The focus of the short story “Dancer” by Vickie Sears is the positive progression of the main character, Clarissa, a foster child who gains a sense of her cultural identity as a Native. In the beginning of the story, she is introduced as a child with next to nothing and is portrayed to have psychopathic traits. Towards the end of the story, there are positive changes in her character. The main factor that led to Clarissa’s progression was her developing a strong interest in the powwow that led her to gain a sense of being a part of a family, knowledge about the community, and a better understanding of her history and culture.…
The dance performance that I chose and went to see was Thunderbird American Indian Dancers. I chose this performance, because of my interest in the Native American culture and deep history in this country. Interestingly, dancing is an important art form in their culture with many stories that go along with them. Nonetheless, this was a performance I exceedingly enjoyed and would see again.…
That’s interesting you’ve mentioned not to attend the hospital and funeral for your grandmother. In my African American/Indian culture if a woman is pregnant she’s prohibited to attend anywhere the death angel may currently be around, and funerals are definitely off limits. My family used to say when a life is taken a new life is born and I don’t know if the pregnant thing was an old superstation by forbidden spirit in my family as well because they believed the death angel comes to take a life in three; therefore it permits the baby a chance at life. Nowadays, there’s wills and other things in place to carry out a person’s wishes. I believe she told you because she knew she could trust you to carry out her last wishes amongst the family accordingly.…
“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything,” quoted by Plato. Music is a way in where you can escape all things in life. It’s like your exit out of all matters. You play it when you’re mad, sad, happy, or just simply need a little uplifting. There are different genres of music. You have pop, rock, classical, R&B, hip hop, contemporary gospel, jazz, blues, and much more. However, gospel has been transformed throughout time. Stated by Dr. William Reynolds, “Christian song is never static, never quite the same from one generation to another” (Doucette 6). It’s common for each generation following the next to change the sound of how a song was…
Warm dim lights bounced around the inside of a classroom like air molecules inside a hot air balloon. It was different outside. Crystal clear rain drops fell from the sky endlessly. The reason why we had recess inside instead of outside. Sitting with friends in a circle, we played with lego blocks while building the most breathtaking structures.…
Kids all around me whispered excitedly to each other about the party in the park that afternoon. All of us black kids, were going to get out of school and go down there. We are all so eager to see that signal that none of us were paying attention to the teacher. After a while, Mrs. Tiller just gave up on teaching us and started grading papers. We all are waiting by the windows anxious to see when we got to run and join our friends. We are sitting here contemplating what we are about to do. I don’t want to think about the time when we would be stuck in jail. I just want to think about us standing up for all of the blacks. My ma and pa don’t want me to go with everyone. but , for once, I won’t listen. I will be a proud black and stand up for…
I enjoy participating in different kind of sports. I've been learning to swim professionally in the different styles with various speed and intensity. I consider this type of activity very interesting, as I like to travel to warm countries where I can use my skills to sail in the sea or in the ocean. Also, almost all the muscles are used while swimming. Furthermore, I have been attending gymnastics and dance class for my self-development. And I am in pursuit of leaning how to dance Latin-American style such as tango. The movements in a dance are the keys to your soul. In the summer time, I involved in the horse riding, which closely connect me to the nature world and gives me a sense of freedom. However, if I would need to choose one…
s an anthropologist, I have studied many races, ethnic groups, and cultures, even subcultures of the American Africans of North America. There are many subcultures in their ethnicity and the one that stuck out to me over the years is their ritualistic holiday. Their holy day, is not like any other days I have come across. It’s every week and takes up more than twelve hours of the day.…
Being a disc jockey or better knows as a Dj, dance is apart of my job. Seeing all types of dance to all types of music every day of my life. I have probably seen it all, that’s why it is hard for me to talk so passionately about one single dance clip when I have seen so much, until I saw this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KZgCJDQQPM. This video contains the dancing of one of the best b-boyers also knows as break-dancers in the entire world. He is voted number one in Korea for break dancing. Break dancing is a combination of a Dj, hip-hop, beat boxing, and of course dancing. It is a six step performance leading into a power move then finally a freeze, a moment when the dancer completely stops moving holding a difficult position. It started in New-York and grew up mainly around hip-hop. Break dancing spread quickly to Korea and Japan in the eighties but became popular in the early nineties. The reason this specific video of break dancing stands out so much is because of the music he is dancing to and because it keeps his…
At first glance, I am like most young, modern African-American girls. School is a top priority for me; I have goals and dreams for the future that I am determined to make happen. I don't expect anyone else to do the hard work. What makes me different from others is how I overcame the struggles I experienced and became the striving young woman that I am today.…
When i was younger,I took up breakdancing which most kids don't really find interesting. I believe I was around 11 years old at the time. I was walking down the street in biddeford maine on our way home. When we came up on some guys breaking on the sidewalk. At first I thought it was stupid till they started doing acrobatic moves that just made you go wow. So me and my friends sat across the street till one of them told all of us to come over here. We all did then next thing you know they invited us to a studio so we could take classes for free.…
“My culture is my identity and personality. It gives me spiritual, intellectual and emotional distinction from others, and I am proud of it”. African-American culture, also known as black culture, in the United States it refers to the cultural contributions of African Americans to the culture of the United States, either as part of or distinct from American culture. The African American, and also my own culture are made up of a lot of things. In common with some and very different from others. My culture involves my school, my family tradition, food, music, clothing, and shoes.…
Most her of her dancer broke out and now have their own dance techniques. Leaster Horton, His technique is about flat backs, lateral stretches, tilt lines and lunges. Merce Cunningham, having a strong sense of one’s in an integral in Cunningham. Alvin Ailey, who owns one of the biggest black dance theatre companies in the world. Paul Taylor, who wasn’t the best dancer in the Martha Graham Company, his technique was basically two dimensional in appearances but having an emphasis on action rather on shape or line. It’s like dance scribbling. I can go on and on but these are some of the people that help revolutionize dance.…
Dance, movements orchestrated with music, to express the way you feel. The first forms of dance came around in 6000 B.C, originating from India. The Hindu dance Gods Krishnu Shiva is the most common God portrayed through dance, especially found in Bharata Natyam and Nyark Sharky, also known as Belly Dance. In Southeast India, it is normal as a young female to learn the ways of Bharata Natyam. Bharata Natyam is widely known for its sculpturesque poses and art of story telling, mostly performed only by females, but as time progressed it is accepted by both sexes. The dances illustrate a deep devotion to the deities; dancers are married to the deity. Devadasi also known as temple dancers usually illustrated their devotion to the Gods the most, performing "in front" of the Gods, or at festivals in honor of them. Bharata Natyam captures the true meaning of dance drama, the dance routines tell a story, creating theatrical unity and wholeness in the meditative mind.…
West African dance reached the Americas during the slave trade. Slaves were often prohibited from dancing, but African-based movements found their way into European dance styles, quickly evolving into popular American dances. The influence of African dance can be seen in early American dances, such as the Ring Shout and the Cakewalk, and later dances such as the Jitterbug, and the Charleston. The influence is still visible in more contemporary styles of dance including hip-hop and jazz.…