Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Dance Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 23 of 23

Full-Text Articles in Dance

From Raqs Sharqi To Belly Dance: The Influence Of Western Cultural Values On A Middle Eastern Dance Form, Molly Talbot Apr 2023

From Raqs Sharqi To Belly Dance: The Influence Of Western Cultural Values On A Middle Eastern Dance Form, Molly Talbot

Dance Department Best Student Papers

This paper examines the history and development of two Middle Eastern movement forms, raqs sharqi and belly dance, through an analytic lens of Western cultural influence. Raqs sharqi originated around 5500 b.c. and holds strong cultural values in honoring female rites of passage. During Napoleon's occupation of Cairo in the late 18th and early 19th century, raqs sharqi performers split into two paths. Some performers appealed to new norms imposed by French spectators while others refused such norms and removed themselves from the scene to create various movement subcultures. This rift began a theme in belly dance history of subjection …


Jookin, Jiggin, Beatin Ya Feet And Gettin’ Light: African-American Footwork Traditions, Kioni Shropshire-Maina Jan 2023

Jookin, Jiggin, Beatin Ya Feet And Gettin’ Light: African-American Footwork Traditions, Kioni Shropshire-Maina

Dance Department Best Student Papers

This paper looks specifically at Memphis jookin, New Orleans jiggin, Washington DC’s beat ya feet and New York City’s litefeet. It explores common characteristics and regional differences in each dance, connecting them to older African and African-American dance aesthetics. Emphasizing shared cultural heritage, this paper argues that these dances form a singular body of work that is directly connected to African-American dance traditions developed during and after enslavement. In addition, it argues that these dances are important cultural institutions and act to preserve specifical African-American socio-cultural practices.


Tap Dance In Post-Secondary Dance Education: Why Is It Disappearing And How Can We Fix It, Natalie Riddick Jan 2022

Tap Dance In Post-Secondary Dance Education: Why Is It Disappearing And How Can We Fix It, Natalie Riddick

Dance Department Best Student Papers

Tap dance is an artform that is rapidly declining in popularity in dance training, especially in post-secondary dance education. To answer the questions of how and why a quintessentially American artform has so faded in dance teachings, this paper analyzes the history of tap and its creation by marginalized individuals, the Eurocentric legacies that influence our definitions of 'technique' in dance training, and how tap dance is currently being taught today. Evidence for the conclusions of this paper include current discussions of tap among dancers and dance educators as well as a review of recent scholarship on the history of …


Benefits Of Dance For Geriatrics, Eve Robinson Jan 2021

Benefits Of Dance For Geriatrics, Eve Robinson

Dance Department Best Student Papers

Drawing from recent related research, this paper analyzes the cognitive, physical, and social benefits of dance for geriatrics. By comparing studies involving both dance and geriatrics from around the world, as well as collecting original data, this work suggests significant positive effects when people age 65 and older participate in regular dance activity. Given the U.S. Census Bureau’s estimate that the number of people age 65 and older will outnumber children under 18 for the first time in U.S. history by 2034, the need for dance for older people is reaching an all-time high. As more long-term care facilities, community …


Bharatanatyam: A Reflection Of The Past And Evolving Embodiment Of The Times, Tulsi Juhi Jan 2021

Bharatanatyam: A Reflection Of The Past And Evolving Embodiment Of The Times, Tulsi Juhi

Dance Department Best Student Papers

This paper examines the art form of bharatanatyam, which is the pinnacle of Indian classical dance that brings together music, art, and movement through the lens of storytelling. With roots in ancient Sanskrit literature and a foundation in the devotional dancing of the dēvadāsis, bharatanatyam’s training methods, audiences, performance settings, gender norms, and dancers’ status is recontextualized throughout shifting historical contexts of colonialism and the post-colonial era. By showcasing bharatanatyam’s historical progression as both a mirror to past traditions and window into the future of endless possibility, this paper illuminates how this respected global art has developed through its far-reaching …


“On 2” And Overseas: The Migration Of Salsa Dance, Natalie Farrell Jan 2021

“On 2” And Overseas: The Migration Of Salsa Dance, Natalie Farrell

Dance Department Best Student Papers

Hailing from its native land of Cuba, the Afro-Cuban rhythms of salsa dance immigrated to America during the 20th century. The contagious groove permeated urban cities across the country, eventually becoming an artistic landmark in New York City and Los Angeles. The following paper addresses how the genre of salsa dance endured stylistic, social, and cultural changes during its migration overseas. Specifically, this paper contextualizes salsa dance in the rich history of the New York City and Los Angeles dance communities. By exploring how L.A style salsa dance teams became a global phenomenon, this essay articulates how the popularization of …


Making Masculinity: The Performance Of Gender Onstage And In The Streets, Gillian T. Ebersole Apr 2019

Making Masculinity: The Performance Of Gender Onstage And In The Streets, Gillian T. Ebersole

Dance Department Best Student Papers

Drawing from dance historians and movement theorists, this paper analyzes the role movement plays in the construction and performance of gender. By deconstructing perceived stereotypes about masculinity, the argument breaks down the gender binary and its relation to movement. With research rooted in the works of Bill T. Jones and Joe Goode, the paper also looks at the intersection between masculinity and sexuality. Movement as a performance of gender is rooted in cultural and emotional contexts, heavily influenced by traditional gender roles and the persistence of homophobia. The fluidity of queer gender expression offers an alternative to the stereotypical display …


Male Gaze Theory And Ratmansky: Exploring Ballet’S Ability To Adapt To A Feminist Viewpoint, Gillian T. Ebersole Apr 2018

Male Gaze Theory And Ratmansky: Exploring Ballet’S Ability To Adapt To A Feminist Viewpoint, Gillian T. Ebersole

Dance Department Best Student Papers

No abstract provided.


Chance Isn’T Always Random: How “Chaos” Led To Modern Structure, Celine Chai Apr 2018

Chance Isn’T Always Random: How “Chaos” Led To Modern Structure, Celine Chai

Dance Department Best Student Papers

No abstract provided.


Fairies That Fouetté And Princesses That Promenade: Examining The Allure Of The Fairytale Ballet Through Petipa’S Sleeping Beauty, Caeli L. Koizumi Apr 2017

Fairies That Fouetté And Princesses That Promenade: Examining The Allure Of The Fairytale Ballet Through Petipa’S Sleeping Beauty, Caeli L. Koizumi

Dance Department Best Student Papers

No abstract provided.


The Aesthetic And Philosophical Integration Of Parkour With Bartenieff Release-Based Modern Dance, Rhett Spongberg Apr 2017

The Aesthetic And Philosophical Integration Of Parkour With Bartenieff Release-Based Modern Dance, Rhett Spongberg

Dance Department Best Student Papers

No abstract provided.


The Nature Of Movement: Finding The Connection Between Dance And Climate Science, Paige Petersen Apr 2017

The Nature Of Movement: Finding The Connection Between Dance And Climate Science, Paige Petersen

Dance Department Best Student Papers

No abstract provided.


Why Labanotation Remains, Rie Fukushima Apr 2016

Why Labanotation Remains, Rie Fukushima

Dance Department Best Student Papers

No abstract provided.


Contact Improvisation: Concepts Of Physics Transformed Into Art, Gianna F. Todisco Jan 2016

Contact Improvisation: Concepts Of Physics Transformed Into Art, Gianna F. Todisco

Dance Department Best Student Papers

No abstract provided.


Transcending Conventions: A Closer Look At The Effects Of Matthew Bourne’S Swan Lake, Khayla J. Golucke Apr 2015

Transcending Conventions: A Closer Look At The Effects Of Matthew Bourne’S Swan Lake, Khayla J. Golucke

Dance Department Best Student Papers

No abstract provided.


Human Sacrifice As Explained Through Three Performances Of The Rite Of Spring, Victoria Jacqueline Wee Apr 2015

Human Sacrifice As Explained Through Three Performances Of The Rite Of Spring, Victoria Jacqueline Wee

Dance Department Best Student Papers

No abstract provided.


Artistic Expression Through The Performance Of Improvisation, Kendra E. Collins Oct 2014

Artistic Expression Through The Performance Of Improvisation, Kendra E. Collins

Dance Department Best Student Papers

No abstract provided.


The Shift In Pedagogy: Authoritarian And Egalitarian Styles Of Teaching, Cayley Yamashita Dec 2013

The Shift In Pedagogy: Authoritarian And Egalitarian Styles Of Teaching, Cayley Yamashita

Dance Department Best Student Papers

No abstract provided.


Stepping Forward While Looking Backwards: Mushin Improvisation And Creativity, John Liggins Oct 2013

Stepping Forward While Looking Backwards: Mushin Improvisation And Creativity, John Liggins

Dance Department Best Student Papers

No abstract provided.


Avant-Garde Modern Choreographers And The Transition Towards Film: A Look At Merce Cunningham And Yvonne Rainer’S Influence, Brian Esperon Apr 2013

Avant-Garde Modern Choreographers And The Transition Towards Film: A Look At Merce Cunningham And Yvonne Rainer’S Influence, Brian Esperon

Dance Department Best Student Papers

No abstract provided.


Preventing Burnout: Rest, Relaxation, And Reduced Stress, Georgina Lewis Dec 2012

Preventing Burnout: Rest, Relaxation, And Reduced Stress, Georgina Lewis

Dance Department Best Student Papers

No abstract provided.


The Education Of Dance Educators, Catherine Kamrath Nov 2012

The Education Of Dance Educators, Catherine Kamrath

Dance Department Best Student Papers

No abstract provided.


Heels And Gumption: Tap Dance Empowered By Women, Rachel Benzing Apr 2012

Heels And Gumption: Tap Dance Empowered By Women, Rachel Benzing

Dance Department Best Student Papers

No abstract provided.