optical illusions and changes of color created by proper lighting. During her dancing, her body almost disappeared in the array of light and change of colors. Some reviews admitted that her success was in power to perform thrilling metamorphosis and merge with the hint of supernatural.

It was admitted that Fuller did not look like a star or a glamour girl. She did not have any training and had no natural grace. Still, the metamorphoses of her dance appeared to be a perfect synesthesia (Brandstetter 65). It is striking how she performed on stage never letting anything of her real personality creep into her images. In general, it was admitted by many people that she was fortunate enough to be at the right time in the right place. She continued to experiment with lighting and created many new dances during her career in Paris.

Fuller is significant as a stagecraft innovator inventing stage lighting and different light effects, including the first use of chemical mixes of gels and slides, as well as luminescent salts. She was well known in the scientific community of France. She is also considered to be the first expatriate American dancer.

Works Cited

Brandstetter, G. Poetics of Dance: Body, Image, and Space in the Historical Avant-Gardes. Oxford University Press, 2015.

Fuller, L. Fifteen Years of a Dancer’s Life: With Some Account of Her Distinguished Friends. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2015.

Introduction: Rooting Way Down in the Centuries

Whenever people think of Spain and the Spanish culture, the first thing that comes to their mind is flamenco – the dance of passion and the only way to express the nature of a Spaniard, the fiery mixture of the incompatible that can hardly be explained, yet provides the strongest impression. Despite its long history and the obvious artistic flair about it, the dance is strikingly different from the traditional Terpsichorean standards, which makes Flamenco one of the most mysterious dances and offers sufficient food for considerations.

Indeed, according to the opinions of experts, flamenco should be rather opposed to the traditional understanding of a dance than considered as another variation of male dancing. As Hayes explains,

An Apollo, one must remember, is the god of music. But flamenco dance carries with it always the taint of hunger, intoxication, poverty, and, often, sexuality. For those scholars invested in the recuperation of the dance for the intellect, the flamenco body must be transformed from a grotesque body to a classical one (55).

Therefore, it should be considered that flamenco is not a dance in its typical understanding. Comprising passion and emotions, it is rather a ritual. Moreover, the distinct flair of the Spanish culture which does not mix with the other dancing cultures means that flamenco is more than merely a type of dance.

The Dance Starts: Seizing the Fire

Considering the history of flamenco, one must confess that the dance has been developing in not quite an academic way since it mostly belonged not to the nobility, but the poorer population; hence, it did not have a sufficient theoretical background to be based on.

However, speaking of the practical component of flamenco, one must claim that the Spaniards and the Spanish Gypsies drove the given element to perfection. However, it is also worth noting that the official development of the dance theory started comparatively recently, which is not enough for the dance theory to evolve. As Lewis comments, one of the most important theorists of flamenco was Carmen Amaya, who managed to convey the idea of Spanish Gypsy culture to the rest of the world in 1937-1940 (95), which is quite late if comparing flamenco to classical dances.

Joaquín Cortés: The Prince of Hispanic Gypsies

To understand the specifics of the dance and the ideas that it conveys, one should consider the ideas of an authoritative person; and, when it comes to flamenco, there is no other authority than Joaquín Cortés, the man who not only mastered the art of flamenco but improved it, making the dance even more expressive and exquisite. According to what the dancer says, flamenco cannot be considered merely a dance – this is a culture, a potion, and a source of Joaquín Cortés’s continuous inspiration.

However, the artist claims that flamenco does have certain academic grounds and that in this sphere, a revolution can be, and as a matter of fact, has been made. As the dancer himself explains, “Flamenco critics, more academic, didn’t like it. They have the tradition, it’s like ballet, it’s an academic city. The flamenco has one academic city too.” (Patterson). Therefore, it must be admitted that, even though flamenco does have certain academic fundament to base on, in the course of its development, under the influence of the young dancers, it is finally shaped to represent the opposite of academic dancing.

Mixing Fire and Water: Flamenco Is Alive

Considering how flamenco is represented by the most outstanding dancers, among them Joaquín Cortés, one must mark that with the help of the specific techniques that are strikingly different from the ones established by the rules of flamenco, the dancers reach the maximum expressivity (shahib0ne87). It is essential that even in modern interpretation, the traditional difference between male and female performance is kept.

However, taking a closer look at Cortés’s smooth movements, one must admit that he mixes the traditional woman and man style of dancing. Even though the above mentioned is against the rules of flamenco, one should say that the way flamenco styles merge is fantastic. Hence, it can be concluded that flamenco, one of the dances that can be hardly classified as such, does change over time, erasing the gender differences; and it is worth adding that these changes add a specific tint to the dance, making it special and unique.

Conclusion: How Come the World Does not Stop

Despite the controversies concerning the origins of the dance and its place among the existing dances, there can be still no doubt that flamenco is one of the most beautiful and spectacular dances in the world. Stirring the imagination and making a truly splendid impression, this is not only a set of songs and dances, as Martinez assures, but the means to express oneself – one of the most beautiful means ever.

Works Cited

Hayes, Michelle Heffner. Flamenco: Conflicting Histories of the Dance. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2009. Print.

Lewis, Dana. Dance in Hispanic Cultures. Vol. 3. New York, NY: Routledge, 1994. Print.

Martinez, Emma. Flamenco: All You Wanted to Know. Bunker, MO: Mel Bay Publications, 2003. Print.

Patterson, Christina. Joaquín Cortés: “Dancing is my wife, my woman.” The Independent. 2009. Web.

shahib0ne87. “Flamenco. Amazing Dance by Joaquín Cortés.” YouTube. 2011. Web.

Introduction

The Miami Dance project headed by Barbara Delgado is a new and innovative way in which dance is being used as a method of encouraging children with autism to better express themselves and develop more confidence in social situations (Martinez, 1).

What must be understood is that adults and children suffering from autism are often more susceptible to stressful situations resulting in actions wherein they withdraw inwards and become silent, don’t move at all or they tend to utilize physical coping mechanisms in order to cope with the stressful situation that they are presented with.

When I was younger I had a friend who had autism and I can say from personal experience that at times when presented with a situation he couldn’t cope with such as meeting new people he would just freeze and hide or just sit down and ignore everyone else. It was at times frustrating but I felt mostly pit for him since he couldn’t seem to enjoy the things I myself took for granted.

Exploring Autism

Based on recent estimates examining the prevalence of autism in the world today 1 to 2 individuals out of every 1,000 has some degree of autism with numbers in the U.S. actually being significantly higher with the potential for 1 out of every 155 children having the potential to be autistic.

In the case of my friend I always felt a certain degree of frustration that over the years he still continued to remain the same no matter how many times I tried to help him become more outgoing.

A rather interesting aspect of autism explored by Geddes (2008) details how people with autism can actually be quite imaginative when it comes to the use of certain words and physical activities and actually leads to many individuals with this particular type disorder to seek careers as writers or artists (Geddes, 10).

Schwarzer (2011) explains this by indicating that people with autism are more “inward thinkers” rather than input interpreters (Schwarzer, 796). This means that the imaginative and at times almost brilliant and striking artistic works they are able to create are a direct result of inward thinking wherein a particular aspect, object or topic is looked at from every angle in a rigid and almost repetitive manner.

My Feelings towards the Dance Project

It is based on this that my feeling towards the Miami Dance Project is one of bittersweet remembrances; of all the times I attempted to help my friend but couldn’t. I wish that such a project had existed in the past wherein he could have attended a class, got to know people and was able to develop the ability to better express himself to people and within social situations.

For me, what the Miami dance project represents is in line with what is known as the concept of confidence building wherein through the development of certain talents children with autism will begin to have more confidence in themselves and as a result develop a greater predilection towards outgoing behavior.

Conclusion

Based on the work of Geddes (2008) and Schwarzer (2011) it can be seen that dance can be used as a method of exploration and development for autistics wherein they will be better able to express who they are and their feelings to other people. While some people may doubt the effectiveness of dance as a facilitator of behavioral change all you would need to do is examine the responses of children from the Miami Dance project to see how effective it is.

Works Cited

Geddes, Linda. “Are Autistic Savants Made Not Born?.” New Scientist 198.2659 (2008): 10. Science Reference Center. Web.

Martinez, Lynn. “Parent to Parent: Autism Dance Class.” wsvn.com. 7News, (2011):1 Web. <https://wsvn.com/>.

Schwarzer, Gudrun. “Face Processing In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Independent Or Interactive Processing Of Facial Identity And Facial.

Expression?.” Journal Of Autism & Developmental Disorders 41.6 (2011): 796- 804. Academic Search Premier. Web.

The way of Geisha dance demonstrates to us the importance of maiko in the traditional Japanese culture. The difficult times that the character goes through serve to prepare her for the tedious maiko training. Maiko entertains people from all cadres.

This, at the same time brings to us the rich Japanese culture. The whole process through the dance displays the thorough training the Maiko usually go through. Geisha lessons prepare women to become independent with little dependence on men.

Their sanctity when training shows how the trainers value developing maiko women who respect themselves. The main character loses parents and a sister. The death of parents and the punishment do not serve any good to the character.

The dance reveals the element of jealousy among women as they compete for the attention of men. The concept behind may not be men as depicted because maiko grow up women who never get married but it seems the push is economic gain.

An appreciation by men comes in terms of monetary rewards. The dance is crucial to the lives of many Japanese women. It has created a constant source of income to these women.

Maiko is an avenue for trainers to make income. The training is formal and schools exist. The tutors who are specially trained must be paid. The geisha houses, recruitment, and training are income-generating stages. The structure of the training itself creates a continuum that is a source of income to people at every level.

From art training, learning in teahouses through to the teachings on the navigation of social networking people earn income. The trainers, entrepreneurs who run geisha houses, hairdressers and stylists all get income. The maiko girls are very successful businesspeople.

The dance attracts tourists in Japan (Masuda 77). The visitors who are always very enthusiastic about the dance, come to purchase the traditional costumes called kimono along with the geisha makeup. Geisha has been expanded to cover modeling and taking international tours.

Through this, the Japanese culture that is considered the impeccable form of art is spread across the world. Geisha has succeeded in giving women economic and financial independence.

The comparison between Geisha and Japanese dance draws many differences. Whereas the Japanese dance has two types i.e. Odori and Mai, geisha is one dance that has two divisions that are Tchikata and Jikata. Geisha is a dance dominated by women, and the Japanese dance is male oriented.

Geisha is performed in public places that include social functions while the Japanese dance is performed in rooms. Ballet is a western traditional dance. It has its own vocabulary that compares to the special regalia won by geisha dancers.

There are several types of the ballet depending on the geographical origin including the French ballet, Russian ballet, and Italian ballet. This is different from geisha that only has one origin.

Other similarities include the training that is intensive and takes time to sharpen skills that cover a range of issues such as dancing, acting, and other artistic displays. The two dances also prominently feature women who sing and play musical instruments.

Both dances stem from the cultures of respective communities. We can confidently conclude that as much as the dances originated from countries that are far apart, they have more similarities than differences and most of them promote their respective cultures.

Works Cited

Masuda, Sayo. Autobiography of a Geisha. New York: Columbia University Press, 2003. Print.