Performance Exam #2
Flow is an state of mind easy to achieve and maintain.
False
Module #14
Almost every style of acting used in the history of Chinese drama can be found in Peking Opera: agile acrobatics, colorful fighting scenes, skillfully painted faces, brilliant exuberant costumes, delightfully feminine and graceful stylized movements of ladies at the emperors' courts, and the dignified movements of governors and scholars in stories from Chinese classic literature. Peking Opera is a highly codified form of theater that combines music, dance, drama, make-up, costumes, and acrobatics. The same performer combines aspects of a singer, an actor, a gymnast and a mime and this integration of all arts is one of Peking Opera's most remarkable characteristics.
Module #13
As the tango spread outside of Argentina, it was considered exotic and was exploited as a commodity. In 1983, "Tango Argentino," the first tango show premiered in Paris and was then brought to the United States and Asia. This dramatically performed dance spectacle brought tango to the stage (rather than the intimate milongas) and emphasized elements of the dance that were accessible and universal to all audiences. Tango's popularity around the globe is grounded in universal notions of sex, love, passion, eroticism, and connection. Indeed, all of us can relate to these common universal aspects of our human experience. Tango conquered the imagination of audiences around the world as an explosive, flamboyant, and provocative expression of passion and love. Passion is sold to entertain, to make profit. This tango conceived for export and profit, is the staged version of tango, that one that capitalized on the external aspects of the tradition, the exotic, fanciful, flamboyant, flashy, and showy. It is a choreographed version of tango that draws on traditional tango dance but also on modern dance, cabaret, and even ballet. In Argentina, tango shows are a common touristic attraction. Here, skilled dancers move through pre-established choreographies along a plot that usually recalls the history of tango. The shows can be enjoyed along a fancy dinner with prime traditional Argentine beef and assortments of veggies.
Module #13
As we explore the case studies on this module, we will find that dance's numerous postures and movements carry multiple significances. A dance can be entertaining, an exercise routine, practiced to enhance health, convey a political message, and shed light on cultural attitudes toward sex and gender relationships. In order to infer the meaning of dance, we must consider three issues. 1. The use of space and relationship between the dancers A Middle Eastern line dance positions multiple dancers side by side in a horizontal arrangement, whereas a couple dance brings two people together face to face within an intimate space. Line dance is restricted to individuals of a single sex with limited physical contact between dancers. This linear configuration mirrors the physical separation of the sexes in other aspects of daily life like that of in the Middle East. In contrast, most dances of Western European origin unite the two dancers in an embrace that exposes patterns of flirtation. This spatial configuration of couple dances may reveal assumptions about proper relationships between men and women in Western societies. 2. Stereotyped movements and postures Posture and specific stereotyped movements can assert or challenge gender and cultural norms. In tango, prescribed roles as leader and follower are assigned to male and female dancers, respectively. The very steps of the dance aid in affirming social constructs of male dominance. In capoeira, the evasive movements of the two contestants highlight and reinforce long-held beliefs on cleverness and superiority of character. 3. Prop, dress, and settings as barer of meaning Any study of a dance must take into consideration its conventional props, dress, and settings. Body movements are conditioned and built on these distinctive tools. For instance, we cannot interpret classical ballet without considering the ballerina's costume of a tutu and ballet shoes. Likewise, we cannot interpret tango's sexuality and gender norms without the female dancer's heeled shoes and provocative skirt. The props, the dress, and the settings (where the dance takes place) are critical to meaning-making. Patterned movements are part of all rituals, from courtship to religion, all around the world. Analyzing spatial relationships, movements, and contextual aspects of the dance can help us understand the many ways in which we use our bodies to represent and affirm important social and cultural tenets.
Module #13
At home in Argentina, tango is a social dance practiced at the milongas, a venue for social dance were tangueros (people who dance or play tango) gather at night. At the milongas, tango is dance by all, transcending differences of age, skin color, or body size. Tango is practiced there as an intimate dance that uses seduction through a playful contestation of bodies. The proximity and intimacy of the tango embrace renders internal feelings and emotions between the dancers through a dialogue of bodies. Indeed, during the dance, dancers are not supposed to talk but rather communicate through their bodies by reading and sensing the subtle intentions of their partners. As explained in the assigned article by scholar Ana Cara, this type of tango is "a tango of intimacy and understatement, soulful, and not intended for showing." It is concise, compact, without any extra mannerism. This is the true tango of Buenos Aires.
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of flow:
Awareness of surroundings
Module #14
Bali is home to the kecak dance-drama. Located in the Indonesian archipelago, Bali is a tropical and beautiful island that serves as a tourist destination for many visitors from all around the world. Endowed with rich spiritual Hindi traditions, the Balinese practice a number of beautiful ritual performances, many of which, have been transformed for commercial tourist purposes.
Money, fame and hierarchy are considered intrinsic rewards.
False
Module #13
Capoeira ("ka-pooh-AIR-ah) is a centuries-old Afro-Brazilian art that combines elements of dance, music, and martial arts. Author of the assigned article, Lowell Lewis describes capoeira as a "blurred genre:" a dance and a martial art at the same time. For Brazilians capoeira is more than a dance, it is a philosophy of life, and a way of being.
Module #13
Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian art that combines elements of dance, music, and martial arts. As its heart, capoeira commemorates strong elements of resistance against injustices suffered by slaved Africans. By making pervasive reference to the history of capoeira in songs, music generates a sonic world that evokes capoeira's meaning and past. Once disguise as a harmless dance, today capoeira is a joyful and defiant expression of Afro-Brazilian culture. Capoeira is a global phenomenon practiced worldwide that acquires different meanings as it is adopted by practitioners outside of Brazil.
Module #13
Capoeira, as it is practiced today, is not a fight and does not display violence. It is a friendly sparring that does not focus on injuring the opponent but rather emphasizes skill. The performance takes place in the capoeira ring termed roda, pronounced "HAW-dah." Participants, known as capoeristas, take turns playing instruments, singing and sparring in pairs in the center of this human circle. Inside the roda, the capoeristas attempt to outmaneuver, trip, or strike each other while coordinating their dance movements to music. Capoeira is about dance, movement, anticipating the moves of the opponent, making deceptive moves, and tricking the partner. Many anthropologists, historians and capoeira practitioners claim that capoeira is an ambiguous genre: not exactly a dance, nor a fight, nor a sport or a game with definite winners and losers. Capoerira has no codified system for determining a winner. Capoeristas defend themselves by avoiding impact rather than by blocking strikes. Games are typically inconclusive as dominance in the roda is subjective to psychological and aesthetic parameters. Who moves more gracefully? Who's movements are more deceptive? Who has felt to the floor? are all indicative of dominance in this friendly sparring.
Module #10
Carnaval is a season of celebration associated with the pre-lent period of the church year. The celebration of carnaval marks the beginning of fasting right before Ash Wednesday. The etymology of the word, Carnaval, comes from Latin carne vale (meaning flesh farewell) marking a period of feasting and revelry just before the beginning of Lent, in which fasting and abstinence are observed. Carnival is known in Spanish as carnaval, in French as mardi grass, in English as Fat Tuesday, and in German as Fastnacht. Carnaval is an urban festival because it is celebrated in the villages, towns, cities, and big metropolis such Rio de Janeiro, Trinidad and Tobago, and New Orleans. The carnaval in Rio de Janeiro is a spectacular event that happens at the peak of the summer and attracts thousands of people around the world. It is fair to say that this is the world's biggest party!
Module #10
Carnaval is colorful and splendorous, magical and subversive. Commonly categorized as a ritual of inversion, the celebration of carnaval reverses social hierarchies, statuses, power positions, social roles, and genders. Cross-dressing and drag are common practices during carnaval. It is an equalitarian ritual in which the distinction between poor and rich, popular and elite, high and low, feminine and masculine is blurred or at least momentarily suspended. The magical inversion of status and the cancellation of class differentiation grants the experience of communitas: a feeling of togetherness, of being one with the other. Carnaval's primary source of energy is located in the tension between subversion and affirmation. Carnaval subverts the public order, laws, and values by temporally suspending them, inverting, or discarding them. But at the same time, carnaval affirms art, fantasy, expression, community, and sexuality. Carnaval expresses the tension between what is considered respectable and what is regarded as vagabondage, grotesque, and disrespectful. Carnaval is paradox and contradiction.
Module #10
Carnaval is play at its utmost display. It signifies a time out from everyday life, and the suspension of social rules and normal order grants a liberating spirit to the celebration. The four categories of play elaborated by Roger Caillois are present in carnaval. Agon in the competition among samba schools Ilinx or vertigo in the chaotic gathering of thousands of people dancing, singing, pushing, etc. Mimicry or simulation in the use of costumes, masquerading, and the samba school's enactment of a plot. It is through mimicry that the revelers are able to transcend their social conditions, race, and gender. Alea in the street gambling of the illegal kind of lottery known as jogo do bicho (a numbers game involving animal symbols. Curiously, Carnaval can be an example that embraces the two opposite concepts of play of paidia and ludus. The paidia (child play) is the epitome of the antistructure. The chaos, the inversion of laws, the spontaneity and freedom of carnaval are aspects of this un-ruled play. On the other hand, the celebration of carnaval can be only achieved by the systematic year-long preparation of rehearsing, making costumes, choosing a theme, a plot, coordinating choreography, music, lights, special effects, etc. It takes a great amount of order to produce such a "disorder" and a great deal of structure to create this great anti-structure.
Module #9
Dutch historian and cultural theorist, Johann Huizinga, masterfully analyzed several characteristics of play and demonstrated the importance of its role in the very development of civilization. He wrote a phenomenal book called Homo Ludens in which he investigates the creative quality of the play principle within culture. Here is an important excerpt from Johan Huizinga's Homo Ludens. "Summing up the formal characteristics of play we might call it a free activity standing quite consciously outside 'ordinary' life as being 'not serious,' but a the same time absorbing the player intensely and utterly. It is an activity connected with no material interest, and no profit can be gained by it. It proceeds within its own proper boundaries of time and space according to fixed rules and in an orderly manner. It promotes the formation of social groupings which tend to surround themselves with secrecy and to stress their difference from the common world by disguise or other means.
Module #11
Famous psychologist, Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is the author of the assigned reading for this module, "A Theoretical Model for Enjoyment." Csikszentmihalyi is currently Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University and former head of the department of psychology at the University of Chicago. He is noted for his work in the study of happiness and creativity, but it is best known for developing the concept of flow.
Module #11
Flow is a particular state of experience in which people feel totally present and at once with their actions. In this state of complete immersion in an activity, they are entranced and oblivious to their surroundings. In sports, we call this 'being in the zone' and in gambling we say 'we are on a role.'
Csikszentmihalyi was interested in studying which of the following? (Mark all that apply)
Happiness Autotelic activities Flow Enjoyment
Module #11
He discovered that the absence of conventional rewards (money, trophies, recognition, etc) does not imply an absence of rewards. His subjects obtained some sort of satisfaction from their activities, a state of enjoyment, if you will, and that satisfaction was in itself the reward. The activities (playing music, painting, playing sports, etc.) provided the subjects a little world of their own which was very enjoyable, and he called this experience flow. Csikszentmihalyi identified several qualities of flow and developed a theoretical model of enjoyment. His main purpose was to discover how enjoyment works and how it can be applied to other experiences in life, even work!
Which of the following descriptions best represents a state of flow:
I was on a role. Totally present. Time flew by.
Module #13
In Argentina, tango practice moves beyond issues of gender and sexuality, evolving from a comment on poverty and underground living into a symbol of Argentine national pride. Tango practiced at home by tangueros is an intimate and soulful dance not intended for showing. Argentines have learned to capitalize on the universal appealing of tango by commodifying passion. Tango shows became popular in the 1980s and continue to be a touristic attraction of Buenos Aires. Outside Argentina, tango has captured the imagination of mass-audiences and it is often portrayed as a dramatic dance to illustrate issues of gender tension and dominance.
Module #14
In Bali, kecak is performed and showcased as an authentic traditional dance-drama. But the history of kecak is neither that old nor traditional. A German painter named Walter Spies (1845-1942) worked in collaboration with Balinese musicians and dancers to create kecak performance as a touristic attraction. Spies, who had a profound influence on Bali's art and music, recognized that being so bizarre and different from Western performing arts, kecak could display a powerfully exotic performance to dazzle curious tourists on the island. Curiously, tourists are typically unaware that this performance was created specifically to dazzle them.
Module #11
In addition to play and creativity, flow can be also found in religious or transcendental contexts such as collective rituals, practice of zen, yoga, meditation, and more.
Module #12
In addition to their hybrid style combining elements of techno, rock, and Chinese traditional instrumental music, The Twelve Girls Band uses a number of tactics to commercialize and commodify their performances. Here, the term commodity refers to the creation of an object (in this case a cultural object) of economic value intended for exchange or profit. Their repertory includes original music written for the ensemble, arrangements of preexisting traditional works, as well as traditional Western classics such as Jingle Bells, Swan Lake, My Heart Will Go On (from the film Titanic) and even arrangements of great classic works such as Beethoven 5th Symphony or Mozart's Symphony No. 40. The band credits its Western appeal to the wide utilization of Western bass, drum, and rhythm tracks supporting the more exotic traditional Chinese instruments. A careful selection of tastefully coordinated costumes, staging, and lighting effects contribute to create a modern (rock-like) atmosphere to their presentations. Departing from the customary seated position in Chinese instrumental performance, the girls are instructed to perform in standing position emulating performance practice common among pop stars in Western genres. In the pictures below, you can compare the stark visual difference between a traditional Chinese instrumental ensemble and the modern performance setup of the Twelve Girls Band.
Module #9
In an effort to classify different games, Caillois proposed a division of games into four categories based on the role of competition, chance, simulation or vertigo. These categories are by no means absolute, but exemplify the great diversity of playful interactions. Agon, (competition) are games with winners and losers. Here the outcome of the playing activity is determined by the skill of the player. Strength, speed, endurance, intelligence, ingenuity and the like are some of the factors that determine the outcome. Agon entails two players or teams in strait opposition (polo, tennis, basketball, boxing, etc. ) that will try to demonstrate superiority and gain recognition. The practice of agon presupposes concentration, training, application of skills and a desire to win. Alea (chance) is the Latin name for the game of dice, and it is basically the opposite to agon. Here the player has no agenda or control over the outcome. Fate, luck, grace, or destiny are the factors that determine the winner. The player is entirely passive. In contrast to agon, alea negates work, skills, and qualifications. Mimicry (simulation) presupposes the temporary acceptance of an imaginary world. Here the player forgets or disguises his own personality adopting that of a character. He makes others believe that he is other than himself. Ilinix (vertigo) is the last type of game and includes the pursuit of vertigo which consists of an attempt to momentarily destroy the stability of perception. Playing in this category, induces a disoriented experience, a sort of panic, shock that abruptly destroy our reality. Watch the video below to learn specific examples of play on each of these categories.
Module #9
In his book, Man, Play, and Games, Caillois explains the reciprocal relationship between societies and games. In a way, this concept of games mirrowing cultural values of a given society, has been introduced earlier in this course under the umbrella of cultural performance. Here, Caillois parallels Milton Singer's idea by postulating games' importance in affirming and shaping cultural idiosyncrasies in a given society. Here is an excerpt from the assigned reading: "[There is] a truly reciprocal relationship between a society and the games it likes to play. There is indeed an increasing affinity between their rules and the common characteristics and deficiencies of the members of the groups. These preferred and widely diffused games reflect, on the one hand, the tendencies, tastes, and ways of thought that are prevalent, while, at the same time, in educating and training the players in these very virtues or eccentricities, they subtly confirm them in their habits and preferences. Thus, a game that is esteemed by a people may at the same time be utilized to define the society's moral or intellectual character, proved proof of its precise meaning, and contribute to its popular acceptance by accentuating the relevant qualities."
Module #11
In our modern times, we consider play and enjoyment only suitable to leisure activities. We seem to have lost playfulness and pleasure in learning activities and in the workplace. In the Western world, play has been considered frivolous, unimportant and a major source of distraction tempting people away from work and productivity. If we can find out what makes play such a liberating activity, we can start applying this knowledge outside of play activities, and as suggested by Plato, start to 'live life as play.' "Life must be lived as play, playing certain games, making sacrifices, singing and dancing, and then a man will be able to propitiate the gods, and defend himself against his enemies, and win in the contest." -Plato
Module #13
In spite of the overt sexual overtones of the dance, tango's lyrics speak about nostalgia for a heterosexual communion based on love and companionship. Lyrics are overwhelmingly sung by men longing love and companionship. Most tango songs are male confessions of un-corresponded love and betrayal. The female, in tango lyrics, is portrayed as an archetype of unattainable love and desire, not as an instrument of lust. Lyrics are often anchored in the past and express dramatically pessimistic views of life and love. The lyrics below belong to the first verse of a well-known tango titled, Naranjo en Flor, composed in 1944 by Virgilio Exposito with the lyrics written by Homero Expósito.
Module #11
In the assigned article, Csikszentmihalyi explains that many flow activities have an autotelic quality. Autotelic activities are those who have an end or a purpose in itself and do not seek external rewards such as monetary gain, public recognition, or prizes. His subjects seemed to be driven by intrinsic rewards, that is, an inner state of mind comparable in many instances to a form of ecstasy or a pleasurable experience. Subjects found the experience of flow personally rewarding, satisfying, and worth performing for its own sake. Although flow is often related to autotelic experiences that seek no external goals or external rewards, there are some flow activities that may be encouraged by external goals or external rewards, such as competitions or gambling. Yet, Csikszentmihalyi claims that, on a closer look, these external goals function as mere tokens that justify the activity by giving it intention and direction. The true intrinsic motivator for all subjects was the experience of this inner state of experience called flow.
Module #13
In the assigned documentary at the end of this module, Mestre Acordeon explains: "Capoeira is not an outfit that we wear in certain moments of for special occasions. Capoeira is our own skin. It is with us at every moment." By making this statement, Accordion explains the life-transforming experience that capoeira symbolized for its practitioners. Capoeristas claim that practicing capoeira affects their everyday experiences outside the roda, their social interactions and perceptions. In learning to anticipate their opponent's movements, capoeristas become very aware of their own physical and mental vulnerabilities and strengths.
Module #9
In the assigned reading above, Caillois explains that play can be placed on a continuum between two opposite poles. At one end play can be free, improvisatory, and spontaneous like in children exploratory or make-believe play. He terms this fantasy-like type of play, paidia. At the other opposite end of the continuum, play may be disciplined, imperative, and rule-bounded by tedious conventions like in games and sports. He calls this type of play ludus.
Module #13
In the seventeenth century, the Jesuit preacher and missionary Frei Antonio Vieira described Brazil as having 'the body of America and the soul of Africa.' Roughly the size of the USA, and the world's fifth-largest country, Brazil encompasses nearly all of South America and borders most of the continent's other nations. In 1531, King João III of Portugal sent the first settlers to Brazil, who soon discovered that the land and climate were ideal for growing sugar cane. At first the Portuguese enslaved the indigenous population, despite their resistance, hunting them into the interior. The first Africans arrived in Brazil in 1538 to replace the indigenous labor, and from the 1580s, the forced migration of Africans to Brazil increased dramatically. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, most Africans were taken from Angola and the areas on the Indian Ocean coast such as Madagascar and as far north as Zanzibar. In the mid eighteenth century, when the sugar boom was at its height, around 40 percent of Brazil's enslaved population was involved in the cultivation of sugar cane. Slave uprisings and other factors helped to undermine the slave trade system and, finally, in 1888, Princess Regent Isabel issued the emancipation decree, the so-called Golden Law. Adopted on May 13, 1888, the Golden Law abolished slavery in Brazil. Today, Brazil's economy, demography, cultures, politics, faiths and religions have been considerably shaped by its history of enslavement and the country's considerable African population.
Module #14
Kabuki is a genre of traditional Japanese theater that combines a number of disciplines including music, drama, dance, make-up, costumes, and mime. It encompasses brilliantly colored costumes, elaborate staging devices, romantic love plots, highly codified movements, and actors trained in dance, drama, and singing. The word 'Ka-Bu-Ki' is comprised of three characters meaning Ka 'music,' Bu 'dance' and Ki 'acting.'
Module #14
Kabuki originated among the common people in the Edo period (1600-1867) of Japan. Until the Meiji period, Kabuki continued to evolve by incorporating interesting narratives and performing styles from many other types of stage entertainment, such as nō, kyōgen, and bunraku. Kabuki began as a suggestive dance in which troupes of women entertainers in and around Kyoto put on revue-like shows dancing in a row. One particular troupe was led by a woman called Okuni, and it is she who is said to have created Kabuki in or around 1603. The origin of kabuki was linked to prostitution and in an attempt to erase its connection with this practice, women were banned from the kabuki stage in 1629. Over the years, Kabuki has evolved into a highly complex and sophisticated art.
Module #14
Kabuki references in everyday life are difficult to find in the West. Perhaps the traditional concepts of Japanese theater with its codified acting, postures, costumes, props and sounds are not easy to appreciate without the historical background that gives significance to these plays. In my research, I found the 2001 video game below titled Kabuki Warriors, released for the Microsoft Xbox. It was published by Crave Entertainment and earned the distinction of being named "Worst Game of 2001." The game was a massive financial failure for Crave Entertainment and, to date, is the only game to have received a 1 out to 10 from Edge magazine and a .5 rating by Game Informer. Oh... this will pique your interest! Watch the trailer for Kabuki Warriors below (the first couple of minutes will do the trick.) Compare this product to previous products referencing art forms discussed throughout the semester (Riverdance, tango movies, the 12 Girls Band, etc.) What could the inventors of Kabuki Warriors may have done differently (or better!) to make their product more marketable to a broader audience (or to a Western audience for that matter)?
Module #14
Kabuki today is still very much alive. Though the main body of the repertoire comes from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, new Kabuki works are also incorporated to this traditional long-standing repertoire. Most kabuki plays are about the lives of common people for whom the repertoire was accessible and fascinating. One particular attraction is the double love-suicide scenes which inspired a considerable body of traditional works. One of the most remarkable features of kabuki is the onnagata character: the male actor who specialized in female roles. Acting in the onnagata role is highly codified as the actor trains to display the most essential traits of a woman's speech and gesture patters. While this tradition of men playing women's roles does also exist in China and other countries, in Japan it continues to flourish as treasured an art form.
The scholar who developed the concept of flow was:
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Module #11
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi set himself to study motivation and the experience of enjoyment to discover who and how we can experience flow. In the assigned article, he explains he interviewed a number of subjects notably artists, dancers, painters, musicians, actors, but also athletes, surgeons, and chest champion players. He noted these subjects dedicated their lives and much of their time to perfect a craft often not achieving significant material gains. And so he wondered, what is the real motivation (or intrinsic motivation) for these people?
Module #13
Movies such as Scent of a Woman (1992), Moulin Rouge (2001), Shall We Dance (2004), Take the Lead (2006), and Fading Gigolo (2013), have tapped into these stereotyped concepts exaggerating the dramatic elements of the dance often betraying the actual steps of the dance. Most tango scenes in these movies feature dance couples adopting a severe and rigid stance and moving with assertiveness and drama from one side to the other in the dance floor. Below you can compare two very different tango movie scenes. The first video shows the movie Tango, an Argentine film directed in Spanish by Carlos Saura. The scene featured here shows a traditional milonga (a gathering place to dance tango) and internationally acclaimed tango dancer Juan Carlos Copes with Cecilia Narova. Both performers very skilled in tango technique, dance here a quintessential Argentine tango known as La Cumparsita. Look at their smooth, sensual movements. Their eye contact is intense but deeply caring. The footwork toward the end of the video is masterful. In the background, the scene shows a tango orquesta típica (a typical tango orchestra) comprised of bandoneones, violins, piano, and string bass. In contrast, the romantic comedy, Shall We Dance, shows Jennifer Lopez trying to teach Richard Gere to follow the lead. A concept radically foreign to tango as, traditionally, the male is and must be the leader for the dance. They employ fast jerky movements to portray a version of tango that is overtly charged with gender tensions and dominance struggles. The scene is accompanied by a contemporary rendition of tango music by the band Gotan (the word tan-go reversed), merging elements of traditional tango with techno, rock, and electronic music.
Module #13
Music and dance in capoeira performance are tightly interwoven. There can be no capoeira without music. Music shapes the game: determines the beginning and end of a game, the tone, and the speed. The rhythms affect how the game unfolds, control the severity of competition, and sets the style of interaction. All capoeiristas must know how to sing and play and instrument. Capoeira's stylized movements are accompanied by a capoeira orchestra called the bateria. The quintessential instrument in the orchestra is the berimbau, a single-stringed musical bow with a gourd resonator. It looks like an archer's bow with an attached hard-shelled gourd at the bottom that acts as a resonator. It is played by striking the string with a stick and changes in register are obtained by pressing the string with a large metal coin or smooth stone against it. The number of berimbau in a traditional bateria is three. Other percussion instruments in the bateria ensemble are: The atabaque is a tall cylindrical drum. The pandeiro is a frame drum similar to the tambourine. The agogo resembles a double cowbell. The reco-reco is a scraper. In this dynamic relationship of song, music, and play, capoeristas sing history. Music educates practitioners by making pervasive reference to the history of capoeira in songs. Songs recall epic stories about famous capoeristas and remind those at the roda that the art arose through violence and struggle. The songs encourage capoeiristas to feel the past and to feel the weight of a once violent art into their bodily experiences.
Module #13
Naranjo en Flor Era más blanda que el agua, que el agua blanda, era más fresca que el río, naranjo en floor... Y en esa calle de estío, calle perdida, dejo un pedazo de vida y se marcho... She was softer than the water, than the soft water, she was fresher than the river, orange tree in bloom... And in that summer street, lost street, she left a piece of life and she left...
A person in flow may feel (mark all that apply)
No dualistic experience Focus of attention Loss of ego Heightened sense of control Altered perception of time Balance between skills and challenges Non-contradictory demands Autotelic quality
Module #14
One of kabuki's defining features is that the art is hereditary. All the major kabuki actors are members of distinguished acting families than can trace their lineage back for hundreds of years. Actors inherit both, the performance tradition and the illustrious name of their forefathers (ancestors). For example, Ichikawa Danjûrô IX is the 9th acting generation in the Ichikawa family. The kabuki stage is equipped with elaborate mechanisms to assist in rapid and effective change of settings and role's transformations. The stage has a rotating surface that allows rapid scenery changes and is further equipped with several gadgets like trapdoors through which the actors can appear and disappear. Another highlight of the kabuki stage is the hanamichi, a long runway platform to the left of the stage that is used for dramatic character entrances and exits and brings kabuki actors closer to the audience.
Module #14
Only men were allowed to perform opera. Women roles were portrayed by men. Families of actors, handed down the art from father to son. Boys who did not come from such families, received training at a very early age in boarding schools.
Module #14
Peking Opera or Jingju is a type of Chinese Opera distinguished by its liveliness, colorful and fast-moving scenes with goons and bamboo drumsticks accompanying the actor's every movement. The origin of this art form goes back to the 1790s, when Emperor Qianlong brought Anhwei opera troupes to Peking, which then became the central developing point.
Module #9
Play is a term very hard to pin down because it refers to the experience of play (as a playful state of being or as a play mood) and play behaviors (or the act of playing). To experience play, we have to achieve a particulate state of mind. More than a form of behavior, play is an attitude intrinsically linked to motivation. The act of playing (play behavior) does not guarantee thay we are experiencing play (play mood). Moods are always shifting; we may be engaged in a game for one minute and disengaged the next one. If a player or and spectator is injured during a game the entire event is affected and the play mood is interrupted. A football game is a good example for some reflection: Are football players enjoying themselves (in play mood) on the field at all times? Do the external pressures (such money, fame, coaches, managers, media, etc.) affect an individual's capacity to enjoy play? Are they playing or working on the field? Can they be doing both? Answers to these questions may be varied. But I trust that the example can help you grasp the volatile nature of the principle of play.
Module #9
Play is understood as a force of excitement and uncertainty that counterparts ritual. However, the boundaries between play and ritual are often blurred. Rituals may include some elements of play and play activities can be ritualized. So, what are the differences between ritual and play? Ritual is perceived as a serious matter while play is associated with enjoyment and amusement. Where ritual depends on repetition, play stresses innovation and creativity. Ritual is predictable (we know its outcome) and play thrives only in uncertainty. In ritual there is always a direct consequence that is somehow serious, a social contract. Play, on the contrary, is looser, more permissive, flexible and without other gain than the thrill of winning. Play has the intrinsic quality of not being entirely "real" or "serious." Play is just for fun. Play creates a world of its own: a virtual reality. Play takes us outside our ordinary life, give us a break from our daily worries. Play represents exploratory behavior, creativity and world-making. Although contrary in scope and appearance, ritual and play can be often found together. Carnaval celebrations in Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, and many other Latin American countries are good examples. Carnaval is a ritual observed in the Catholic church calendar, however, its activities include various forms of play. We will look at a specific case study later on in this course.
Which is of the followings is not considered an internal reward?
Prominence
Module #10
Rio de Janeiro is home to the spectacular Brazilian carnaval. Rio is located on the Atlantic coast and, as one of Brazil's largest cities, attracts millions of tourists from around the world. Rio has beautiful beaches, some of the most famous are Ipanema and Copacabana. Ipanema was immortalized in the famous Carlos Jobin's song: A Girl from Ipanema. An important feature of the city is the Crito Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) statue on Corcovado mountain.
Module #12
Riverdance brought elements of traditional Irish culture to mainstream audiences in a more global, contemporary way. Female dances had more freedom with their arm movements and shed their stiff costumes covered in Celtic embroidery for simple loose miniskirts. Male dances wore shirts and trousers in contrast to the kilt. Irish dance was turned into a symbol of power, professionalism, and virtuosity as long lines of dancers pounded out rhythms in perfect unison. The dancers casted for the show had to be hard-hitting, fast, and precise, so that their performances would lend themselves to a spectacularly visual and theatrical experience. The choreography, dance style, and personality of the dances led the press to coin the phrase "Now Irish Dance is Sexy." Whelan's music was newly composed and highly influenced by Eastern European rhythms. The show also made use of traditional symbols and themes of Irish culture such as emigration and nationalism. The incorporation of various world art forms into the show not only contributed to broaden its global approval ratings but also challenged the ingrained concept of Ireland as a remote and insular nationalist identity. By embracing world dances and music, Riverdance was able to portray Ireland as an important cultural contributor to the world stage.
Module #12
Riverdance was an attempt at representing a contemporary Irish identity to both the Irish themselves and to the world. The show positioned Ireland as an autonomous (different from the English), rich, and vibrant national identity as globally exciting and competitive. Although globalization may have contributed to bringing Irish traditional step-dances to the global stage, some traditional elements were lost, transformed, or altogether substituted by foreign cultural traits. This process of commodification, of creating a cultural artifact for mass consumption, raises questions of authenticity, identity, and representation of traditional values. As you conclude reviewing this cases study, try answering these questions: Is Riverdance a truthful representation of Irish culture? Is the hybridization of cultural forms diluting them to the point of extinction? Are performances that are inter-cultural in nature betraying or advancing the very cultural tenets that they hold dear?
Module #12
Riverdance's program reads: "We are one kind. We are one people now, our voices blended, our music, a great world in which we can feel everywhere at home. Ni neart go chur le cheile: together we are strong." The hybrid nature of Riverdance is equally evident in the music. Influenced by Eastern European rhythms (particularly Bulgarian), composer Bill Whelan broke from the usual eight-bar, regular structure of Irish traditional dance music and choreographed foot motifs to adapt to the new musical phrasing. Rock music, too, influenced the show. For example, the Riverdance orchestra appeared on stage at all times, so that the audience could see the interplay between the musicians and dancers. Often individual musicians took center stage and performed with rock-like gyrations, not typical of the traditional Irish musician.
Module #12
Riverdance- The Show grew out of a seven-minute interlude in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest broadcasted from Dublin to over three hundred million television viewers in Europe. Producer Moya Doherty commissioned composer and keyboard player Bill Whelan to create a short percussive piece that would showcase Irish dancers, singers, and musicians. Whelan's previous collaborations with the Dublin based singing group, Anúna, and Spanish and Hungarian musicians, influenced both his composition and his choice of performers for the piece. Two Irish-American step dance champions, Michael Flatley and Jean Butler, were brought in as the lead dancers.
Module #10
Samba Schools are neighborhood associations located in suburban areas in the skirts of Rio known as favelas (shanty towns). Samba schools are private organizations, with a bureaucratic structure, which provide invaluable jobs to the community. People are employed year-round in the production of costumes and floats. Samba schools are comparable to a club or fraternity. Every year, each school creates a particular theme or plot called enredo. The songs, costumes, floats, and dances are coordinated and planned to represent that theme. Samba schools rehearse all year round for carnaval. Members of the samba school participate regardless of their level of expertise. Everybody has a chance to dance, play an instrument, compose a song, and parade in the Sambodromo. Samba schools may take to the parade anything from 3,000 to 5,000 members. They showcase and drive 6 to 8 floats down the Sambodrome. All costumes and floats are original, made from scratch every year.
Module #12
Since the late 1980s, there has been a growing trend in the Irish tradition to transform elements of their art forms into inter-cultural, marketable, and contemporary syncretic forms (that is, forms that are influenced by two or more styles or traditions). The largest scale phenomena in the globalization of Irish music and dance were the mega-shows Riverdance and Lord of the Dance by the Riverdance Irish company. Abundant in cultural elements drawn from American popular culture, Riverdance was conceived in Ireland and marketed to an international audience.
Module #12
Since their premiere performance at the 21st Century Theatre in Beijing on October 5, 2001, the girls have shared a common ideal "Performing melodious music with traditional instruments and bringing it to the world." As a vehicle for intercultural exchange between the East and the West, the band has created and popularized a new and hybrid musical form by merging elements of traditional Chinese and Western music. Deemed as a 'folk-techno-acoustic fusion ensemble, their presentations are visually engaging and appeal to contemporary audiences worldwide tapping into the global music market.
Module #9
So, why is it that we study play in performance studies? Playing, like ritual, is intrinsic to performance. When we are on a stage, performing a character, recounting a story, or pretending to be someone else besides ourselves, we are engaging a type of play. In the words of R. Schechner, "Performance may be defined as ritualized behavior conditioned or permeated by play." Play is intrinsically part of performing because it embodies make-believe.
Module #9
Somehow unsatisfied with Huizinga's definition of play, Caillois proposed six formal characteristics of play. His study focused mainly on games. Play is: 1- Free, not obligatory activity--one can stop when one wants 2- Separated in time and place from "ordinary" life 3- Uncertain--there is always an element of doubt about its outcome 4- Unproductive of goods or wealth 5- Governed by rules, or 6- Fictive, imaginary, or make-believe Watch the video below to learn more about Caillois' play theory.
Module #13
Tango music and dance has its origin around the 1880s in the outskirts or slums of Buenos Aires known as arrabales. Rural Argentine gauchos (cowboys of the pampas) and African influences joined with the musical traditions brought by European immigrants to create the tango. Tango originated in the brothels of Buenos Aires where compadritos (a type of urban gaucho) both lover and pimp, met with female dancers, often prostitutes of immigrant descent. Early controversies about the acceptance of tango in Argentina as a reputable social dance focused on the dance's overt representation of sexuality and its links to these sites (i.e., brothels) of illegitimate encounters.
Module #12
The 12 Girls Band is a traditional Chinese musical group comprised of twelve female members. These accomplished musicians perform on both traditional Chinese and Western music instruments. The members were all classically-trained at various music conservatories in the People's Republic of China including the Central Conservatory of Music, the China Academy of Music, and the China National Chinese Opera and Dance Drama Company.
Module #14
The Balinese dance-drama known as kecak is performed by a massive vocal ensemble of 200 men or more. Kecak was inspired on an ancient trance ritual called Sanghyang Dedari. During this traditional divination ritual, a group of male singers surrounding an oil lamp engage in rhythmic vocal chanting to induce young girls into trance. Once in trance, the girls act as spiritual mediums to answer questions posed by the community. Divination rituals like these were frequently practiced in Bali as a way of seeking balance between good and bad spirits.
Module #10
The Danza de los Voladores (Dance of the Flyers) is an ancient Aztec-Indian ritual still performed today by the Totonac people in and around the city of Papantla ,in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The ceremony is performed by men dressed in vivid clothes resembling birds. The voladores or "fliers" also referred to as hombres pájaro or"birdmen," launch themselves from the top of a pole of up to 150 feet in height, and slowly descend circling the pole. It is a breathtaking spectacle! The ritual begins with five men circling and dancing around the pole. One of the men plays music with a flute and a small drum. The flute symbolizes birds' singing, and the drum evocates the voice of the gods. The voladores then climb the pole and position themselves on a small wooden rotating platform at the top. The man playing the music is called the caporal. He stands in the center, playing his flute and drum, and dances, facing each of the four cardinal directions in turn. This is one of the most breathtaking moments for the audience, as he performs his dance standing at the top of a pole without a harness or any protection.
Module #13
The bandoneón, tango's signature instrument, was brought to Argentina by German immigrants. The distinctive, nostalgic sound of the bandoneón merged with the syncopated rhythms of traditional gaucho and African style to give tango its distinctive rhythmic sense. The musical foundation of tango features a strong and regular beat, easy to follow on the dance floor. Formerly associated with old men who enjoyed the tango, the bandoneon has experienced a revival since 2000. Young musicians (often male) are attracted to the contemplative sound of this tango instrument and it is not uncommon to see them performing in the streets of Buenos Aires. Tango bands comprised of youthful musicians are currently merging elements of traditional tango with rock, punk, rap, techno, and more. You can take a peak at this contemporary tango band, Fernandez Fierro, with a row of bandoneones (in plural form) in concert. Can you appreciate the energy and rock-like feel of their presentation?
Module #13
The famous dancer, Isadora Duncan, once remarked: "if I could tell you what I mean, there would be no point in dancing!" Non-verbal aspects of dance-performance encourage not only variations in choreography but also multiple constructions of meaning. As is the case with most art forms, tango is a living tradition with multiple meanings that are continuously shifting at different times and in different places. The settings in which tango is practiced and the audience to which it is targeted are vital in determining tango's meaning and significance. The tango practiced at home in Argentina may be radically different from the tango showcased on TV shows such as "Dancing with the Stars" or danced in a diaspora community outside Argentina. My point here is that tango embraces different meanings according to its performance practice and the settings in which it is performed.
Module #12
The founder of the band, Wang Xiao-Jing, decided he wanted to create an all-female ensemble in June 2001. More than 4,000 contestants signed up to audition throughout the People's Republic of China (PRC). Only 13 Chinese girls (later on, the ensemble was reduced to 12 members) who were both attractive and musically gifted were selected as finalists. The number 12 has significant importance in Chinese mythology. For example, the twelve jinchai (12 hairpins) represent womanhood. The Chinese Zodiac associated with good fortune and perfection is comprised of twelve symbolic animals used to denote the year of one's birth. To find a suitable name for the band, Wang Xiao-Jing found inspiration in yuefang, a musical ensemble originated in the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618 to 907). "The Tang Dynasty was a historical period famous for its prosperity, openness and active cultural exchange, which is quite similar to the current climate of China today," said Wang. The girls called their band yuefang, literally 'music workshop,' to evoke the legendary practice of an all-female ensemble in the imperial court of Wude, the 1st emperor of the Tang Dynasty.
Module #13
The ginga or 'the sway' is the fundamental movement in capoeira. Neither strictly an attack nor a defense, the ginga is a swinging movement from side to side in wide-legged stances that all capoeiristas learn to master first. Al other movements are then added to this fundamental move. One of the most compelling characteristics of capoeira is the extensive use of acrobatic display: movements such as cartwheels, and flips, and even turning their bodies upside down on the arms or head. The game employs a diverse array of deceiving techniques. Feints are an important skill for a capoerista. There are also a series of ground attacks such as sweeps, trips, kicks, or head butt that are used to knock the adversary to the ground. Malícia is the word used by capoeira Mestres (Masters) to indicate a fundamental trait of the art. In contrast to its English cousin malice, the Brazilian term, denotes positive aspects of character. The term, translated here as "cunning," indicates a number of qualities from: a talent for deception, viciousness, playfulness, quick wit, savvy, aesthetic flare, and street smartness.
Module #12
The huge success of this performance was followed by Riverdance hitting the Irish Top Ten as number one within a week and staying there for several months. This success inspired Whelan and Doherty to create a full-length show that merged Irish music and dance with other world traditions. The show, Riverdance, opened in 1995 in Dublin with a cast of eighty performers, including 30 champion Irish step dancers, a large band of traditional Irish musicians, members of Anúna, the Moscow Folk Ballet, the Deliverance Ensemble from Atlanta, Flamenco dancer Maria Page, guitarist Rafael Riquenti, American tap dancers, and Hungarian gaida and kaval player, Nikola Parov. The phenomenal success of this show led to multiple world tours. Watch this Riverdance grant finale featuring legendary performers Michael Flatley and Jean Butler. The performance is breathtaking as rows of dancers coordinate intricate step dance rhythms in perfect alignment and unison.
Module #14
The kecak enacts short episodes from the Ramayama, a grand Hindu epic. One of the most popular plots involves the kidnapping of a beautiful princess (Sita) by an evil king (Rawana) and her eventual rescue by her beloved Prince Rama and an army of monkeys. Since the chorus of men acts out the role of the army of monkeys, kecak is also called "Monkey Chant." During the performance, a large chorus of men chants the short syllable "chak" in rapid and interlocking rhythmic patterns moving hands in stunning coordination. In the video below, you can watch a kecak performance as you would find it on the streets of Bali.
Module #12
The last hundred years have seen unprecedented changes in the advancement of communications, transportation, digital technologies, economic interdependence, and globalization. As a result, the world has grown smaller and cultural realities have changed more radically than ever before. We live in a world where people of different cultures and ethnicities meet and mix freely, creating a dynamic cultural fabric that questions fixed ideas of identity, belonging, and cultural identification. As travel becomes facilitated and news are instantly available through the internet, we seem to learn about The Other (other cultures) instantly whether by travels, news, or through directly meeting and making friends from around the world. This interconnectedness has provided opportunities for our performing arts to be enriched and to reflect upon the complex and diverse societies in which we live. On our campus alone, we can see Chinese New years' Celebrations, Lion Dances, Indian classical music, Mariachi, capoeira dance, and a number of festivals and events that provide an opportunity to learn about other cultures. Exposure to these forms provides a meeting point of cultures that always lead to some sort of exchange. In the performing arts, such meetings have a history of being enormously enriching. Artist are permanently influenced or inspired by these cultural exposures and often these experiences are transferred into their work. This new work, inspired by a culture other than their own, is the starting point of interculturalism. Interculturalism is an area of interaction where cultural traits are combined to create new forms. This exchange is not multiculturalism, the simultaneous existence of several cultures side by side. Interculturalism implies a meeting place, an ongoing process of cross-pollinating and producing new and relevant work. As long as peoples and cultures meet, there will be new ideas and new ways of communicating and creating. Interculturalism is not new. The great artistic and religious traditions in the world have been formed through this process of exchanges. Cultural interactions have permeated the history of peoples as they have met, whether in peace or in oppression, and have forged endless new forms of expression. This phenomenon has accelerated enormously in the last century through the unprecedented growth of mass migrations, travel, communication technologies, and globalization. The world's major performance traditions have been formed through this process of hybridization, cross-pollination, and reciprocal influences. Music and dances from the Americas have roots in African and European culture. The legendary great stories in Chinese opera are derived from Buddhism as it spread from India. The music of north India has adopted influences and instruments brought by Muslim rulers and the great dramatic forms of Japan were influenced by dances and rituals from Korea.
Module #14
The next video showcases kecak in the 1992 documentary film titled Baraka. The movie features a collection of scenes of human life and religions. Adapted for the big screen, the "Monkey Chant" (kecak) scene shows a stylized and dramatic performance of this Balinese art form. Informed with the looks and functions of kecak, you may look at this scene in the film "Ice Age" with different eyes.
Module #13
The origins of capoeira are subject of much debate. There are different theories about the origin of capoeira but all of them recognize its African influences to different extends. Some scholars believe that capoeira derives from an African dance called n'ogo, also known as "Dance of the Zebra" that was performed by two male contestants as part of a female initiation ritual. Many people believe that capoeira was a disguise for training and building strength in preparation for battles and uprisings, and was therefore a tool of resistance. Many accounts propose that slaves disguised their fighting games as a dance so slave masters would not see that they were training themselves in an art that could disarm, confuse and defeat an opponent of any size-without weapons.
The experience of flow is likely to occur when:
The performer's skills match the level of difficulty of a task
Module #10
The platform begins to spin and the four voladores launch themselves off and begin rotating the pole upside down. They are attached by a rope around the waist, but they twist a leg in the rope to maintain an upside-down position. The caporal remains at the top of the pole as the others descend. In their descent, each volador circles the pole 13 times—thirteen times for each of the four voladores, for a total of 52 rotations, representing the number of years in the Mesoamerican calendar cycle. There are several legends that attempt to explain the men's disguise as birds and the seemingly effortless flying down through the air. One account tells that the four men impersonated the souls of dead warriors and sacrificial victims who, after they had finished their services to the sun-god, returned to earth in the form of birds and and butterflies. Another account explains the ritual was first performed after a severe drought in the Totonacapan. Elders instructed young men to perform sacrificial offerings to ask the gods for rain and bountiful crops. The costume of the voladores consists a white shirt and red pants trimmed in bright colors with a yellow fringe. On their heads, the voladores wear a handkerchief, over which they place a round hat with a multicolored tuft representing the head of a bird. They wear a colorful sash shaped as two semi-circles over the right shoulder, over the chest and the back, which represent the wings of the birds. The voladores wear black leather boots with a heel.
Module #12
The success of Riverdance was determined by economic and global perspectives timely in place in the 1990s. However, it was the particular combination of dance, music, lighting, costume, and technology on a "big stage," that enabled Irish dance to become acceptable to popular audiences. In his 1991 famous article, "The Local and the Global: Globalization and Ethnicity," Stuart Hall states: "global culture is essentially centered in the West." Riverdance is undoubtedly centered in the West as reflected in its plot, technology, clothing, lighting, music, and structure of dance routines. The show's mass appeal, however, may rest on the hybridization of disparate cultural dance forms, such as tap dance, flamenco dance, and Russian folk ballet, along with Irish step dance. These diverse dance forms, intermixed with speech, choruses, and instrumentation contribute to a sharing of human experience.
Module #12
The talented roster of musicians comprising The Twelve Girls Band are highly trained in classical and traditional Chinese music specializing in one or more of the following instruments: the erhu (a two-stringed fiddle), the pipa (a four-stringed lute with a pear-shaped body), the dizi (a bamboo flute), the guzheng (a zither with movable bridges), and the yangqin (a hammered dulcimer). The erhu is a two-stringed Chinese fiddle with a cylindrical or hexagonal resonator. Pitch slides and bends are characteristic features of this instrument. The yangqin is a hammered dulcimer. Each string is stretched over a bridge. The strings are struck with light, thin bamboo sticks or hammers. The pipa is a four-stringed lute with a pear-shaped body. The body is solid, not hollow, and made from a single piece of wood. It has frets raised above the finger board to facilitate fixed pitches and pitch bends. Plectra (or picks) were utilized in the past to pluck the strings but, nowadays, players use artificial fingernails. The dizi is a bamboo flute. Because it sounds great, is easy to learn, light to carry and inexpensive, the dizi is one of most popular Chinese instruments in Asia. It has a very simple structure: 1 blowhole, 1 membrane hole, 6 finger holes, and two pairs of holes in the end to correct the pitch and hang decorative tassels. The guzheng is a zither with movable bridges. The plectra, a form of pick, is taped to three fingers on the player's right hand while the left hand effects pitch bends and vibratos by pressing down on the string behind the bridge.
Module #12
The term globalization appeared in the mid-1980s to replace others terms such as "internationalization" and "trans-nationalization." Globalization describes our ever-shrinking world and the perceived process of cultural homogenization on a global scale. Globalization is linked to the exponential acceleration of the flow of migrants, to the growth of the tourist trade, to the development of communications technologies, and the increasing interdependence of world economies. In the arts, the process of globalization causes a reciprocal exchange or 'conversation' among traditions often resulting in cross-breeding and regenerative new forms. From the 1980s onwards, we have seen a growing interest in the global representations of the local and the marketing of the local in the global stage. The process of making the local global entails the commodification of a tradition by incorporating show-like traits that proved marketing and consumption success. Along with the hybridization of cultural elements, traditions are conceived as main-stage shows with spectacle-like visual components from coordinated dancers, dazzling performances, dramatic elements, to staging, and lighting effects.
Module #13
Themes of overt sexuality and male dominance are embedded in the choreography of the dance. In a tight embrace, the man advances leaning his stiff torso over the female partner as a statement of both dominance and protection. Dancers move in circular motion performing a series of standard motions called 'steps' or 'figures' displaying intricate footwork. To explain the feeling of the tango's embrace an instructor explains: "The first step for the dancers is moving into each other's embrace, peacefully. An air of quiet reassurance from the man says to the lady, come to me and trust me. The gentleman should hold the lady in his arms like a baby during the dance so that she feels safe, secure and happy." A female dancer shares her point of view: "When I embraced my tango partner, I embrace the person - I embrace who the person is. Really HUG him. With love. Real love. [I] Just completely surrender and give myself, my heart to them, no questions asked."
Module #11
There are 8 major elements that contribute to the experience of flow. No dualistic experience Focus of attention Loss of ego Heightened sense of control Altered perception of time Balance between skills and challenges Non-contradictory demands Autotelic quality In the video below, I will explain each of these elements of flow.
Module #10
This case study illustrates the junction of ritual and play. Having been performed by centuries, the ritual features at least two categories of play: mimicry and ilinx. Mimicry is used by the flyers as they try to represent birds with elaborated wind-like sleeves and colored head pieces. Ilinx is present at the action of climbing and then descending from the pole is certain to induce a feeling of vertigo and disorientation. In order to help the ritual survive and thrive in the modern world, the ceremony was named an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
Module #10
This magnificent celebration is characterized by a stunning parade of thousands of people wearing revealing and coordinated costumes, masquerading, dancing, music making and presenting nothing short of astonishing floats. The carnaval parade takes place in the Sambódromo, a giant permanent parade structure with a capacity of 65,000 people. The sambodromo was built in 1984, and consists of 700 meters of a street with bleachers on either side for spectators. During carnaval, the street becomes the meeting place. The private becomes public, vented out. The streets are no longer an impersonal location but rather the place of action. The city is truly transformed into a big stage.
The purpose of Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi article is:
To analyze the enjoyment experience and its applications to other experiences in life, such as work.
Module #9
To play means to do something that is neither "serious" nor "real." Yet play is nonetheless important, for it demands risks and promises rewards that may have consequences for our everyday lives. We play to escape, to step out of everyday existence, and to observe a different set of rules. We play to explore, to learn about ourselves and the world around us. Play may be formal and organized, as in professional football game, or informal and unpredictable, as with children in a park. Play can be competitive or cooperative, goal-oriented or open-ended. Play may be deceptive (as in capoeira) or involve an inversion of the social status (as in Brazilian carnaval.) Often the thrill of risk of playing is itself play's ultimate reward, as in gambling, sky-diving, or riding a roller coaster.
Module #12
Traditional Chinese music has undergone significant transformations throughout history. During much of the 20th century, westernization and professionalization proved especially important. However, since 2001, commercialization, commodification, and globalization have exerted increasing influence to create new forms of traditional Chinese music that can be appealing and thus consumed by audiences all around the world. The Twelve Girls Band is one clear example of the stylistic hybridity inspired by these three forces. The Band's album Eastern Energy, released on August 17, 2004, in the United States, was ranked 62nd on Billboard's 200 chart, the highest debut ranking achieved by an Asian artist or ensemble in the history of that poll. On the World Music chart, the album lingered for more than 15 weeks, during which it ranked No. 1 most of the time. It is in Japan, however, that the group has claimed its greatest successes to date. Beautiful Energy, released in that country in July 2003, remained at the top of the Nipponese chart for 30 weeks and sold more than 2 million copies. Interestingly, the group's reception in the PRC has been mixed. Although recognized by its commercial success, mainland critics have questioned the band for portraying a simplified and overly Westernized version of Chinese music. Their critics have raised concerns about issues of nationality, authenticity, and their "Chinese-ness." Confronted with accusations that the band has nothing to do with China's xin minyue (national music) tradition, Wang Xiao-Jing has carefully responded: "Our group does not claim to represent [any kind] of new national music (xin minyue), avant-garde music, or world music. We simply are what we are. What people hear is what they get. By combining Western music with Chinese instruments, I have provided a new venue for players of minyue. At the same time, I have provided an opportunity for foreign audiences to appreciate Chinese music."
A flow experience occurs outside the parameters of boredom and anxiety.
True
A person experiencing flow loses track of time.
True
Autotelic activities are those which have an end or a purpose in itself.
True
Autotelic personalities are driven by intrinsic rewards such as enjoyment and do not seek external goals.
True
Besides play and creativity, experiences of flow have been reported in transcendental or religious contexts.
True
Competition, material rewards or physical danger may enhance concentration.
True
Flow is an inner state of mind difficult to achieve and maintain for extended periods of time.
True
Module #14
Unlike Western opera, music is not the most important feature, only a part of the whole. Small orchestras, mostly of percussion instruments, punctuate the actors' speech and movements. The orchestra provides sound effects and supports the distinctive singing style of actors on stage. Albeit, difficult for Westerns audiences to fully appreciate it, the unique Peking Opera can be truly fascinating. This very short documentary (2 minutes long) will help you grasp its uniqueness:
Module #12
Wang has used a number of strategies to consolidate the Band's mainstream worldwide popularity. Among these tactics are: Replacing the Girls' traditional national costumes with vaguely Western ones Have the Girls perform in standing position Tapped into the visual appeal of beauty and youth to conquer the international music market Created a hybrid musical product by 1) presenting Chinese melodies with rhythmic features borrowed from jazz, rock, techno, and other pop styles; or 2) re-arranging Western hits to be performed on authentic Asian instruments. The Twelve Girls Band exemplifies inter-culturalism by the process of merging elements from different cultures to create a new, original style of music. This case study raises questions about gender politics, tradition, commodification of culture, authenticity, national and international identities, as well as the future of culture. As you review this module, prepare to respond to the following questions: Is our globalized world changing pre-established concepts of the 'authentic'? Do economic forces driven by the international market directly impact the creation of new cultural commodities? And in doing so, is our understanding of traditional, authentic, and identity transformed?
Module #14
Watch the first 5 minutes of the kabuki documentary below to observe the fascinating yet very particular Japanese aesthetic in kabuki. If you every travel to Japan, I highly recommend that you watch this documentary to the end and reserve your kabuki tickets at the Kabuki-za theater in Tokyo (pictured below).
Module #11
What power does play have that men risk their lives or relinquished basic needs for its sake? This module on flow attempts to describe as analytically and objectively as possible the experience of enjoyment.
Module #13
Whether the practice was brought from Africa or created in America, capoeira served as a way to resist oppression, transmit culture and traditions, and lifts spirits of slaved Africans. Capoeira created a culture of camaraderie amongst Africans in the New World.
Module #14
You may be familiar with ubiquitous advertisements for a show titled Shen Yun. Claiming to "preserve the best of China's cultural heritage and sharing it with the world" a group of Chinese artists came together in New York in 2006 with that vision in mind. This spectacle draws on elements of Chinese Opera and traditional Chinese spiritual practices to present a breathtaking contemporary product. Shen Yun's extraordinary global appeal invites audiences to travel back to the magical world of ancient China. Study Questions: Could you recognize in this video what elements are used by the Shen Yun production to make this show appealing to the global market? How is the music in Shen Yun different from the music in Peking Opera? In your opinion, are the producers of Shen Yun preserving or transforming Chinese culture?
Quizlet questions
https://quizlet.com/322792485/perf-301-quizzes-flash-cards/
