Museum Picture

Describe the photograph:

                The photograph of Tina Turner taken by and owned by Bob Gruen was taken in 1970 but printed in 1971.  The picture was printed in black and white but the emphasis on the stage light used more warm orange tones. The combination of leaving the aperture open for a second exposure and the strobe lights created the look like she was moving and almost like capturing her dancing.   The photo is a medium size that could or would be hung on a wall above something.

Analyze the photograph:

                The photograph is of Tina Turner in a performance of one of her concerts.  She is wearing a dress that if relatively dressed up style. She is meant to be the star of the evening so it makes sense that she would be dressed in a stunning outgoing outfit.  The shot was taken on the stage that she was performing on for the evening.  This photo reveals her in her element and her extreme love for where she is.  Many photographers were not allowed to take pictures after a certain amount of time so as not to take pictures of the human imperfections.  People did not want to be seen after they had started getting hot and sweaty but rather wanted to be seen with the perfection of their beginning state.  Here we are able to see the sweat and passion of Tina Turner as a performer really in her element.  Seeing the work that goes into the performance is sometimes the beauty of the art. 

Relate:

                During the 1970s Tina Turner’s popularity was diminishing and her personal life was in shambles.  I think that this picture shows her in a vulnerable state just her and her music.  It shows the real her, laid out on the stage.  To me putting this picture in context just shows how much music really was important for her life and that this is the place that she could just be herself and lay it all out. 

                As far as the way that I imagine her using her music is the way that I sometimes use dancing which is my passion.  It is easy to just go to the place that is familiar to you and just put all of your energy into your art and forget everything else that is going on in the world around you.  I think that arts can really be used as a release and a place to escape.  

Big Apple: Art Event

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?

When the dancer counts they are counting in sixes to the moderately tempo music.  The dance is a series of three steps and each step takes two counts.  During the dance, the upper body and hips are stable while the legs do kicks and fancy footwork.  The lead creates the steps and the followers steps either mirror the leads or mark time while the lead shows off their moves and spins. 

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

Formally known as the House of Peace Synagogue, the Big Apple Dance Club served originally as a synagogue for the Jewish community in Columbia.  The very first synagogue, located on Assembly Street, was burned in the burning of Columbia in the civil war.  In 1896 the synagogue was rebuilt.  The new synagogue was destroyed in a fire in 1915 and the new synagogue was built at the site.  Once the community outgrew the place the building was then used for the African –American night club called the Big Apple Club.  The students from the University of South Carolina paid to watch from the balcony learned the dance steps from their watching.   

The building of the Big Apple is a two story wooden building.  The roof is in a metal gabled style.  The building was built for a congregation that was largely Polish and Russian immigrants the influence of the building was greatly Eastern Jewish styles.  The interior has a central recessed dome where they would hang lights.  There is a balcony on the inside on the front side of the building that was used as a place to view the dancing when it was a club.  The sides have pedimented gables with a rondelle.  The windows are stained glass that have horseshoe arches. 

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

The origins of the Carolina Shag can be traced to the Big Band Era of the 1930’s and 40’s.  “Shag” is a broad term that denotes a number of swing dances originating in the 20^th century.     There is some historians that suggest that the term “shagger” was used to refer to vaudeville performers in the late 19^th century.  Also, there are some that say that the Carolina Shag is a descendent of the Carolina Jitterbug.   In the 1930s there were arguably a hundred or more variations of the dance varying depending on the geographic location in which they are done.  

The term “Carolina Shag” is believed to have originated between Myrtle Beach, SC and Wilmington, NC during the 1940s.  The shag is the state dance of South Carolina.  The style and development of the shag holds roots in the Carolinas which makes it a very important part of the state’s history and culture

Assignment 6: Dance

1. Describe the baroque period of dance.

               

The baroque era in Europe, roughly 1600-1750, integrated the specific style into their dance as well.  This was closely linked to the baroque music theatre and opera.  The great innovations in this era originated in the French court under Louis XIV.  Technique was developed and its basics are similar to some of the ballet technique that is still used today.  The style was very proud and upright and was known to the French as the noble style or beautiful dance. 

The main sources of information that allow us to know about baroque are published dance manuals that give the information to be able reconstruct dances. 

2. Discuss why people dance?

People dance for all kinds of reasons.  It is a form of expression that is used for many different situations and events.  It can be used in celebration or mourning, for war, for social reasons, etc.  there is almost an infinite number of reasons that someone would dance.  It can also be used as part of exercise and personal fitness, or just pure interest and fun. 

I am a dancer and have been since I was three.  I have grown up with it being such a big part of my life and really couldn’t imagine it not being a part of my life.  I dance for the love of it.  I do not know what originally sparked my interest but it has always been so interesting to me and just brings me joy.   My favorite thing is to get on stage and dance.  Black house in front of you, lights beaming down, in makeup and costumes, it is just a rush. 

3. Describe one non western dance art form.

Bugaku is a repertorie of dances of the Japanese Imperial court. This dance is derived from traditional dance forms imported from China, Korea , India, and Southeast Asia.  There are two forms of this dance, sahō no mai (“dances of the left”), accompanied by tōgaku (music derived mainly from Chinese forms); and uhō samai no mai (“dances of the right”), accompanied primarily by komagaku (music introduced from Korea). The dances also have different costumes and the colors differentiate them. 

There are also four genres, civil dances, warrior dances, running dances and dances for children. Positions of arms, hands, and feet are highly stylized, and overall choreography consists of simple geometric patterns.  The movements are all cued by the beat of the drum.  A very important element is the masks that are worn by the dancers. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKY1vS55UpQ