Analysis of Ghost Dances - Gcse Dance - Aqa - a* Standard

Throughout the entire performance the dancers’ are surrounded by a line of haunting tree branches which provide physical as well as visual boundaries

Two weeks later, there hadn’t been any news about the Ghost Dancers. All the rituals had stopped and the natives seemed to be back following the government’s orders once more.

The two live dance works viewed this year were “Emergence”, performed by Sydney Dance Company, choreographed by Rafael Bonachela, performed at the Princess Theatre and a recorded dance performance titled “Image”, choreographed by Jason Northam and Liesel Link. The two dance performances substantiated were exceedingly diverse and dissimilar. The two performances juxtaposed their intentions and interpreted opposing elements through diversity in movement vocabulary, structural devices and form, performance skills and technical elements.

Growing up, Carlos Blasis studied in Bordeaux, France under Jean Dauberval (an alias for Jean Bercher). Dauberval, famous for his comedy ballet, studied under French ballet master, Jean-Georges Noverre. Noverre created and pioneered “ballet d’action” which is a movement of transferring the emotions originally conveyed from the costumes, scenery, and props to the emotions of a dancer’s body and facial expression. At this point the focus, in Noverre’s eyes, were too much on the technical precision than the actual dance itself. (Crain, 2010) Noverre influenced Blasis as he too was praised for his expressiveness as a professional dancer (Cohen, 1998).

I find that the sources from chapter 5 tell us that there was some support for those who challenged the social and political structure of 19th century America. However, there still wasn’t much support to make much of an impact. In the letters to Wovoka, Wovoka was supported by many of his fellow Native Americans. Though, as seen in the future, Big Foot’s and Wounded Knee Creek, the other side did not support them. Which caused a great downfall to the followers.

The retelling of spooky ghost stories has been a favorite activity in many cultures, wether it be around a campfire of written in various articles and book. Perhaps one of the most mysterious supernatural activities can be reported on the islands of Hawaii. Known as the Night Marchers, these spirits have been known to roam the land, revisiting ancient war sites and significant historical landmarks. In the book, “Marchers of the Night” by Helen P. Hoyt, a renowned Hawaiian author, he describes his first experience with the Huaka’ipo, or the Night Marchers. “In all the hundred years of my life I have seen the Marchers of the Night, the Huaka’ipo, only twice…” (Hoyt 1969). He then continues to explain how “on the night of the sixth of August, 1918, a night sacred to Ku, ancient god of all warriors” the Night Marchers, which their torches and pounding drums came to his house in the town of Waianae. Based on the many stories about the Night Marchers and the other cultures around the world who have similar spirits, I will attempt to demonstrate that these ghosts are more fact than fiction.

The third Mexican cultural activity that has survived and influenced the development of Chicana cultural practices in the U.S. is the Folklorico dances. These dances can be seen in the U.S. especially when there is a Mexican celebration or event. I personally experienced begin part of a group that danced folklorico. The dresses we used for the dance were inspired by the Yucatan look. We also accessorized with a crown of flowers made with fabric, long earrings, and a necklace of perals. We also combed all our hair back, and used make-up. It took alot of time to learn the three dances, and a lot of practice for the dance to come out good. In the end it was all worth it because I learned how to dance and how the women dress to dance. This cultural

Looking at a number of different sources about the different tribes of this time and looking at letters written at the time Kracht found a number of tribes that revived the Ghost Dance for purposes that fit their needs. The sources Benjamin R. Kracht found helped him support the idea that the Ghost Dance did not die out in 1891, but actually lasted until around 1916. These five groups all had a specific group that participated in the Ghost Dance, these were the five Ghost Dance headquarters. “Afraid-of-Bears and his followers danced on his land west of Carnegie; a second group met east of Fort Cobb; the third Ghost Dance group formed in Alden, ten miles south of Anadarko; the fourth Kiowa group was situated on Sugar Creek, west of Saddle Mountain; and a Kiowa-Apache congregation was located near modern Apache (p.460).” Thus, this information showed that these five groups after 1891 kept the Ghost Dance alive in their own

Mauro Bigonzetti choreographed the first performance, Deep. This contemporary piece infused African influences that focused on togetherness of the human community. As the dancers brought their arms and legs together in a crossing shape towards their hearts, they expressed love and togetherness. Also, the angular movements with a contrast between sharp and smooth complimented the effortless lifts and breathtaking moments that made the audience wonder how they execute such strength and grace. Also, the choreographer’s use of modern music with a twist of African influences was a great mesh between tradition and modern day.

Response: I found Katherine A. Dettwyler’s, Dancing Skeletons; Life and Death in West Africa very interesting though I did not like the way in which it was written. To me it was written in a very scattered brain way, similar to how a hyperactive childs diary would look like. At times when Dettwyler was trying to explain something, she would go into tangents, mostly about her own personal opinions of the topic, which ruined the mood of the book, lessened the impact of whatever she was talking about at the time and frankly, it just annoyed me. I found it difficult to understand what was trying to be said and it made it difficult to read. I think if she didn’t try to cover so much in such a small book- malnutrition, female circumcision and other random topics- I would have enjoyed it more. One thing that I did like was how she wasn’t political on her trips to Mali, she just talked to people. She didn’t preach just talk and I think that’s what helped improve these people’s lives. It was interesting but I wouldn’t read it again or recommend it like I did for the Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down.

It is clear, that the Ghost Dance doctrines were all about peace and trying to cooperate with white settlers, it still ended with the Wounded Knee Massacre. Antecedents started in September of 1890, when the Ghost Dance interfered in the reservation daily routine: the dancers did not obey the Indian police or their agents (Andersson 46). It was shocking for the whites and agents alike that all of the authority collapsed, the agents words flouted and armed Indian police were not able to execute their orders (Maddra 46). The excitement grew in Sitting Bull’s camp, despite Sitting Bull was sceptical about the dance because he held to traditional beliefs and could not embrace a faith based on the teachings of Christianity (Maddra 34). By October

It was created in 1981, and was influenced by the political oppression in Chile. The style was contemporary ballet blended with South American folk dance. The setting of Ghost Dances is a rocky Andean location suggesting the mouth of a cave. The colours (blue's, greens and greys) of the backdrop were very effective and complimented the costumes and movement by adding to the eerie atmosphere. The whole stage was lit by a dim white light. The 'dead' wear everyday clothes, which are beginning to disintegrate. The Ghost Dancers appear as skeletal figures in striking skull masks. The piece is accompanied by Andiean folk music, with panpipes, guitars, and flutes. The tune is infectious, rhythmic and tuneful. The style of the choreography is sinuous and graceful, incorporating

The Ghost Dance was a sign of hope for the Native American that they truly believed in. The fact that many of them would dance till unconscious shows the determination and faith that the Native Americans had in the hope of being free once again. Not many citizens in this day and age have faith as strong as the Native Americans; which, can be quite disheartening at times. It is infuriating how the government treated civil, non-threatening, cooperative human beings known as Native Americans. In fact, those Native Americans were people that rightfully belonged to those native lands. The general policy came across as not even seeing these people as actual human beings more as an unwanted nuisance that could be controlled by means of arbitrary acts

All Indians must dance, everywhere, keep on dancing. Pretty soon in next spring Great Spirit come. He bring back all game of every kind…all dead Indians come back and live again. They all be strong just like young men, be young again. Old blind Indian see again and get young and have fine time. When Great Spirit comes this way, than all the Indians go to mountains, high up away from whites. Whites can't hurt Indians then. Then while Indians way up high, big flood like water and all white people die, get drowned! After that, water go way and then nobody but Indians everywhere and game all kinds thick… (Wovoka, The Paiute Messiah qtd. In Brown 416).

The female dancer re-enters the stage sans the blue shirt/shorts and repeats the gestures with a bit more feeling, and the male does the same thing after the female exits. The next time the female enters the stage, she is only in the colorful bra and black briefs. The male enters the stage in a black bra and colorful underwear. The color in the costumes sends a message of the differences between males and females, but the black undergarments lean towards blurring the lines of gender. The lights get brighter as clothing is shed. The two performers fully embody the gestures now, and seem to have more of an intimate connection with one another. The music constantly seems to be an underscore of the dance, but does not add much to it. The dancers share weigh and partner with more sensuality, and eventually are silhouetted with blue light as they return to gesture and awkward ballroom partnering. The lights fade as they continue to move.