Class Week 5

I really liked talking about dance this week. I dabbled in Jazz, ballet, tap and ballroom when I was younger but I got too tall and too old for the level I was dancing at, so I quite. I have to admit that I wasn't very good and pretty much had to watch the other dancers so that I could remember what to do even at the concerts. One of my favorite shows is So You Think You Can Dance and it was really interesting to learn about some of the things that I have seen while watching.

I really didn't know much about the history of dance until now. It is so interesting to see how the arts really do mesh together. I'd never thought about the dancing style beginning influenced by painting and visa versa like Martha Graham was influenced by the cubist style, but it really makes sense that they would have an effect on each other. While I was reading, I was pretty worried because I couldn't really picture in my mind what was written in the book. The diagrams helped, but I was relieved when we watched some dancing because I could pick out the cabriole and the entrachats. I kind of wish that I had attended the ballet after I knew some of the movements so that I would have had a better idea of what was going on. I really like the excerpt from Swan Lake that we watched and I'm eager to see the whole ballet someday. I have no idea how they continued to smile while executing steps that have to cause some great strain and even pain. It was really interesting to have somebody who had danced ballet to tell the class about the way point your feet and the rigorous training both ballet and modern dancers complete.

The Thriller segment we watched was also interesting. It was neat to sort of dissect it using the elements of dance. It really does add to the viewing when you know that the way they choreograph, costume, use music, and assign roles really is thought out to add to the experience. The balloon dance was also cool. I thought that it was both a narrative and diversion. It's really nifty that early dancers were willing to step out of the box even though they were criticized so that we can have that sort of dance now. It was amazing to see them use their balloon props in really unique ways. They had amazing flexibility in their feet and arms.