Native American Dance

Traditional Indian life was ceremonial act in everyday life with dance. They practiced appreciate life through dance expressing their thoughts and feelings toward the Great Spirit’s guidance. Their dance meant adequate communication with the Great Spirit and understand the natural occurrences and some control over the nature (Elton 114).

Indian dances function as welcoming the strangers, ceremonial friendship, and played the good luck in the difficult time of war and hunting. Indian dance also brings the hope of blessing and thanksgiving for successful war, hunting, producing the crops. They practiced varieties of dances: such as Grass dance, War dance, Ghost dance, Sun dance, Honor dance, Grand Entry dance, Victory dance, social dance, competition dance, and chicken dance, etc. (Elton 114-115).

Perspective of Indian dance shall have been extinct with buffalo days, but still remain just as the Indians around. During the transitional generation some traditional baggage’s and dances lost and some have survived, but in a mixed style of dances. The only real traditional dance is the Sundance which holding the heart of Indian in culture (Elton 120). Unfortunately, the Pigeon reserve powwows dance will not last much longer because of the power of money plays the role in controlling the dancers (Elton 118-120).

Sadly, the Indian dance industry have banned the responsibility to caring out the meaning of the costume associating with dreams of Indian. It is no longer a part of the past. Rather, to please pleased the audience, they spend around eight months to make a costume in twitch he beading it by hand otherwise nobody will look at the shabby costume. The Powwow dance still carries some of the tradition of spirituality as if returning to the past of Indian life. (Elton 120-121).

According to other resources, some native people practiced Sun Dance in America and Canada. The purpose of the dance was to promote healing and personal sacrifice on behalf of the community.

Traditional-Native American - Sun Dance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vioh7ML75Cg

Modern-The Sundance Ceremony

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK4fCv5ekzI

The Traditional Pow Wow dance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdUnLToeISU

Headspin: Capoeira’s Ironic Inversions

Capoeira

Capoeira has multifold meaning. It can be a game, fight, dance composed of kicks, acrobatics, and traditional Kongo dance movements. I the name of an art, the capoeiristas can go without limit. Among numerous the capoeiristas, there are a few basic styles of capeoeira. A roda is always played in Capoeira. The dance is performing in the same circle as traditional Afro-Brazilian dance. In a game of dance, they pivot circular motion in circle clockwise or counterclockwise while keeping an eye on the opposite player.  Inverted position of dance is common. It carries histories, but it looks humorous and silly. Capoeira game or sport dance is originated from Afro- Brazilian art. People recreational danced before the slavery in Brazil. Roda dance continue to play even after the eradication (Browning 165-166).

During the brief war with Paraguay in 1865, capoeiristas were forced to be recruited and been fought valiantly. They come back to the cities of Salvador and Rio with renewed prestige, but it lasted a short period. Again, capoeira was faced with a danger.  Sadly, in 1890, legislated corporal punishment to exile for the practice of Capoeira. They were in humiliating manner as if a damn dog is being chased (browning 167-168).

The politics movement influenced the traditional and modern Capoeira. The political rally in Brazil, the music and dance in progressive movement of circular dance displayed energy. The political and economic in Brazil got worsen as time passed. The capoeira dance survived. People said the words Nietzsche’s Zarathustra: Lift up your hearts, my brethren, high, higher! And do not forget your legs! Lift up also your legs, ye good dancers-and better still if ye stand also on your head! (Browning 172).

*Must see and hear the Capoeira's Story - The Dance of Death/The Wings of Freedom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBQRN5i17GY

Bharatha Natyam-What are you?

The traditional Indian dance history carries sad and conflict to keep it as respectable as a form of an art. As the contemporary dance enter into the dance (Medury 109). It seemed most of the counties experienced comparable confusion while adapting the inevitable changes through influence of modern dance. India underwent the changes through politic, economic, and immoral religious prostitution practices rather than holding sacredness, unity and purity of their lives and the art of dance form (Medury103-104). The dance has been defiled. Therefore, what is The meaning of Bharathanatyam and how the independent Padma Subramanyam said about her dance?

Despite of the reputation of profaned and corrupt way of bharatha natyam, been danced and sang by symbolic Devadasi temple dancer (Medury 103). What is The meaning of Bharathanatyam? According to the website, it is simply the four most important of dance: Bhava is emotion, Raaga is music, Taala is rythum, and Natyam is dance (https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=bharatanatyam%20dance).

 It faced with abolishment in 1920s and ousted from the temple in the first half of the twentieth century, some dance advocators are determining to discover and preserve the meaning and the authentic expression as possible in the art of the dance (Medury105).

On the other hand, some desires to be independently create their individuality as Padma Subramanyam said that she left the India to make her own traditional dance in her body, thought, and action which most of the traditional dancer are do not experience (Medury 111-112).

I was not able to locate the dance by Dr. Medury. I hope you will enjoy viewing the traditional and fusion dance of India.

Interview with Dr. Avanthi Medury-Dance on YouTube

https://vimeopro.com/roehampton/our-academic-staff/video/31493054

Shiva stuti-Bharatnaytyam; Indian classical dance

https://bharatiyadance.com/watch.php?vid=a2cbf50cc

Savitha Sastry Bharatanatyam Performance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgiLOzFQh14

Bharatnatyam fusion dance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IyzugF0Olc