Jamie-Lee's Dance ePortfolio 

 

This week we looked at African Dance and Social Dance. I think that two types can coincide together as African Dance is very social.We discussed the categories of dance and how it can be difficult to categorise various dances as most can fit under a number of classifications. What determines the category depends on Who, What, Why

• where it is performed 

• what is being performed

• who choreographed it 

• who is performing it

• why is it being performed

 

The categories are 

• traditional dance: emphasis on the cultural roots of the dance, generally there is a standard of the dance that is known to those performing it 

• ceremonial dance: like traditional dance, ceremonial dance has links with cultural life and tends to have religious aspects involved such as a coming of age dance

• ritual dance: ceremonial and ritual dance can be difficult to distinguish. The main feature of a ritual dance could be that it occurs more often as it is done religiously rather than on special occasions. 

• folk dance: is a form of dance that reflects the traditional life of certain people from a country or region. Generally the dance moves are passed down and rarely modified.

• cultural dance: is explicitly linked to the cultural traditions of a particular culture

• social dance: emphasis on dancing for enjoyment with multiple people rather than individually 

 

Below is a link to a website that allows you to click on a continent and find out what cultural dances are from there. It's a reasonably poor looking website but you could use it to find out some of the various cultural dances and where they originate from and use that as a platform for further research and investigation.

 

 

 

 

 

Warm Up

 

• Jacqui showed us an agogo which is a musical instrument with two different sized bells that make different tones. We clapped when the big bell was hit and slapped our thighs when the small one was hit. Jacqui then used the choreographic device addition and added a stomp at the same time we clapped. 

 

• We learnt the song Fanga Alafia which is a traditional social song and dance done by the Yoruba people in Nigeria and Southern Benin in Africa. 

• Fanga Alafia means welcome and blessings 

• Ashe Ashe means Amen, Amen 

 

• We repeated after Jacqui and sung while we clapped, stomped and slapped. We then moved around the room as we clapped and then stood still as we slapped our thighs. We moved into a circle and started to move our hips side to side. Jacqui emphasised safe movement practices and ensured we moved in a way that did not hurt our knees. We did not rock as we moved our hips but rather isolated our hips by bending our knees. We did some pelvic thrusts as well as Jacqui continued to model the African style movements. 

 

• We moved our shoulders side to side keeping our hips still. Then lifting our chest up and down. To progress this further we put those movements all together moving our chest side, back, side, forward. 

 

• Jacqui then began to introduce us to the Modern Social Dance called Kpanlogo (pronounced without the k) from Accra in Ghana. This style of dance was born out of Ghanaian independence to symbolise youth rising to claim their independence (Fenwick, 2014). 

• Music used: Kpanlogo Elikeh, 2006, 'Kpanlogo' on Nyade, iTunes, [Download], Available at www.apple.com/aus/itunes/ (Accessed 14th September 2014).

   

• Using the concept of polyrhythms we moved our feet differently to our arms as we incorporated various movements such as bending and straightening our knees, clapping and various arm movements as shown in the video. We added the movement of our hips along with our feet and arms and accented our hips moving them 1,2,3 then to one side. Once we practiced that movement a bit, we put it all together with the arm raises and bending out heel out. 

• Another move Jacqui modelled was with one leg forward standing slightly to the side and we kind of hopped around in a circle with the addition of arm movements. This was then done facing a partner. We both had the left foot forward and were close together. We started with the arms at opposite levels - either up or down and alternated the direction as we moved together to create one joined shape and form. As we got better we moved faster. We had to pop our chest out and get really low to imitate the African style of dance. 

 

For all levels in The Arts, students reflect on their own and other people’s arts works and ideas, identifying key features of works and performances from their own and other cultures, and discuss the function of the Arts in their community. I think this relates to learning about the various types of dance as students understand the key features of different cultural dances and understand the purpose behind it by seeing how it fits into the various categories. Students should learn about the different purposes for cultural, traditional, folk and social dances and be able to reflect on them and appropriate the various styles in their own dances. 

 

Jacqui mentioned the importance of developing students ability to articulate verbally the dance language. The resource sheets we made last week and the one Jacqui provided today assist students in developing this language and deepening their understanding. In AusVels Level 4 Exploring and Responding it says students identify and describe key features of arts works from their own and other cultures, and use arts language to describe and discuss the communication of ideas, feelings and purpose in their own and other people’s arts works.

If students were given the resource sheet that asks students to list their experiences of social dance, gives brief information about African Dance and then asks to compare the dance elements of Time, Space and Energy of African dance with other dances, you enable the students to identify and describe key features of dance, whilst learning some terminology. 

 

In my classroom I would model the movements that Jacqui showed us and teach them to students but also allow students to formulate their own African style improvisations. I think the music used in class lends itself to being able to move to the underlying pulse and establish polyrhythms. I might pick students to show the class a movement using the legs then someone else chooses the arm movements and we put them together. Using a scarf as a prop helped us get into the character of an African woman or man and I would hope I could provide the same experience for my students. 

 

Main Part of Lesson

 

• Jacqui briefly introduced us to the Polonaise Australian version which involved walking with a partner, one acting as the male and the other the female. Our hands were held high with straight posture as we walked in a line around the room. 

• The European version which was much more interesting required us to do gliding steps with an accented brush of the foot on every third step - step 1, 2 then brush our foot along the ground step 4. After we learnt that part we then incorporated looking at our partner on the inside sweep of the foot then look out at the audience for the outside foot. The Polonaise allows students to learn about dancing etiquette and working with a partner. The Polonaise is from the 17th to 19th century and often opened court balls and royal functions (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2014)

• Music Used: European Dance Shenanigans, 1986, 'Polanaise' on Dance Music For Children: Level 1, Shenanigans Music, Northcote.

  Constantine Orbellan & Russian Philharmonia, 2004, 'Eugene Onegin, Op.24: Grand Polonaise' on Boys Gotta Dance! iTunes, [Download], Available at www.apple.com/aus/itunes/ (Accessed 11th October 2011).

   

 

• We were then split into groups to either do the Troika or the Seven Jumps dance. Rather than Jacqui teaching us the dance moves, we were given a sheet with brief instructions of the choreography and we were to work it out ourselves. The idea of reading dance instructions allows us to practice for when we are at schools. Often schools will have an abundance of resources that tell you the movements and it is our job as the dance teacher to be able to interpret them. 

• Music Used: Shenanigans, 1986, 'Seven Jumps' on Dance Music For Children: Level 1, Shenanigans Music, Northcote.

   

  Shenanigans, 1986, 'Troika' on Dance Music For Children: Level 1, Shenanigans Music, Northcote.

 

• Two groups made up of three did the Troika which is a Russian dance most likely choreographed in the U.S.A sometime before 1950. Troika means a sleigh pulled by a team of three horses which is illustrated through the movements of the legs. The dance instructions were taken from Shenanigans, 1986, Dance Music for Children: Level 1, 'linear notes', Shenanigans Music, Northcote. 

Note to Self: Shenanigans is a great resource as it has history of the dance and the instructions along with the music. 

 

• My group was made up of Adele, Jenna, Brenton and Rebecca and we did the Seven Steps (or Jumps) dance. It is an accumulative dance game from Denmark. It is accumulative in the way that after each chorus another action is added to the verse. We found the activity quite difficult to master without visually seeing the dance so we looked it up on YouTube. After practicing the dance a few times with the traditional choreography we decided to appropriate the dance and in the words of Jacqui Fenwick (2014) "add our own flavour". 

• We still used the accumulative choreographic device and the same music but instead of the leg raises, knees to the ground, elbows on the floor and forehead on the floor we added vibratory, swinging, suspended and sustained movements. 

• The dance was performed in a circle facing one another so the focus was inward. Our body movements were mostly curved and we attempted to move in unison. This deemed quite difficult as the music held notes for varying lengths which meant there was no consistency in how long we were to hold a pose for. 

 

In my classroom I would use this activity of giving students a traditional folk dance to learn themselves from instructions. As the teacher I would let them interpret the instructions however they please but also show them visually what the movements are meant to look like. Like our group did, I think allowing students to add, modify, augment, distort and embellish the dance gets them thinking about the various choreographic devices and also makes them go through the dance design process (ISARE). It is by doing this activity students could develop their ability to learn and use the dance terminology whilst having lots of fun. 

 

For AusVELS levels 5 and 6 At Level 6, students independently and collaboratively experiment with and apply a range of skills, techniques and processes using a range of media, materials, equipment and technologies to plan, develop, refine, make and present arts works. They investigate a range of sources to generate ideas and manipulate arts elements, principles and/or conventions in a range of arts disciplines and forms as they explore the potential of ideas. 

In this activity students would be working collaboratively and use the traditional dance to plan, develop, make, refine and present their own dance. They would investigate the cultural aspects of the dance, the music used, the choreographic devices and dance elements to generate and manipulate the dance and gain potential of ideas. 

 

• We then watched two videos showing the Morris Dance - a folk dance from U.K which uses sticks as a props and the Pride of Erin which is a promenade dance done in pairs. 

 

• At the very end of the lesson we did the Hokey Pokey, Heel Toe dance and the Cupid Shuffle. All three dances are social dances that are fun and allow the teacher to manipulate various aspects to give the students choice and freedom in movements. I particularly think the Cupid Shuffle would be a good dance to allow students to develop their own set of moves to as the music is repetitive and catchy. 

• Music Used: The Bushwackers, 2011, 'The Stockyards' on The Official Dance Album, iTunes [Download], Available at www.apple.com/aus/itunes/.

   

  The Bushwackers, 2011, 'The Barn Dance' on The Official Dance Album, iTunes [Download], Available at www.apple.com/aus/itunes/.

   

  The Bushwackers, 2011, 'Heel Toe Polkas (Short Version With Call)' on The Official Dance Album, iTunes [Download], Available atwww.apple.com/aus/itunes/.

   

  The Bushwackers, 2011, 'The Pride Of Erin' on The Official Dance Album, iTunes [Download], Available at www.apple.com/aus/itunes/.

   

  Jay Laga'aia, 2012, 'Hokey Pokey' on Ten In The Bed, iTunes [Download], Available at www.apple.com/aus/itunes/.

   

  Cupid, 2007, 'Cupid Shuffle', on Cupid Shuffle – Single, iTunes [Download], Available at www.apple.com/aus/itunes/.