History of World Dance
In several of the dance forms we have studied so far in class weve discussed the dancers connection to nature; to the wind, the waves, the seasons, planting and growing, animals, etc.
Your assignment is to touch your own connection to nature, to the world around us, through movement.
Go outside, anywhere you like, and be aware of the movement of the natural world all around us. See, hear and feel, the trees, the grass, flowers, wind, maybe even the rain.
Create your own short dance/movement phrase inspired by your experiences with the natural world. Only the length of one breath cycle.
Write a two page paper about your experience. Does it relate to anything we have studied in class? Or that you have previously experienced?
In your paper, describe your movement in as much detail as possible since I wont be able to see it.
If you would like, you can upload a short video of your movement phrase. This is optional, but fun! I’m the only one that sees them unless you choose to share them on social media or in the Discussions. Please limit your videos to no longer than 1 minute. They can be much shorter, too, maybe even just 10 seconds.
This assignment can include your family or your pets, too!
Things to Keep in Mind:
You may want to create your movement phrase with a friend, thats fine. If your dog is with you, fine. If you have a child with you, fine, too.
Whats the length of a breath cycle? It can simply be: inhale, exhale. Or, you can interpret it in your own way. Ive had a student think of the breath of the earth as sunrise and sunset. So there is much room for interpretation, and its all good if thats the way you choose to look at it. You get to decide.
Part of my reason for doing this assignment is that we spend so much time inside. Were all busy, and sometimes in our busy lives, we forget to connect to the natural world. We may be outside for a few minutes, but we dont often pay attention. So take a few minutes, relax and be attentive to the beautiful world around us.
Can you cheat on this assignment and just makeup something to write? Yes, you could. But you will be missing a wonderful opportunity to experience a small part of what weve been looking at all semester. So go for it!!
