This first video is an example of a traditional Cherokee dance at a Powwow. I chose to look up Cherokee dances because I have some Cherokee heritage, and I was interested to see how this differed from what we've seen in class so far. I loved the yellow in the costumes a lot, and I loved that they used such bright colors.
This second video is an example of a Zulu wedding dance. We haven't seen as much African dancing as we saw Native American dancing, and I thought it was cool to see the different gender roles in this video. The music in this video really lined up to the qualities that we've seen in the other African music we've studied. I loved watching when the woman and the two men were dancing in front of the drummer. It was a very athletic event, and I thought it was impressive.
The last video shows two different dances. The first one was cool because the dancers have some sort of beading around their ankles, giving the dance itself a percussive effect. There were also specific gender roles, which was fun to observe. The second dance was very similar to step dancing that girls in my junior high did, which was fun and sort of nostalgic. I thought it was interesting that the title of this video included "gumboot," which it turns out is the dancing that was done in the boots. That type of dance is native to South Africa.
Hi, Grace. So, I love the last video you posted that was a competition with two different dance styles. It really fits what we have discussed about how other cultures tend to "wear" their instruments. The effect of how the music sounded was so different just by what the women wore around their ankles. I also loved the step dancing. I had a step team at my high school and everyone in it was from somewhere in Africa. This reminds me so much of what my friends did. It's really awesome.
ReplyDeleteIt really is interesting how dance and percussion intersect in so many places, isn't it? Creating percussive effects by strapping stuff on your ankles is used by folks in both Africa and North America. And I'm glad you get to research your own heritage a bit in this course--my family also has either some Cherokee or Shawnee way back, and I always find it interesting to learn about those peoples.
ReplyDeleteGrace, I really loved that you wanted to see the comparison between gender roles in Native American and African dancing. I also liked that your video tied together what we spoke about in class with the percussive clothing.
ReplyDeleteHi Grace! I really like how you and a few other people connected this assignment to your own heritage. I also enjoyed how you looked up some dancing because I know that music and dance are both important parts of African culture.
ReplyDeleteI love the video on the traditional Cherokee dance. I wonder what kind of traditional dance it is (war, rain, etc.). I myself and part Cherokee, my great-great-great grandfather was a full blooded Cherokee Native American and I often wish I would've had the opportunity to get to know him and the culture for myself.
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