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The fusion of cultures can be positive but stem from an unfortunate background of oppression. There’s beauty in the struggle, that saying pops up in my head when I think of creations that are made in such conditions. I also feel that many African cultures use dance as a way to fight back and cope more than any other culture.

Learning about how tap dancing was created through Irish and African culture is just groundbreaking to me. This is not said and I feel like this type of information is only disclosed to those that seek it the right way. Made in the poorest urban neighborhoods and it was taken to the main stage. This ability to struggle into creation is a beauty I never get tired of in dance.

Chinese culture was able to use European influence of ballet as a way to show the strength of women. Hybridization has been used all throughout history and some of it’s built on something good and some bad.

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During thanksgiving I decided to watch a movie that would shock my sister. Dirty Dancing was enjoyed by my mom and dad. They kept reinforcing the idea that "you can't beat old school." We laughed, acknowledged and appreciated. Though to them it was probably just another dancing movie, afterwards we were able to have some conversation that related to the course. I told them about ballet and modern, and I told them about how I used to think they were just about the same. After learning about modern and just many aspects of dance I told them I know for certain that there is a difference. To help my family understand the point I was trying to make I came up with an analogy that made sense in my head. Baby's father represents Ballet, the straight and narrow with no emotion. Baby and Johnny represent modern, emotion and freedom. I told them about how modernism is a protest against ballet and Baby continuously protests against her father. Her father's plan for her life is very safe and almost guarantees her a secure life but maybe not the life she wants.

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The way African legacy is explained in this reading is simple yet so compelling and relatable. So many Americans (including myself) think of electricity but rarely think about its source and how well its functioning. The beginning of this reading already has so much to unpack because we can take this analogy even further. As Americans, just as long as the electricity is up and running we have no worries about. Similar to music and dance, as long its producing remarkable pieces then everything is okay right? As a dancer, I’ve learned so much in this course that I feel I should’ve known before. I remember saying something similar in my previous dance class with Randall because there is so much credit thats been overdue.

“In  this  regard,  Africanist dance aesthetics represents a democracy of body parts, rather than a monarchy dictated by the straight, centered spine.” Such an effective way to use a dancing body as a reference and give context. Professor Brenda was indirectly saying that Tucker’s dance was transcending all norms at the time and went into detail about why. The European characteristic of always staying consistent throughout the whole piece was being rejected because the dance included moments of inconsistency.

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Butoh is japanese culture that shows how real dance can get. Dance was taken very seriously and even meant the death of a person during a performance. With ropes being tied to ankles and raw emotion being poured into every performance, it became a platform for dancers who put their all into Butoh. Dancers like Ohno who were able to improvise every single one of their dances and embrace all of the emotions that came with Butoh embodied it. The post-war period in Japan was based on the destruction of old values like ideal beauty and Butoh was leading that rebellion strongly.

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In Choreographies of Protest, I was able to learn about different ways bodies were used to get messages across. The stillness to the facial expressions to the self enclosed protection were all intentional things being done for the protest. Whether words were insults or compliments, that didn’t matter to the protestors that were in the seats. They continued to have that same expression that said why are we not being served. The way their bodies were able to wreak economic and social havoc on the businesses that practiced segregation showed how powerful multiple bodies and choreography can be.

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Ito’s story showed a blend of different cultures that initiated a spark in US Modern Dance. Opening up a school allowed Ito to train some dancers who were pivotal in the movement. Unfortunately Ito was ripped out of the narrative and nobody talks about it. ‘Black Dance’ and inspiration given from African Americans is also overlooked when it comes to Modern Dance. Why is the narrative so contorted? Why are important figures of modern dance history not being properly acknowledged?

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In this reading I noticed how gender norms were being pushed and heteronormativity was being addressed in dance. Dancers whether male or female took on solo forms. The male dancer made a comeback showing that rejection to the institutional setup. The mixing of these two cultures showed that expression was being valued more compared to form.  The Dance congress was used to establish sides. There was also Nazi promotion of ballet to spark the ballet boom in East and West Germany.

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This source taught me about the importance of giving credit to black vernacular dances but also taught me about the pros that come with stealing. Before this reading I had many preconceived notions about stealing that would make me completely disregard the idea. Kraut was able to show me a different side when it comes to stealing dances or any art. Many things were developed because of stealing and people who we regard with the utmost respect have used other peoples' work to create their own. Josephine Baker didn't steal from Lindy, she made the dance her own and reinvented it.

Even me, as a dancer I've taken from others without necessarily giving credit. I use moves with assuming people know where it comes from and that's not the case all of the time. A line has to be drawn if we don't want stealing to become toxic. Hunter, the singer Kraut talked about, tried to get a copyright for her own work and was rejected proper compensation and credit. Of course this was a racial decision that made Hunter a victim.

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This informed me on some pivotal racial struggles that took place within dance. The fact that African Americans couldn’t perform in the 19th century. They weren’t allowed to perform as themselves so to me they couldn’t perform. It totally objectified dancers during this time but either way the talent and the skill cannot be denied. This idea of romance was being used in Shuffle Along and it served as an opportunity for black people to make history. Even though Black sexuality was a risky idea to play with at the time, monitoring it made it okay for the audience and that was key during this time.

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Bill Robinson is without a doubt one of the most influential dancers. The way he was able to inspire millions and revolutionize tap dancing is a feat that made him worthy to be a black leader of his time. Not only that, he was making complex routines look like child’s play. He was undisputed as a tap dancer and that included people of all races. Learning about this man showed me how important he is to dance history. This man alone probably sparked a change in the way people were viewing black people and played a part in where we are today as a country. That alone shows that Bill was doing things that went way beyond dance.

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This passage brought to light many things that were swept under the rug. It’s so sad because under the rug lies many truths and stories that have yet to be told. St. Denis, a clear example of someone who benefitted big time on something that was under the rug. It’s obvious that it’s something amazing so why is it being kept under the rug? Information that’s capable of making people rethink dance, women, and labor history as stated in the text. Early Indian dancers were not accredited for when they influenced several white female performers. This passage allowed me to understand that dance is very hard to understand because some information is being withheld.

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When the Wilis came out in the graveyard it was so intense to me. Wacthing Hilarion have that fit and run around reflected exactly how I was feeling. It's so ironic because the dynamic of masculine and feminine energy start playing with each other. The man is supposesd to be unafraid and strong (stereotypically) but we have these intimidating women and seem to have no mercy striking fear into not Hilarion but probably other male spectators. It's like a message for the men in the audience like you think you're big and bad but haven't seen the worse yet.

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"... a large number of male dancers did not actually discover dancing until their late teens or early twenties."

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"... a large number of male dancers did not actually discover dancing until their late teens or early twenties."

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This quote stuck out to me because it was relatable. In the dance department there's a lack of diversity, we mentioned this in one of our previous conversations. Race, gender and other ways of identifying do matter. When you're the only male doing something that other males are not, it can feel very isolating. Of course it's amazing to be with other dancers who share the same passion as you but having people that you recognize and relate to brings a feeling of comfort.

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"In photographs of the danseuse en travesti posed with her female counterpart, the moder eye notes a curtailment of scale, a reduction not only in the height and girth of the masculine figure, but in the physical contrast of the imaged sexes"

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"In photographs of the danseuse en travesti posed with her female counterpart, the moder eye notes a curtailment of scale, a reduction not only in the height and girth of the masculine figure, but in the physical contrast of the imaged sexes"

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This reading made me go back to the times where gender dictated the way you dance. It showed me how history repeats itself and is still lingering. I remember hearing my classmates talking about how males usually are given more slack in regards of their technique and this reading gave me more insight. It's crazy how something so long ago is still popping up in our lives today.

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This reading gave me a lot of insight of what's going on in the dance world currently. It was relevant, it talked about how the pandemic affected the dance industry and logically it makes sense. Dance competitions and performances were not able to be held due to COVID and that probably ruined a lot of opportunites for people to get exposed to dance. It's a sad reality and it shows how much dance can have an impact on peoples' lives.

The toxicity of dance culture was also addressed too. Sexualizing children is just outright wrong and this article went into detail about that. My favorite thing they said about it is that with dance we have to remember to put humanity at the front with money on the side. Also the lack of diversity in general was brought up too. Not having minorites or groups represented in any way is undoubted going to make those few select people feel a bit different. Dance is dance but having people who look like you or that you can relate to can enhance the experience.