Abstract This paper explains that the LionDancing is a unique art form from China traditionally thought to bring happiness, good luck, prosperity and longevity. The author points out that the LionDance is performed during celebrations such as the Chinese New Year and the August Moon Festival and at grand openings of restaurants, martial arts school and other businesses. The paper relates that it might have originated during the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD) when, according to legend, the emperor dreamt he was attacked by demons but was saved by a mysterious creature, a lion.
Table of Contents:
LionDancing and Revolution
Elements of LionDancing LionDancing Routines
Choi Chiang "Get the Green"
From the Paper "Lion dancing has long been associated with kung fu, an association that dates back to the Ching dynasty, when revolutionary martial artists used the dance as a secret means of communication. Under the guise of celebration, revolutionary martial artists traveled from village to village performing the lion dance. As part of the routine the dancing lion woould eat lettuce which often contained money and information hidden within its leaves. In revolutionary days, the dancer holding the lion's head would cry out choi ching ("get the Ching") to signal that he was a fellow revolutionary and could receive secret messages. Of course, any Ching informers present would know the dancer's intention upon hearing the battlecry. Since ching was very close in sound to chiang (meaning green, as in lettuce and money), the lion dancer's password became choi chiang or "get the green.""
Abstract This paper compares and discusses the danger to the children in C.S. Lewis? "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland". It details the plots of both books and examines them very closely. It concludes that both stories show the dangers of being a child as well as other dangers in life.
From the Paper "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe? takes place during World War II in London. Four children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, go live in the country to avoid bomb-torn London. They live with the rather eccentric Professor Kirke. One rainy day, the children are playing hide and seek inside, and Lucy hides in the wardrobe. Suddenly, she finds herself in the woods, and snow is falling. She has discovered the land of Narnia, and later brings the other children along to see her discovery."
Tags:lion, witch, wardrobe, children, danger, literature
Abstract This is an analysis of the film "The Lion In Winter". The paper considers the elements of distance/proximity, camera angles, framing, lighting, color and costume, panning and dolly work, music, staging/directionality, grain, and point of view. It discusses mainly the theatric feel of the film as conveyed by the above elements of the production.
Abstract This paper will discuss the Wole Soyinka's "The Lion and the Jewel" and reveal the nature of the ways in which Sidi's dismissal of Lunkunle represents the victory of tribal values over western ones. This paper will also explore the relationship between Sidi and Lunkunle from the point of both gender and social values.
Tags: LITERATURE / GERMAN, EAST EUROPEAN, soyinka lion jewel
Abstract This paper explains that the exegesis of Christ figured as the Lion and the Lamb in Revelation 5. The author points out the context in which this figuration appears in Revelation 5. The paper relates the significance of the imagery with reference to the importance of Greek, as both language and culture, in shaping the text.
From the Paper "This research provides an exegesis of Christ figured as the Lion and the Lamb in Revelation Chapter . The research will set forth the context in which this figuration appears in Revelation and then critically discuss the significance of the imagery with reference..."
Abstract The paper is an in-depth study of the history of hip hop dance, from before and after the 1970s, and its effects on society. It explores how this type of dance is unlike other dance forms and the elements that make it up. There are no fixed forms to dance, but only styles. The rest is up to the dancer. It is a style of dance for all society giving the freedom to all to dance according to their desires. The paper also shows how hip hop is very much an American product. The hip hop trend enables the path for several dancers, and at the same time it also fosters and promotes more suggestive dance moves. The paper provides clear indications of the effects on culture; some hip hop is racist in theme, while others are sexist. Many hip hop musicians concentrate on such issues like social inequity and the dangers of heroin use. The conclusion is that hip hop is more than just music. It is becoming the soul of pop culture as never before, and steadily moving from the street corners and music videos towards usage in the fitness centers, dance studios as well as television shows.
From the Paper "Hip hop may be viewed as a culture and is often used to refer to commercial rap music, but hip-hop is not only music. It is loved by the American ghetto youth who claim that it is their method of self-expression and use hip hop to rise over their physical situations. The culture of hip hop has its roots based on truth, self-determination, courage and pride. This is the reason why it has grown to have its impact on almost every part of the world. (Hip-hop History) Some hip hop is racist in their themes, while others are sexist. At the same time, there are also many hip hop musicians who concentrate on such issues like social inequity and the dangers of heroin use. From its early days in the US, the music is being played in projects and some underground clubs, but, now it has achieved a profile that has led to include it in the 1992 presidential debates over Sister Soljah. In the 20th Century Fox movie, Bulworth, there is Warren Beatty playing a Senator who berates his opponents using rap. Hip hop, it would seem, has become a part of our lives. (Classified Hip-Hop or I wanna blow up like Marilyn Monroe's skirt) At the same time, hip hop is not only music. This form of dancing has become very popular and this is clear from the opinions of some experts. "There's a definite surge in the white neighborhood that wouldn't necessarily be exposed to hip-hop in their everyday life," says Keith Pinto, who is an MC and hip-hop dance teacher at the Dance Attack in Los Gatos, California. "They watch MTV, see other kids doing it and want to be a part of it. You can pretty much go to any dance studio in the Bay area and they'll have a hip-hop class." (Hip-hop dance fever)"
Abstract This paper examines historically social dancing in the 20th century, also called couple dancing. The paper describes the five different types: Modern Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Slow Foxtrot, and Quickstep, all of which are presently danced the world over both socially as well as in dance sport competitions.
From the Paper "Social dancing was derived from the concept of dancing by a couple, usually a man and a lady, in a closed hand. Coming from the eighteenth and early nineteenth century, these dances gained popularity from the standard ballroom dances with diverse rhythms, tempos, and aesthetics. Although all these aspects changed with the change in the social attitudes, the one thing, which remained common through out the history of dancing, is that of the couple dance or the social dances. (Evans 2001)"
Abstract This paper explains that many dance traditions have originated in India and Indonesia, such as the Bharata Natyam from South India, which had an important historical and cultural influence on the history of India. The author points out that important elements of Hinduism, particularly the figure Nataraja, a form of Shiva, are expressed in Bharata Natyam. The paper relates that this dance, as well as many other religious dances, demonstrate the integral relationship between religious dances and the religious themes that inspire them.
From the Paper "Many dance traditions have originated in India and Indonesia, such as the Bharata Natyam from South India, which had an important historical and cultural influence on the history of India. Important elements of Hinduism, particularly the figure Nataraja, a form of Shiva, are expressed in Bharata Natyam. This dance, as well as many other religious dances, demonstrates the integral relationship between religious dances and the religious themes that inspire them. In terms of specific details of Bharata Natyam, it emerged in southern India and developed over the centuries as a living tradition as generation after generation handed it down from parents to children, and gained ascendancy when the Devadasi system emerged in India."
Abstract This paper is about dance movement therapy as a form of expressive art therapies. The paper focuses on how dance therapy is about the release of emotional trauma or beliefs as well as feelings that have been suppressed, through appropriate movement. There is a brief history of development of dance therapy as well as a personal story about how fears can limit the ability to dance.
From the Paper "The expressive arts offer a multitude of opportunities for the human spirit to achieve balance, freedom, relief and potentially self-actualization. While great emphasis in class has been placed on the spirit of the human condition and spirit of the soul, after a brief discussion about the spirit, this paper will focus on what movement and dance therapy are about, the use of dance therapy as a way of unleashing burdensome emotions and psychological pathology in combinations of the arts and solely using dance and movement as the expressive medium. This paper will also include comments on the generally fear and shame based reasons why individuals might initially shy away from dance and movement therapy."
Abstract This paper describes the Ghost Dance religion and how it spread to Native American tribes. The paper discusses the history of the Native Americans from the time of Andrew Jackson until the Wounded Knee massacre, and demonstrates how the Native Americans were pushed farther and farther westward, and eventually limited to a very small area. The paper explains how the United States army and government's fear of the Ghost Dance religion led to the Wounded Knee massacre, describing the events of the massacre, and the political issues surrounding the massacre and the Ghost Dance religion.
From the Paper "James Mooney writes in The Ghost-Dance Religion and the Sioux Outbreak of 1890 that the essential part of the teaching of the Ghost Dance is the doctrine that the world is old and worn and the time is near for its renewal (Mooney 661). The Ghost Dance was an American Indian religious revivalist movement that spread through the Plains Indians and other ethnic groups during the 1890's and due to a culmination of events is forever linked to the Wounded Knee massacre of 1890 (Ghost pp)."
Abstract This paper takes a look at Islam's view on dance and music. According to the paper, although there are many groups within Islam that profess that music and dancing are forbidden, it is clear that the Qu'ran itself does not explicitly prohibit these activities. The paper goes on to say that several avenues of worship within Islam have developed into the practice of reaching God through dance or music. The paper focuses specifically on the Quwalli and the Mevelevi Order, also known as The Whirling Dervishes.
From the Paper "More intentionally musical is the Sufic tradition of the Quwalli. Quwali means "word," and can be thought of as the physical and auditory manifestation of the divine voice. As with the Quri, the Quwallis use their voice as a tool of worship, but they move into the world of interpretation and individual expression of the words themselves. They can be likened to the Gospel singers of the Western world in this respect, though this may be a misleading comparison since the Sufi practice, from which the Quwalli find their beginnings and roots, is far more steeped in history and tradition and could be considered a more "serious" endeavor. Quwallis use the music of their voices to worship foremost, and to communicate and encourage their listeners to worship with them is a secondary concern."
Abstract This paper discusses the film "Dances With Wolves" in relation to man's inhumanity to man, culture, our attitudes towards other cultures, and the media's portrayal of other cultures through the medium of film.
From the paper:
"The film ?Dances With Wolves? (Costner) looks in detail at the way strangers get to know each other. It is seen from the point of view of John Dunbar, a lieutenant fighting during the American Civil War. We meet the wounded hero in a field hospital just as he is about to have his leg amputated. However, when the doctors leave, he decides to rejoin his regiment, and invites death by riding his horse in a suicidal charge at the enemy lines."
This paper explores the history of the Hula dance and describes how the Hula maiden, with hips swaying in the breeze, has become a legendary symbol of Hawaii.
Abstract The writer of this paper details the history of the Hula dance and its significance as a ritual of religion, celebration, mourning and communication. This brief, yet concise paper, examines how, in ancient times, dancers were selected for hula training in childhood, spending their formative years under the care of a hula master, separated from the outside world and dedicated to the goddess Laka, patron of the hula. Hawaii's history of births, deaths, loves and battles were expressed in the Hula dance. The writer also details the accompanying music and melodic poetry, to which the dancer's swayed, which include the double-gourd drum, called ipu heke.
From the Paper "The history of births, deaths, loves, and battles of the people were preserved in chants and dance. Since Hawaii's history was recorded as dance, "hula dancers were expected to remember and repeat every dance step perfectly and under punishment of death," for "to change the dance was to change history." Hula was the written word for ancient Hawaiians, told through the movements of the dancers' feet, hands, and body movements. Through dance, stories were told, genealogies were kept, and beliefs were shared and imposed, thus to change the steps would be to change the message."
Tags:dance, history, hawaii, culture, ritual, communication
Abstract In this paper, the writer discusses that the Baile, Egyptian Cabaret, and Nritta represent a cross-cultural connection in world dance, which embodies the love that men and women share for each other. In this manner, the religious idioms of the cultures described here represent the manner of movement that depicts love, but through the sacred ideals of commitment and love. The writer points out that although these differ slightly in the accompaniment of dancers, or in the stylistics of the choreography, there is a archetypal cultural unifier that relates the desire and higher love of men and women across the world.
From the Paper "This study examines the multi-cultural aspects of "divine love" in Kathak, Middle Eastern, and Flamenco dancing. Within these dances there is a greater blend of different cultural values that make up each of the formats of these dances. In this manner, the chain of influence upon the Kathak, Middle Eastern, and Flamenco dances offer a multi-cultural depiction of how dance is not created within the limitations of geographical boundaries. By understanding the cultural similarities based in these dances, one can realize the power of movement that is a commonality within the religious and divine nature of love. The Kathak dance is a religiously based dance that formally uses the divinity of love for Indian gods, and their dance in the Cosmos."
Abstract This is a high level overview of dance movement therapy, what it means and how it can successfully be integrated into an individual's life. Part of the overview includes an emphasis on how dance movement therapy can be beneficial for one's daily live even if one is not suffering from emotional or mental health issues. There is also a brief explanation of the role of expressive arts therapy.
From the Paper "Expressive arts therapy has many components, one of which is dance movement therapy. Halprin (1999) states "movement is the body's universal language...a bridge to the interior world of self and between self and the world." Dance movement therapy has few limitations as to who can do partake in this expressive form of movement and who can benefit from it. This paper will provide a basic overview of what dance movement therapy is and how it is effective. The second section of the paper will focus on how dance movement therapy can be successfully integrated an individual's life. Part of the overview includes an emphasis on how dance movement therapy can be beneficial for one's daily live even if one is not suffering from emotional or mental health issues. "
