Ice Dancing: The Shibsibs

Naomi Lang is known for her five-time U.S. Ice Skating championship (1)(2). She was also the first Native American Woman to be in the Winter Olympics. After the 2003 U.S. championship Naomi and her partner moved to Hackensack, New Jersey. Hackensack is where they trained for their 2002 olympics with their coach Alexander Zhulin (1). Naomi received awards for her skating and her dancing in her childhood years (3). When she was twelve she received an award for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Ballet (2). Naomi’s second

A new performer starts with a very low wide stance with hands tucked under the arms, like short wings. He stands erect and crouches back down, like he’s stretching his legs. The right arms and right leg is extended while he spins a full turn clockwise; what is interesting is that the leg is leading the turn, but the extension is backward (i.e. he is facing away from the turn). The turn ends with a rotation of the extended arm and a very deep bow, head facing his knees. As he gets up, his left foot step forward and both his arms push upwards with palms up, like he is lifting something. He immediately follows with a clockwise pirouette of 2-1/4 turns, a counter-clockwise pirouette of 1-1/2 turns, and an ending pose with right leg bent and en pointe, arched back facing behind him, and arms extended forward (left hand palms-out fingers up, right hand palms-in fingers down). He proceeds to do more en pointe work that leans more toward classical ballet: a series of turned out wide steps with port de bras, a 2-1/2 turn pirouette (CCW), and a 2 turn en pointe spin (CW) with left leg extended forward and toes pointing. The initial low stance made me think he was going for a bird or a frog. But the subsequent movements made him more human than animal. Between the low confined stance and him playing in the rain is the lifting palms-up motion, which may represent displaying and then breaking of shackles. Alternately, the

The 2018 Winter Olympics are here, which means that snowboarders, skiers, sledders, and many other people get to show off their skills in the most prolific sports events of all time. Winning gold is every athletes’ goal and dream, but just making it into the Olympics is a great achievement itself, and shows how skilled you are. The events, competitors, and history of the Olympics are all huge topics that can be explored and elaborated on endlessly. A single event can be used for many essays and reports, which this essay is an example of.

Next we will take a look at the up and coming sport of curling. You may have never heard of curling until its recent emergence in the last two Winter Olympics. It is not one of the most traditional sports and there are no monstrosities of men and women participating. It is a sport known more for its grace, skill, and the ability to think through any situation that may be thrown your way.

In the ethnography, “Dancing Skeletons, the author Katherine Dettwyler describes many reasons for her research in Mali. The main focus of her research was too attack the problem of malnourished children and to figure out what diseases they were struggling with. This ethnography detailed Dettwyler’s second trip to Mali, and she wanted to relocate many of the children she had previously measured, as well as add more children to her study. Throughout the ethnography, Dettwyler makes it very clear that the malnutrition of these children is a major problem in Mali. She describes many of the children she measures and the picture she paints in one’s mind is horrifying. One of the many diseases she comes across is Kwashiorkor,

We so rarely get to experience this genre in this irony-free world we live in, unless you enjoy tuning into the still-great SOUTH PARK. I couldn't wait to see I, TONYA, which one critic astutely called the GOODFELLAS of figure skating. As it turns out, that's pretty

After repeatedly being asked over and over again, “So what sport do you play again?” I am now completely prepared for all the confused looks I know that i'm going to get when I say, “I dance” As an individual who has been dancing for as long as they can remember and has participated in local, national, and international dance competitions, I am a dancer and dance will always be my sport. So yes, I guess you could say that i might be a little biased, but before answering the questions whether dance is a sport, it is important to define what makes a sport a sport. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a sport is the “participation in activities involving physical skill and regulated by set rules or customs in which an individual or a team competes against another or others.” It is clear now that dance definitely fulfills all of these requirements.

Tap dance is an uniquely American dance form. The percussive use of one’s feet combined with the use of rhythms and amplification of sound, has a complex history that involves the intercultural fusions of English, Irish and African musical and dance traditions. The evolution of tap dance in America is further complicated by issues of race, class and gender. Unlike ballet with its formal technique, tap dance emerged from people listening to and watching each other dance, in a variety of settings, where steps were shared, stolen and reinvented. Through its metamorphosis the dance form has progressed from local entertainment, to Vaudeville shows, to Broadway shows, to the Silver Screen and to Concert Halls across the world. The legacy of the art form is characterized by the rise, fall and reemergence of popularity. Savion Glover, a 21st century American dancer, is credited with bringing tap into a new era of popularity as he has wowed the masses with his unique style focusing on African American rhythms. Tap dance, uniquely American in that it is a true melting pot of dance forms, is a dance form rich in rhythms, sounds and amplifications and has transcended social and cultural barriers.

Three laps around the gym, minute long planks, crunches, sit-ups, and pushups in a matter of thirty minutes. As a dancer, experiencing and realizing the strength that needs to be present in order for an athlete to grow is vital. We go through long hours of choreography sessions, pain and strain on our bodies, and vigorous training. Many people will disagree on the status of if dance is a sport or not. Both Mary- Elizabeth Esquibel, in her article “Why Dance Will Always Be a Sport” and the infographic entitled “Is Dance a Sport?” attack this controversial dilemma. Even though these arguments use different formats, they use rhetoric similarly.

“Dancer’s are the athletes of God,” Albert Einstein said. Dance has many structures to it; there is modern, ballet, contemporary, and tap just to name a few. Dancing should be recognized as a sport. Dancing has the same components as a sport does; dance improves memory, balance and coordination, and it provides a mental escape.

“ And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” said by Friedrich Nietzsche. Although many will argue that competitive dancing should be considered an art over a sport, I have a different opinion. Though I do believe that dancing has many qualities that would consider it an art, I still believe that there are even more qualities that should make it considered a sport. Keep in mind that i'm talking about competitive dance, not just a couple classes throughout the week. Competitive dancers go to competitions with a judging system that ensures objectivity, fairness, and transparency. Dancers also require good stamina, speed, flexibility, and muscle. Dance also requires a very strong level of discipline and strength.

The US team came to the Munich Olympics as the favorite with a long standing unbeaten Olympics record. Team USSR was equally strong with a solid background of winning and actually posed a threat to the defending champions. The Soviet’s had led the scoring for the entire game until the last six minutes when the US coach called for a time out to motivate his team that, at the time, trailed the Soviets by 8 points. On coming back, the US managed to cut the Soviet’s lead to a single point. In the last half a minute, the Soviet’s error gifted Doug Collins a chance and just as he was about to shoot and make two points, Zurab Sakandelidze fouled him. By then, only three seconds of play remained.

Another significant extra-curricular activity I pursued for eight years is figure skating. I started at six and quit at sixteen. I like to consider myself as a successful athlete becuase I competed in lots of competitions and received approximately 30 metals. I competed individually at the regional level and with my synchronized skating team at the national level. During my figure skating career, I tested my dances, skills and solo and have almost all possible levels for each area of the discipline

Dance is the word that is broadly that used to define a human behavior characterized by expressive movements of the body. It is the grace, artistry, and classicality and precision that distinguishes ballet from other dance styles. People have danced for many different reasons such a religious, entertainment, tribal rituals, exercise or to simply to express something that cannot find voice in words. For as long as people inhabited Canada, there has been dance and it has subsequently played a role throughout Canadian history. In Canada dance history began with indigenous dance of First Nations Peoples, but with the arrival of European settlers came more European dance forms such as ballet, which have shaped dance in Canada into what it is

Ever wondered what it would be like to leap through life, twirl right through, as if the world has completely stopped around you? To be able to pause everything in a silence that allows you to hear your own heartbeat? The silence on stage as you perform is a sense of peace within your inner body that is being channeled through a movement of effortless motion. In European history, dance was considered to be a way of celebration for many cultures. Although it was said that dance did require physical agility, dancers were never considered athletes because the movement was not taken seriously. Dance did not become popular in a more skillful way until later on. The debate of dance as a sport is very