Dance Assignment

1. Even though the shag is danced to music that is 4/4 time, how does the dancer count when they are dancing the shag?

The shag is a 6 count dance.  The dancer counts 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5,6. 

2. Discuss the Big Apple building. Discuss its features architechtural feature of Columbia, and a brief history. What was the first name of the building?

The Big Apple building has a wooder floor and the outside of the building is also made out of wood.  There is a balcony on one side of the building.  The building had high ceilings.  In the middle of the building was a dome with a stain glass window in the center of it. The building is well lit with natural lighting.  There are multiple windows going around the room.   The building was originally used as a Jewish Synagogue.  It was known as the House of Peace Synagogue.  In the 1930's it became known as the Big Apple Night Club.  The night club was used by the African Americans and the white people were not allowed to participate in the dances.  They watched from the balcony.  They began calling the dance "The Big Apple" and it started to spread across the nation. 

3. Discuss the Shag. What is the history of the shag and what is its relevance to South Carolina?

The shag refers to the nationally popular dance of the 1930's.  The dance came from the Aftican American's from Myrtle Beach and the white students of the 1940's.  The dance was originally known as the jitterbug but the dance and music both slowed down and it became known as the Shag.  The Shag is also the state dance for South Carolina.

Museum Art Assignment

The photograph that I chose was "My Love London" of Paul McCartney

The photograph was fairly large.  It was about two feet tall by three feet wide.  The photograph was taken in 1978 by Paul McCartney's wife, Linda McCartney.  The photograph is of Paul McCartney and he is looking in the rear view mirror.  You can see half of his face in the photograph.  The picture is in color. Most of the colors in the picture are very dull.  The sky is gray in the photo and the buildings are very dark.  The bold colors are concentrated in the rear view mirror of Paul McCartney's face.  The bold color stands out in the photograph.  The artist printed the picture using Inkjet print.  

In the photo Paul McCartney is looking in his rear view mirror.  You are only able to see half of his face in the photograph.  The setting of the photograph is in London.  I feel that the photograph shows an intimate side to Paul McCartney since his wife took the picture.  While driving through London, he took the time to look at her in the rear view mirror and she caught it in a photograph.  

The artist of this photograph was Linda McCartney.  She married Paul in 1969 and later became a member of his band, Wings.  Paul adopted her daughter into their family and they had three children of their own.  They shared an Oscar nomination for the co-composition of the song, "Live and Let Die."

Quotes from Paul about Linda:

"Every love song I write is for Linda."

"When we went for a drive, Linda always wanted to get lost. I had an in-built panic about being lost. I always want to know where London is. I don’t want to get to, say, Staines and not know my way back. We would go down to the most obscure places, have a great time, find a little tearoom or a riverbank. She taught me little things like that, to relax and be down to earth. It was very valuable to me then, a great part of the healing process after the Beatles broke up ... Linda was a very natural woman. She loved the fresh air and the freedom and the privacy of the countryside ... She was just a great person to hang out with: very funny, very smart and very talented. "

Quotes from Linda about Paul:

"We spend so much time together, because that's how we like it. I never used to go on girl's nights out, even at school. And Paul has never liked going out for a night with the boys, either."

"I wasn't looking for another marriage. I had been married before. He is a nice man -- a geologist, an Ernest Hemingway type. But Paul and I married because of convention."

It was at the Apple press conference that my relationship with Paul was rekindled. I managed to slip him my phone number. he range me up later that day and told me they were leaving that evening but he'd like it if I was able to travel out to the airport with him and John."

**This photograph was taken from google.  When we were at the museum they said we were not allowed to take photographs. 

Assignment #6

1. Describe the baroque period of dance.

Baroque dance is a theatrical and social style of dancing that European upper classes did.  It was popular between the years 1650-1760.  It was a precursor of classical ballet.  It was established and developed in France at the court by Louis XIV. 

2. Discuss why people dance?

People dance for a variety of different reasons.  One reason why people dance is because it is a form of self-expression.  People are able to express their emotions through dance and also relieve stress. Many people use dance as a way of escaping for a short period of time.  It allows people to engulf themselves in the movement and forget about everything going on in their lives and in the world.  For that moment they are free.    People also use dance as a form of communication.  Dancers are able to tell a story though their movements and also evoke certain emotions on the viewers.  Another reason people dance is because it is a part of their culture.  Many cultures have dances that they do on special occasions and gatherings.  Some even use dance to connect with their God.  Dance is also a way of making music come alive. 

3. Describe one non western dance art form.

Salsa is a syncretic dance form.  It originated in Cuba in the 1920's.  Salsa is generally a partner dance but there is also a form where you dance solo that is called suelta.  There is also a version where multiple couples exchange partners throughout the dance.  This is known as Rueda de Casino.  Salsa is well known throughout Latin America as well as the United States, Japan, Israel, Western and Eastern Europe.  It is becoming a global phenomenon.

Film Art Event

The Movie I went to see was Made in Dagenham.

The Establishing Shot: The establishing shot was at the beginning of the movie when the women came riding to work on their bikes.  They were all dressed in 60's style clothing.  This allowed me to see that the movie was going to be set in the 60's.  The establishing shot also introduced who turned out to be the main characters.

Interesting Camera Angles: I think the camera angles played a role in setting the mood for the movie also.  In the film when it was getting serious or wanting you to feel a certain emotion the camera angle would get closer to the main character when she was giving a speech.  This allowed you to see the emotions on her face and made you feel the emotion she was expressing.

Story Line:  The story line was to educate the viewer on women’s right, show the struggle they went through, and show what obstacles they overcome.  I found the whole movie to be very moving.  The movie showed a group of women who worked for Ford Factory sewing seats.  The women did not have adequate air conditioning and would do their work wearing their bras.  They were also were not paid very much because they were considered to be unskilled and were women.  The main character then started a strike and went around to all of the Ford Factories and inspired them to go on strike also.  They eventually had to shut down the factory because without seats they could not make cars.  It also gave a look at their lives at home and showed how people from every class were struggling not just the lower class.  Near the end of the movie the women met with the prime minister and got an immediate pay raise and started a "treaty" with her to make sure their rights continued to get better.  In the movie none of the scenes made me feel uncomfortable because I feel that it accurately portrayed what it would have been like to live in that time.  Without all of the scenes the movie would not have been as effective.

The actors:  I think the actors were very convincing in their roles.  Each character made it possible for me to feel their struggles and the emotions that they were feeling.  I believe the acter were perfect for their roles.

The music:  The music went along with the 60's theme of the movie.  The music helped set the mood of the film and set of the time frame. The music also helped fuel the emotions of the film.

Genre: This movie is a combination of different genres.  It was a comedy because the people made light of the situation by using humor.  It was also history because it was based on true events dealing with women’s rights.  It was also a drama because it showed struggles, parties, etc.

Context, Message, Meaning:   While the main message the movie was trying to send was based on women's rights, the message that I took from the film is that everyone should have the same rights.  I also took from it that it is important to stand up and be someone's voice as the main character did in the movie because not everyone is strong enough to express their views.