QUIZ #1

What Africans Brought?

1. Masquerade (masking rituals) 2. Interdisciplinary Performance 3. Predominate Percussive Aesthetic 4. The Concept of Nommo 5. Art is Functional

What are the five relevant characteristics of West African Dance and music? Explain each characteristic.

1. Percussion 2. Polyrhythmic aspects (no time structure) 3. No symmetry (improvisational) 4. Call and response (audience participation and can change the path of the performance at anytime) 5. Songs & dances of derision (music & dance is purposeful)

Predominate Percussive Aesthetic

Gives the performance communal character. Hence, the audience is expected to clap, dance, sing. . . Perhaps in call and response. The drumbeat is primal. . .its echo is heard in the very beating of the heart. It is considered the echo of the womb of the earth meant to call spirits into being. The "ngoma" concept...the drum and the dance are one. African dance makes the rhythm of the music visible. Examples include: All African-American musical traditions, performance poetry, hip-hop etc.

Art is Functional

In essence, art is for life's sake. Traditionally, if art did not contribute to the good of the community it was not made Examples: Akan stools, drums, and other instruments. Also, "efficacious technique" is noted. This simply means that function is more important than the form.

What is the minstrel show and how does this contribute to American theatre?

Minstrel shows are the root of the American theatrical experiences and are rooted in the tradition of improvisation and confrontation. The shows led to the development of blues. It imitated African plantation slaves through the use of blackface. This was an art form that burlesqued what was perceived to be rituals of slaves. The first performance was in NYC and these stereotypes created during minstrel shows have prevailed for centuries

What is the slave narrative and how does it contribute to the development of American theatre?

Slave narratives are a category of their own. It is its own art form and cannot be compared to anything else. slave narratives are a genre of literature written in the 1700s by African slaves, recorded and shared by word of mouth or written. It contributed to American theatre as a form of dramatic visual and auditory art. Slave narratives brought purpose to American theatre, different from performance art that had ever been seen before. These narratives/stories were meant to make people want to do something/take action and "bludgeon slavery to death"

The Concept of Nommo

The ability to create reality through spoken language. ". . . All magic is word is word magic, and the generation and transformation of sounds contribute to a speaker's power. Thus, we are ready to say that whatever a speaker does with a word is a fact unto itself." (Assante, THE AFROCENTRIC IDEA, p. 49) The "griot" tradition is very much a part of this idea. The griot is a quintessential African storyteller often treated as a "living archive" of a particular society. The griot uses storytelling to preserve history. Storytelling is a ritual that uses music, dance, and even some acting; but most importantly it requires audience participation. Examples include traditional sermons and slave narratives.

Why does Traylor assert that all American theatre is "Afra American" theatre?

The existence of African slaves contributed to minstrelsy. Minstrelsy is essentially the building block of what is considered american theatre in its fundamental form. Previous theatre performances in the US were Shakespearean or restoration theatre. But all present forms of modern american theatre CAN BE TRACED TO MINSTREL SHOWS AND SLAVE NARRATIVES.

Masquerade (masking rituals)

The term "masquerade" refers both to a performance given by masked characters and to the masked performer. The most important masquerades are those through which the spirits enter the human World. In these, the human performer is not simply hidden from view, but is the embodied spirit. The supernatural and secret ability makes the mask, the masker, and the masquerade sacred and powerful. Examples include: the Egungun masquerade; the minstrel show; vodun and Santeria (New World African religious ceremonies)

Interdisciplinary Performance

Usually music, dance, costuming, masks, and other elements of spectacle contribute more to the performance than words. These elements are an integral part of the narrative structure. There is an improvisational quality about the work. There is an aesthetic of "cool" in effect, meaning that while all the performers may engage solo performance, they are ever mindful of being part of a group. No single performer or art is subordinated in the process. Examples include: Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, Minstrel shows

What does it mean to be "cool" according to Farris Thompson? + examples

When everything is in the right proportion, smooth, balanced. Must remain in the context of balance. where the piece or the main performer takes space and gives space to the other highly important aspects of a particular art piece. Examples: Kente Cloth Patterns. Cool Jazz: members of an ensemble have a solo of a particular piece and can stand out purposefully while simultaneously being able to appropriately diffuse back into the piece without any harsh auditory differences. Hip Hop: maintains a balance between the lyrics & rhythms & beats to emphasize a particular message.