People dance for various reasons. Dance is more than a ritual today, but also an alternative to exercising, a sport, and even a passionate hobby. Dance is also used as a form of therapy for multiple reasons. Dance as a form of therapy is heavily discussed among researchers, especially if it works. There is research that lacks significant data needed so as to rely on dance as an effective therapy. It is hard to have a clear vision of the effects of dance therapy in non-dancers. So first, scientists must investigate the effects dance has on the brain. Now, professional dancers maintain a strict lifestyle to remain the best in their job. This intensity helps scientists in discovering how a dancer’s brain differs from a non-dancer’s brain. Dance has influenced numerous researchers, but previous studies have not been as in-depth as The Dancing Brain: Structural and Functional Signatures of Expert Dance Training.
- Obstacles in Mao’s Last Dancer
- The Reason Why Dance Is My Favourite Hobby
- The Benefits of Trying Ballroom Dance as A Hobby
- Dancing into the American Dream
- Dancing Helps People Relax
- Tinikling: The National Dance of The Philippines
- Economic Impact of Dance in Ireland
- Fall Dance Festival Critique
- Traditional Dances of the Igbo Tribe of Nigeria
- Description of Dance Styles
Obstacles in Mao’s Last Dancer
In Mao’s Last Dancer we are introduced to the obstacles faced daily by a Chinese boy and his family, living in poverty. In Meltdown by Ben Elton, we are introduced to obstacles faced daily by Jimmy Corby. Obstacles we can all relate to in the modern world. This is why I think we should study Meltdown by Ben Elton as well as Mao’s Last Dancer as a core text in the Overcoming Obstacles unit. Meltdown is about City Trader Jimmy…...
DanceObstaclesOvercoming ObstaclesPoverty
The Reason Why Dance Is My Favourite Hobby
It’s undeniable that dance is one of the oldest and most popular forms of art. In every part of the world, from the streets to the stage, we can easily find people dancing. Regardless of age, race, gender, and social-economic status, everyone can learn and practice this art form. Though having little experience with dancing, I personally have always had a special love for it. Dancing is meaningful to me in a great number of ways. There have been many…...
Contemporary ArtDanceMy Hobbies DancingMy Hobby
The Benefits of Trying Ballroom Dance as A Hobby
I wasn’t really familiar with the dance, I was always heard about it but never took any interest in it. According to dictionary.com Ballroom dance is a set of partner dances by men and women, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world. Because of its performance and entertainment characteristics, ballroom dance is also enjoyed on stage, film, and television. The dance originated in England in the late 18th and 19th centuries. It is once known as the…...
Contemporary ArtDanceMy Hobbies Dancing
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Dancing into the American Dream
Many people believe that dance can not be made into a professional career, Misty Copeland proved them wrong. Misty Copeland is a principal ballet dancer, and she has been dancing since she was a teen. Achieving the American Dream brought Misty where she is today. The American Dream for her was to put a stop to the race borders in ballet, showing others that not everyone in the ballet industry has to have the same skin color. Having an astounding…...
American DreamDance
Dancing Helps People Relax
Did you know dance has the ability to act as a stress reliever? Celebrity Ballroom proved that when you dance you feel less stressed and you feel relaxed. While you’re dancing you can free your mind and you don’t have to worry about any schoolwork or your grades. According to The Dance of Essence, the scientific reason dance has the ability to act as a stress reliever stems from the idea that when the body feels good, the mind does…...
Dance
Tinikling: The National Dance of The Philippines
One important factor in life as a human being is dancing. Dance is a form of arts, or it can be also a form of entertainment that puts sounds together in order to people find it interesting. Dance has different types. Since Philippines was colonized multiple times, it led to Filipinos to created a lot folk dances. One of famous dance in the Philippines is called Tinikling. This dance was a emerged during the Spanish colonial era and Tinikling eventually…...
CultureDancePhilippines
Economic Impact of Dance in Ireland
In this article, I will attempt to outline the economic issue of the dance industry in Ireland. There has been a huge increase in demand for dance in recent years in Ireland. This has resulted in many aspiring dancers attempting to be successful in the industry, which is not easy. Unfortunately, in Ireland, we lack the funding and resources to provide adequate training and education for those who wish to work in the competitive industry of dance. As a dancer…...
DanceEconomyEducation
Fall Dance Festival Critique
Burbank High school fall dance festival 2019 was one of my favorite shows I have been to. The show was a combination of several types of dances with Unleashed and Advanced dance performing. With the first routine Strike a pose, and the last routine Improv, I started loving contemporary and jazz because I find them to be the most relatable and interesting to watch. However, the dance of my choice would be Roxie, since the choreography was beautiful, sassy and…...
DanceEntertainmentFestival
Traditional Dances of the Igbo Tribe of Nigeria
Mmanwu Dance The Mmanwu dance is for masquerades and recognized as the most-popular dance in Igbo culture, according to Nigerian writer Jovago. Traditionally, masquerades represent gods or messengers who imparted punishments and judgments to those in power. They were untouchable; feared to be spirits. It was assumed that during the Mmanwu dance, the spirit of the deity possessed the person wearing masquerade. The Mmanwu dance was and is still featured in most Igbo carnivals, celebrations and funerals including the new…...
DanceTradition And Culture
Description of Dance Styles
Dance art is not different from a variety of other arts, the dance has been designed to entertain, enjoy, practice and mastered it. It can be used in parks, offices, buildings, museums, urban streets and stadiums as a way for people to express their feelings of joy as a celebration. Tango is one of the Passionate, sensual, influential and famous dances of the world, it is originating from the people on the streets of century 18th in Buenos Aires Argentina…...
ArtDance
Tinikling: The Bird-like National Dance Of The Philippines
Have you ever heard of bamboo dancing or experience dancing using bamboo stick? I bet you don’t even know what a bamboo dancing looks like or what bamboo exactly mean. Dancing with bamboo stick is inspired by the nature. While some expressions mimic the swaying of tress, others resemble the flying of birds. It is not wrong to say that bamboo dancing is surely interesting and entertainment. Also, it forms with a recognizable history, the purpose of this dance, and…...
DancePhilippinesTradition And Culture
Dancing at Lughnasa
Re-read Dancing at Lughnasa from the end of Act 1, page 38 (the stage direction 'Father Jack enters') to page 42 (bottom of the page). Discuss the importance of 'ceremony' and its effect on an audience in this extract and in the play as a whole. Brian's Friel "Dancing at Lughnasa" portrays the use of ceremonies within the play. The play enables the audience to relate to the different cultures portrayed within the play and the contrast between the Irish…...
DanceReligion
Estella’s harsh comments
This quotation shows the vanity and snobbishness that Pip now possesses, we see that Pip has lost all the compassion that we noticed in the start of Book One. Pip does not seem to care about Joe and Biddy's feelings, thinking he is better than all of them. In Book One of Great Expectations we notice that Pip's snobbish character has derived from his yearning ambition to become a gentleman and a person of a higher class than he is…...
Book ReviewBooks And ReadingDanceGreat ExpectationsLiterature
Dance response
On Friday December the 10th at 8 o’clock, I had the great pleasure of sitting in on a viewing of the Mason Gross School of the Arts performance of DancePlus. The performance took place in the Victoria J. Mastrobuono Theater. The piece that really caught my attention and made a huge impact on me was the MiniEvent of Merce Cunningham’s pieces. A MiniEvent is an uninterrupted sequence of excerpts drawn a work, in this case it was Merce Cunningham’s works.…...
DanceMusicUtopia
The Waratah State Championships
The need to belong marks us as human and it is such connections that lead to fulfillment. After studying belonging, to what extent do you agree with this statement? It is imperative that each and everyone one of us experience the joy and sense of fulfillment that arises from the sense of belonging. It is through the connections with various people and groups that self-fulfillment can be achieved in life. However, our need to belong can also force us to…...
DanceState
The Harlem Dancer
In The Harlem Dancer by Claude McKay, the brief passage that unlocks the poem for me is "The light gauze hanging loose about her form. " The metaphor of light gauze suggests that the female dancer had wounds from her past nevertheless she is still beautiful, and her heart is pure and chaste. This implies McKay felt sympathy and admiration for the dancer. These meanings connect to the rest of the poem in these ways: First, McKay describes her voice…...
A PicnicDanceFlute
Street Dance Evaluation
In this evaluation I am going to talk about the process to the performance and my strengths, weaknesses and targets that I have made through the process to the performance. I will talk about how I overcome minor and major problems throughout my process. I will talk about how I developed my performance skills for this Unit, and in doing this unit how it has helped me gain experience and confidence. Also in this evaluation I am going to be…...
DancePsychologyTime
A short story – The Push
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. There are many setbacks throughout life that make success seem inevitable. The ones who prevail though are the strong and different ones in the crowd. I for one have had many setbacks as a dancer. Time after time I tried out for the dance company and was turned down. This made my heart sink and for days I believed my whole dancing life was over with, that there was no hope…...
DanceShort Story
“A Scandal In Bohemia” and “The Dancing Men”
Moreover, having studied these three stories thoroughly I have realised how observant Holmes can be. This is emphasized by minor incidents to show the readers how good Holmes is at his job and how good his powers of deduction are. There is minor incident to emphasize Holmes abilities, for example The Speckled Band Holmes tells Helen how she arrived in specific what transport she used to approach Holmes. " I observe the second half of a return ticket in the…...
Dance
Sarah Marie Fedele
Introduction "Celebrities are ordinary people rendered extraordinary through media coverage. " (Lumby 1997, p. 82) Choose a celebrity figure prominent in contemporary Australian media and discuss their representation in light of some of the concepts raised in the course readings. Celebrities can be defined as people the public are interested in. Traditionally the public celebrated those that had a particular talent, achievement or extraordinary quality such as acting, singing or dancing. However recently exemplified in the reality television phenomena, celebrity…...
CelebrityDanceMedia BiasReality TVSocial Problems In Our SocietyTelevision
Mao’s Last Dancer Thematic
In your view, how have literary techniques been used to reveal memorable ideas in Li Cunxin’s Mao’s Last Dancer? Li Cunxin’s effective use of literary techniques provides us with a valuable insight into the most memorable ideas of his life experiences. In the novel ”Mao’s Last Dancer”, Li uses characterisation to express the key themes of inner strength, determination and courage, change and journey, and traditions and beliefs. Inner strength, determination and courage have played a major role in Li’s…...
ChinaCourageDance
Impact – Louis 14th, Lully, Moliere
Great Impact of a King on music and theatre Sinan Erk Mutafoglu 11149 HUM 204 Prof. Filiz Ali December 2nd, 2011 In the 17th century, France witnessed political, social and artistic facts which were triggered by the relationships between Louis the Fourteenth, Jean-Baptiste Lully and Moliere. This relationship between these important figures of 17th century can also be delineated as the connection between the political power, music and theatre. Before emphasizing the interaction among them, it might be illuminating to…...
BalletFranceMusicTheatre
Isadora Duncan And Modern Dance Drama Essay
During 20th century, there was a new dance signifier that was looking in American, which was modern dance. It was to hold a important influence on the dance instruction. Modern dance has broken the regulation of classical concert dance. `` The subject of modern dance plants might embrace Greek mythology ; Ancient or modern poesy or other literary plants ; American folklore and legendry ; major societal issues ; interpersonal relationships approached psychoanalytically ; historical events ; or, merely, abstract…...
Dance
The Importance of the “Spitting Scene” in Master Harold… and the Boys
The play “Master Harold”... and the Boys”, by Athol Fugard, illustrates life in South Africa under the apartheid rule. The play is written in the South African context and the issue of apartheid is central in the play. The play is an informative and autobiographical one-act play about the relationship between Hally, Willie and Sam. Throughout “Master Harold”..... and the Boys, Fugard describes many emotions that take place between the characters, to which different reactions are noted. The primary emotions…...
AdolescenceBoyDanceHuman NatureRacism
Good singer and dancer
Since Rodolfo and Marco first arrived at Eddie's house, Miller has shown how Eddie is desperate to get rid of Rodolfo and to discredit him, and is prepared to go to any lengths to do this. In the case of Rodolfo, he quickly comes up with several excuses to do this, he says that Rodolfo is, Platinum Blond, "slightly built," Platinum Blond, a good singer and dancer and can make dresses. Moreover, both Mike and Louis from the docks seem…...
DanceSinger
Ghost dancer
Dancing had been Madhavi's life. She has been taking barathanatyam, an Indian classical dance since she was five years old. Her dance teacher was the famous dancer Mrs Sheila Devi. It has been thirteen years since then. She was in her school's dancing team and had already represented the school in about eighty-nine national competitions. Her parents wanted to send her to India to further study the art of classical dance because that was where barathanatyam came from but Madhavi…...
Dance
Danzon for Piano Trio by Composer Paquito D’Rivera
Danzon or dance is a piece for piano trio by the renowned Cuban performer and composer Paquito D'Rivera. The piece is written for piano and two separate parts which have the option of being performed by a cello, trombone or bassoon in the bass part, and a violin, clarinet or trumpet in the treble part. The piece, like D'Rivera's musical style, blends traditional Cuban dance rhythms with contemporary jazz harmonies which create a fusion of Latin/jazz styles. Danzon is a…...
Classical MusicComposersDanceMusicPianoViolin
Dances with the Facts: The Historical Accuracy of Dances with Wolves
When you ask a person to picture being on the Titanic the night it sunk, they will likely have no problem doing so. It was dark and a bit foggy. The band sounded wonderful and the dining room was beautifully decorated. Jack painted Rose’s portrait. Movies are powerful means through which people can imagine times and places that they will never visit. It is through films that many people develop their understanding of the past. Thus, we must carefully evaluate…...
DanceWolves
Dance – the use of improvisation
By the use of improvisation, rehearsal and performance we compiled a number of sequences, which essentially led to a structure of a dance. The work reflected the knowledge and understanding of the purpose of performance that we had acquired of the genre of contact improvisation. Steve Paxton was the founder of contact improvisation he saw potential of fusing together athletics, gymnastics, martial arts and movement. The focus is on the physical sensations of touching, supporting, leaning, falling and counterbalancing as…...
Dance
Dance Concert Critique Guidelines
Your reaction paper must be type-written, a minimum of 2-3 pages, double-spaces with a clear and legible typeface (Times Roman is one that I prefer). Font point size should be 12-13 points, not larger please. Begin your paper by including the name of the performance, where and when it took place. You should include your overall impression of the concert. Choose at least 2 dances to discuss in depth, using the following questions to stimulate your critical and evaluative skills.…...
Dance
Dancing Classes in Raverat’s Book A Cambridge Childhood
Childhoods suppose to be the best moment of one's life. Usually when we recall our childhood, we see naughtiness, eagerness to learn something new, filled with questions and most of all being happy. Children love dancing whereas the writer, Gwen Raverat author of 'A Cambridge Childhood' used to hate them. She did not enjoy at all and she dint jus have problems with dancing, she mentions "dancing class was the worst of the social events which I dreaded as a…...
AngerChildhoodDanceWriter
Achievements Of Mikhail Baryshnikov As A Dancer Drama Essay
This paper is focused on dance as a signifier of executing humanistic disciplines. The paper lokks at the history of dance and it looks at the life, parts to the dance universe and achievements that Mikhail Baryshnikov ' has had thought his carrer. This paper is a research paper aims at looking at the history of Mikhail Baryshnikov and how he has influenced dance. It has besides highlighted his varius accomplishments that have been the high spot of his dancing…...
AchievementBalletDanceTheatre
“Falling Angels” by Jiri Kylian
Jiri Kylian's 1989 choreography, Falling Angels', the last piece to his black and white' six-part series ballet, attempts to communicate the concerns surrounding gender roles and to convey the dominant theme of sexuality during the 1980s. Accompanied by Steve Reich’s energetic and moving piece for percussion, with its highly associative title "Drumming Part 1". 'Falling Angels', is multilayered choreographic work which is representative for Jirj Kylian's choreographic style showcasing the socio-historic context of his work. In 1980 Jiri Kylian created…...
AngelsBalletDance
Fosse’s Darkly, Sensual and Syncopated Choreographic Style
Much of Fosse's darkly, sensual and syncopated choreographic style comes from his early experiences as a child performer in the sleazy vaudeville shows and his exposure to more adult preoccupations performing in burlesque clubs and strip clubs in Chicago. In Bruce Handy's interview with Sam Wasson (the author of 'Fosse'), Wasson suggested that in Fosse's film 'All that jazz' he referenced in a flashback scene at a burlesque house 'where the young Joe Gideon is molested by a trio of…...
ArtDanceEntertainmentMichael Jackson
Alvin Ailey
When you mention the name Alvin Ailey, the first words that come to mind are talented, gifted, dancer, choreographer, and inspiring. This amazing man was born in Navasota, Texas. He moved to Los Angeles, California when he was twelve years of age. He started studying modern dance in 1949 from Lester Horton. He joined the Horton dance company in 1950. His inspirations came from the black church services in Texas and music at the local dance hall. He stated some…...
ArtBrown Vs Board Of EducationDance
Carmen Suite Ballet
The title of the performance I had the pleasure of witnessing was Carmen Suite. Carmen was performed at the Fine arts Hall at Santa Fe on November 9, 2019. Going into this play I already had background knowledge on the ballet itself, so it was easy for me to pick everything up. Alberto Alonso created this piece for his wife, Maya Plisetskaya. Maya was a premiere ballerina. I knew the tone was going to be meaningful going into that and…...
BalletDance
Best Performance Area
PA I believe the best performance area for this text to be adapted to is film. I feel this way as the film industry has made so many technical advances over the years and I would like to use this technology to help create the fantasy world I have imagined. The use of CGI would really enhance my transformation scene of the princes turning into swans. Disney's Beauty and the Beast (2017) used this technique, when the Beast was turning…...
ActorBalletPerformance
Behind this captivation with the other was a belief in the
Behind this captivation with the "other" was a belief in the intrinsic goodness of all humankind, a conviction inspired by French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau's notion of the "Noble Savage". The discovery of African tribal art by Pablo Picasso around 1906 was an important influence on his painting as well as a major factor in leading him to Cubism. Primitivism also means the search for a simpler way of life away from Western urban sophistication, industrialization, spectacle and social restrictions. The…...
BeliefDance
Comparative Texts: The Old Men Used to Dance & Recitatif
Recitatif and The old men used to dance are two short stories that both reflect on how past decisions affect one's future. Both of the authors find unique techniques to express their ideas. In Stewart's story, we can find a heterodiegetic narrator. The author tells us the story in the third person and he does not take part in the story world. We can see an example of third-person narration from the very beginning of the story: "Now that Simon…...
Dance
Psychoanalytic Theory Represents the Unconscious Realm
Psychoanalytic theory represents the unconscious realm of the artist's mind. It explains their real motives and objects from conscious mind. The movie Black swan revolves around Nina. She was obsessed with her dream of becoming a ballet dancer. She wanted to be perfectionist. In order to achieve her dream she should be able to play the role of both white and black swan. She was able to do the role of white swan really well because the white swan represents…...
ChildhoodDanceDreamPsychologyTheory
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on Dance
Testing Dancers’ Brain Function
In this study, the researchers, like others in their field, examined previous discoveries in order to determine the best question to answer. The question to be answered is whether or not dancers have significantly better brain function and brain structure compared to non-dancers due to their extensive training in dance. The researchers ultimately have the goal to discover the effects dance may have on a normal highly trained dancer’s brain. They will look at the overall cognition, structure, and function of each participants’ brain. In order to ensure the participants’ eligibility, they were to complete a survey and in-depth live questioning by a qualified lab assistant. The researchers also decided to use only females as to avoid the differences in the brain in sex. Afterward, participants completed two extensive test sessions.
The first included numerous basic tests, such as vision and BMI, as well as a faux MRI. It also consisted of the dance video game. The second test session includes a real MRI and various neuropsychological tests including separate spatial memory and relational memory tests and one that tests the participants’ balance. As for the cognitive portion, the participants completed the Virginia Cognitive Aging Project, yet left out the portions regarding memory and vocabulary. The researchers used the fMRI to measure the brain activity regarding dance images and images with no relation to dance in the brains of every participant. Each of the test sessions gathered all that was needed in order to determine the difference in brain functions and brain structure in both dancers and non dancers.
Effects of Dance on People’s Brain
The results of the participants, specifically dancers, are that age matters. Dancers who were relatively older performed poorly in the dance video game compared to the younger dancers. However in non-dancers, if they reported to casual dance-related activity, there was no significant effect between age. Altogether the dancers were significantly better at the dance video game. Now, the results in cognitive terms, there was no huge difference in either dancers or non-dancers. Yet, dancers resulted in having lower spatial memory and relational memory test scores. Brain volume among the dancers and non-dancers had no significant difference. As obvious as it may seem, the balance did not affect dance ability in the dancers, but if a non-dancer had better balance, they were more likely to be better at dancing. In the dance game altogether, the ability to copy the dances effectively showed good motor skills in both dancers and non-dancers regardless of their age or exposure to similar video games. Researchers saw a higher AON stimulation in dancers which showed that their extensive training gave them an advantage to the memorization and repetition needed for the dance video game.
In all, the dancers and non-dancers had their advantages and disadvantages in each of the tests administered. There was a noticeable difference in their abilities in spatial and relational memory as well as brain function and brain structure. Dance ultimately affected numerous abilities and areas in the brain. The amount of dance training significantly affected the participants’ results. From the data though, there was no group superior to the other in the cognitive region, but obviously, there was a superior group regarding the motor skills and brain activity involved in dancing. The researchers’ findings are important due to the fact that having a high discipline or skill in dance can affect the brain structure and function of a person. This can lead to further studies in dance and the brain or even other disciplines or skills that require intense training and how those may affect one’s brain.
Dance and Sports Improving One’s Health
A new question that comes from this study is whether or not having excessive training in another sport tells scientists if the brain is affected accordingly. For example, if a person has had professional tennis lessons four times a week for ten years, does that affect their brain function and structure? Extreme discipline in one sport or subject could affect one’s brain function and structure, but how could one know without studying other areas besides dance. By examining dance only, it gives people answers regarding dance specifically, but to figure out the effects on the brain regarding intense training in general, there need to be more studies conducted in relation to various disciplines and the human brain.
As for a method to be used to answer the new question, one would study both college tennis players and college non-tennis players. For starters, the average college age would be the primary age examined due to its easy access. One would also investigate both men and women in order to expand, yet still, keep the number of participants relatively low to get the best results possible. While including both men and women, there is more variability and less limitations. In order to keep the experiment similar to the dance study, one could test cognition by the Virginia Cognitive Aging Project and view the participants’ tennis-playing through a video game. As for the replacement task for balance, each participant would hit a tennis ball and be examined for their accuracy. The MRI would be performed and participants would be shown extensive videos regarding tennis and their brain functions measured. Once it is all completed, one would be closer to determining whether or not extensive discipline or skill matters in terms of affecting a person’s brain function and structure.
Altogether, people are complex as individuals, but the brain is something entirely different. Each individual’s brain is similar and while simultaneously being extremely unique. However, in all these studies, researchers conclude with related results. Each person has a different result in a study, yet when put together a generalization can be made. So to generalize the effect of intense training done to the brain would be a significant revelation to the brain. This would be important to study and understand in order to fully grasp the human brain in its entirety. If having an advanced skill in one sport or subject influences the brain in any way, it would be incredibly useful if not, necessary to comprehend. This knowledge could be used to promote certain sports or hobbies that improve one’s brain and even lead to new therapies, similar to dance. Studies of the brain keep scientists on their toes in terms of change, while also giving them the knowledge needed to understand the brain a little bit better each time. The brain is extraordinary and discipline and skill is an important part of life for all people. This could help unlock the secrets of the mind.
