The above painting, Buffalo Dance Group, is an ink and watercolor work completed by Tonita Peña, also known as Quah Ah, in year unknown. Her subject matter is a ceremonial Pueblo dance group. Unlike the first painting presented, this one was signed by the artist in the bottom right corner. Line was used in Tonita’s work to show individual muscles of the Buffalo dancers and to separate components of their costumes. Contrast is utilized well throughout the painting, except for the lighter skin of some dancers, which is nearly lost to the bland tone of the paper. The colors used were somewhat dull, though certain parts of the dancers’ clothing stand out, such as the dark green hems of the women’s skirts, the yellow outfit, and some patterns…
Beginning my sophomore year of high school, I had the privilege to become a member of Alma Folklorica de Oklahoma. It is a Mexican folklorico dance group in which we perform different dances from different regions of Mexico. Through this group I have learned many lessons on what a leader does, who a leader is, and what being a leader looks like. Each year we have new members join, as senior members graduate out. Usually your first year as a member consists of learning regions, learning the…
On December 2nd, 2016 at the Constance theatre the dance department presented a show called Agbedidi. The show, directed and choreographed by Mohamed DaCosta and Trent D. Williams, Jr., displayed a combination of Traditional African and Contemporary Dance. The house buzzed with excitement as the start of the show approached. It is quite encouraged to see such a large audience at an event, but this audience also brought a positive, vibrant atmosphere for the dancers to soak up. I was curious to…
The backdrops and the props that were used throughout the performance helped create the idea of what was happening. Whether it was Masha 's bed or her Nutcracker or the backdrops gave us an idea of where each scene was set. With each scene their was a different lighting setting based on the certain emotion the character was feeling. The Mice scene was very easy for the audience to understand, Masha has a bad dream that mice and the Rat King battle where she is on her bed as the Mice run around…
Diversity of Dance Santa Fe College’s Fine Arts department presented Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance on Thursday, October 27th at 8 pm. I had the pleasure of attending this amazing performance at Santa Fe College, in the Fine Arts hall, which set the tone with its beautiful ambience. Arriving ten minutes early allowed me to look over the program and get ready for the curtains to open. Each performance was unique and I look forward to speaking about each of them. The First dance was Oh My…
There are numerous dances performed throughout the Middle East that unify the different regions. Some examples of the distinctive dances include Ahidous, Dabkeh, and Sema. Dance is valuable because it deals with identity, it is educational, and it is a process. These dances cope with identity because of the way the dancers can express themselves from the movements performed. Dance is also educational because it allows the dancers to learn about the history, beliefs and values of their culture.…
Watching dance in person is an unforgettable experience. No matter how many different dances you watch on video, there is no substitute for seeing it in person. Observing the technique class and the rehearsal gave me so much insight on how much work is put into each individual dance. It made me realize that dancers are perfectionists and will persistently go over one small part of a dance until it is absolutely perfect. Observing the technique class and rehearsal allowed me to see the dedication…
After reading Art and the Community: Breaking the Aesthetic of Disempowerment I began thinking about where I stood on dance in the community, dance involving non typical dancers and dance as a therapeutic activity. As I was brain storming I realized I had much stronger opinions on these issues, than I realized. As a dancer, when asked what dance is to me I commonly refer to dance being an art form that allows me to express myself in a raw form. In the article Art and the Community: Breaking…
The Hopi Snake Dance is performed by Hopis which is a First Nation tribe which lives in the northeast part of Arizona. The Hopi Snake Dance is used on the last day of a 16 day celebration which happens in August or early September. Many people call this dance the “Rain Dance” because it is a dance to pray for the rain. The origin of the Hopi Snake Dance also comes from this story. A long time back, there lived a father and a son in one of the Hopi villages. Whenever there were offerings were…
and John Brown. Grade 4 Dance Standards 3: Understand dance as a way to create and communicate meaning. Objectives: 1. The student will be able to (TSWBA) explain and communicate the emotions and contributions of Harriet Tubman, an abolitionist, in the mounting tensions over slavery through an original dance routine created in cooperative groups. Assessment (summative and formative): • Objective 1 will be assessed by the…