Week 13 Coursework: 11/27 12/3 Dance & Difference

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Dance and Difference
Dance is an aesthetic activity that involves the combination of sports and art. Dance has transformational, educational and nurturing effects on our bodies as individualsCITATION Jad12 \p "p. 417" \l 1033 (Jadranka, Goran, and Darko p. 417). On the other hand, attitude is defined as an inherited, relatively permanent and a stable organization of emotions and reactions towards a particular object. Dance has the ability to change our view of the different things that we see in our lives. One of the common ways through which dance changes your attitude is by improving your mind. Our attitudes arise from what we think about something or what we see in particular situations. Dance brings about euphoria in your body and mind. Such feeling of happiness can change your mind and even if someone was a bit annoyed or stressed, then they would feel great happiness after doing dance moves. The dance moves will also enable your body muscles to be relaxed. The dance will also enable you to connect with your partner and the music that is being played. It is difficult for one to dance without music. When the music is on one can be able to get the message from the song and connect it with the real-life situation that they are going through. The message that is in the song can enable one to view a specific situation differently.
One of the dances that impressed me is the dance without legs. The dance presents the aspect of value. As in the definition, a value is a standard, principle or quality that is considered worthwhile or desirable and socially constructed CITATION Fri10 \l 1033 (Friedman). The dance is performed by David Toole of CandoCo Dance Company, and it illustrates that even though he is lame, there are other things that he can do to his best, and there is no one who can beat him at it. He props his hands, then lowers the head between his powerful shoulders and then disappears below the waist. He uses his hands as a means of locomotion and dancing without a wheelchair. The dance is considered worthwhile and loved by the people meaning that they value it so much. One of the values expressed by the dance is communication. David Toole is able to communicate with those who are viewing his dance moves. Each of the dance moves that he does communicate a certain message to the audience.
Another dance that impressed me is the one performed by AXIS Dance Company, and it is called, "To Color Me Different" by choreographer Alex Ketley. Culture is defined as a socially transmitted, integrated behavior of patterns, knowledge, arts, beliefs, material traits, shared attitudes, values, practices and the other products of human work that define a communityCITATION McT12 \p 1 \l 1033 (McTamney 1). The dance is in line with the title "to color me differently." It changes the belief that most of the people in the society have towards the people who are disabled. The traditional belief that the disabled cannot do something that the people with ability can do is challenged in the dan...