INTRODUCTION Ever since the early days of humanity and recorded history, we know that humans have watched the sky and analyzed and recorded the movement of the various celestial bodies within it. Many of these early civilizations saw the movements within the sky as a celestial dance and were reproducing them in their own way as various dances. Song and dance is a traditional way for populations to teach and pass down important information to younger generations. Astronomy plays an important role in these teachings as early humans heavily relied on the information provided by the moon and the stars to not only keep a calendar but also navigate on land and sea. By incorporating important key moments into songs and dances, these populations …show more content…
All these elements were combined together to create an impressive teaching tool allowing people to acquire the skills they needed to survive.
COSMIC DANCES The movement of the celestial bodies themselves, such as the stars and the moon, and the way they interact with each other, in an observable way; have long been referred to as a cosmic dance. It is documented that, in classical antiquity, the vault of the sky was even called “the dance floor of the stars”. The sun was the most important “dancing” celestial body and special dances, based on its movements, have been performed by many civilizations across the globe. However, there is another form of “Cosmic Dance”, and those are the ones performed by humans, based on the celestial bodies. These dances can vary in their level of accuracy with some being very close imitations of the actual movement of the constellations, while others are much more abstract and used more to tell a story rather than replicate an actual celestial movement.
THE TORRES STRAIT
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This dance is unique and unlike traditional dances as it involves a tall pole with a rotating platform. Four dancers attach themselves to it and then jump off the platform. During their fall, they rotate around the pole in representation of the rotation of the stars around the celestial axis. Furthermore, the dancers traditionally each make thirteen full revolutions around this symbolic axis to represent the Aztec time cycle. Forms of cosmic dancing can be traces all the way back to 5th century medieval times, where Clerics, in Gothic cathedrals, performed ritual dances over floor labyrinths. These labyrinth are believed to have represented the path of the various celestial bodies, while the movement of the dances representing the movement of the sun and moon. These show that at the very least, these civilizations had some knowledge, or perhaps awareness, of astronomy and the movement of the stars and planets.
Livingston compares the stars of the night sky the gleam he witnesses in the eyes of his own students, using diction relating to astronomy “twinkle” and “shooting star” to instill a sense of wonderment. In order to enlighten his fellow educators of the hidden desire students can have for learning. “I look each of my students in the eye and see the same light that aligned Orion's
These dances were created to keep balance on earth and bring rain to the desserts of Arizona. They would do these wordships to help their crop land grown and bring wealth to their communities. The Hopi people devoted lifes in creating a better environment for its people. For these folk’s religion and work became inseparable. “Just before their emergence, the Hopi and other peoples were given their pick of subsistence activities.
Powwows are celebrations that showcase Aboriginal music, dances, dance apparel, food and crafts. Powwow dances are beautiful expressions of indigenous spirituality, history and culture. Two of these dances that are performed both traditionally and competitively at powwows are the Hoop dance and the Jingle Dress dance. These dances have both similarities and differences that I will outline below. Both the Hoop dance and the Jingle Dress dance are performed by the Anishinaabe (Ojibwa origins), the third largest tribe in North America.
Becoming more advanced the Mesopotamia 's started looking at the star 's they where able to track consolations, because they were capable of
Among the Plains peoples, the Ghost Dance largely consisted of people dancing in a circle for hours or even days at a time. It was their belief that if they danced long enough, the Creator
The broken leg technique leg bent, foot flexed) is seen a lot in the choreography of this sequence. Ochres yellow dance sequence shows all 7 dancers staying very close to the ground, crawling and grabbing these movements effectively represent the role of the females in the culture which is predominantly as gatherers of food from the earth. Movements close to the ground are able to show their strong connection to the land and how they live off it. “The sun and seasons she nourishes gathering, nesting and birthing along her travels”.
Ranging from the south Alleghenies mountain range all the way down to the south of Georgia and far west of Alabama, lived the Cherokee Indians. They were a powerful detached tribe of the Iroquoian family and were commonly called Tsaragi which translates into "cave people. " This tribe was very prominent in what is now called the U.S, but over time has been split up or run out of their land because of social or political encounters with the new settlers from Europe. Despite the dispersion or the split amongst this tribe, they still obtained their core religious beliefs, practices and ceremonies. Their detailed belief system, fundamental beliefs, significant meanings, and their connection to song and dance make up their religious system.
The jarabe is considered M?xicos national dance and is the best known outside the country,often called the Mexican hot dance in English. Like all folk dancing, Traditional mexican dances provide a glimpse into the culture of the region. Not only do these dances from M?xico express the rhythms of the musical, But also the vital color wovent into mexican clothing and decoration,as well as themes important to the region such as catholicism and communion with nature. Mexican culture shines through the Traditional dances of the country. Many mexican familias are planted firmly in religious faith and Rich intricacies of generacional Traditions and celebrations observed year after year.
In her article, Embodying Difference, Jane Desmond argues that dance offers important insights into the ways moving bodies articulate cultural meanings and social identities. In other words, she explains the importance of studying the body’s movement as a way of understanding culture and society. She has two main arguments. First, she argues for the importance of the continually changing relational constitutions of cultural forms. Desmond further explains that the key to shedding light on the unequal distribution of power and goods that shape social relations are the concepts of cultural resistance, appropriation, and cultural imperialism (49).
A local Northwest Coast dance company, Dancers of Damelahamid, will facilitate day three (Dancers of Damelahamid, 2012). It will take place inside the school’s gym, where they will demonstrate the one of their dances and song for the students. After the performance, the members of Dancers of Damelahamid will educate the students on what the importance of dance is for them, the history of specific dances, as well as the symbolism behind the specific moves they had performed. Indigenous cultures use their varieties of dance to convey different emotions and stories, they use them to connect themselves to their community, nature and spirituality. These dances are more than just movements, they are an expression of their culture, a projection of their hardships and what they have been through in their
To dance is to be knowledgeable about the stories of the ancestral heroes. Dancing, unlike painting and singing, is learnt at an early age. This allows large groups of people to demonstrate their clan rights in front of an audience. Dance is also seen as an occasion to entertain and to be entertained and through the work of dance to show their love for families and kin. It is for this reason that dance may be performed at the end of every day in some communities.
The Chickasaw The Chickasaw’s reputation as strong hunters and warriors sets them apart from other tribes. The Chickasaw have their own unique religious traditions, as well as social traditions. They are very similar to the other tribes in the southeastern United States. The rich traditions and history of the Chickasaw helped to shape their everyday life both in the past and modern day.
Today virtually every child grows up learning that the Earth orbits the Sun, but four centuries ago the heliocentric solar system, where the Earth orbits the Sun, was so controversial that the Catholic Church classified it as a crime of heresy (UCLA). In the age of early philosophy, Socrates’ is well known. Between the Socratic method and his line of successful students, Socrates’ makes the history books. Galileo Galilei turned astronomers on their heads when he discovered moons around Jupiter. Giordano Bruno didn’t back down from any of his brilliant and different ideas.
Ballet originated in Europe during the Renaissance and has influenced performing arts throughout generations. It has evolved into a highly complex art form over the past 500 years. It has been a starting point for many other dance styles. From the early times,
Not many scientists are certain when the Assyrian Astrology began, but many suspect it was around the years B.C. in 612 B.C. The zodiac circle is one of the oldest and most used forms of astrology. The idea conceived by the Assyrians in order to have the zodiac circle was based off of two different Greek traditions. The first tradition consisted of the 12 signs of zodiac, animal constellations also dwelt in the tradition. This tradition was built up throughout the years 3,200-500 BC and it was made into a religious tradition in Mesopotamia.