Dance Forms Research Articles

Ontology in Dance Domain - A Survey

This article presents a literature review on the domain of dance research that exploits ontology artifacts to manage their domain knowledge. Any dance form around the world is rich in knowledge because of its historical and geographical diversity, movement rules, and interpretive aspects. Researchers found various approaches to manage this knowledge base, among which the ontology development process is preferred by most people owing to its superficial and easy-to-manage characteristics. However, the heterogenic use of ontology in different dance research aspects demands an organized study to understand its contributions to the domain. Our survey approach towards this objective starts with a systematic literature selection and further grouping them into four categories based on ontology involvement. Second, we discuss each group of articles by their contributions and the level of ontology involvement. Third, a novel evaluation framework is proposed, which assesses each selected article based on nineteen attributes from ontology quality, development, and applications perspectives. We rank each article into three qualitative measures, i.e., High(H), Medium(M), and Low(L), for our attribute set based on our understanding. Finally, We comprehensively analyze the outcomes of our qualitative assessment to present the current research status and their limitations in the candidate domain. This review aspires to be a cornerstone resource, enlightening researchers about the current landscape and future prospects of ontological involvement in dance research.

A Javanese Dance is A Representation of Rasa in Javanese Culture

This paper presents the concept of rasa in Javanese culture embodied in Javanese dance. The ethnographic approach in the Ethnochoreology discipline used as a step in data collection was in-depth interviews with actors (dancers, choreographers) in a society with a Javanese cultural scope. The observation step in the data collection effort was carried out using the involved observation model or participant observer, completed by data collection through literature and relevant documents. The theoretical perspective and concept used as the basis for thinking in discussing the case study of the Ela-ela dance in this paper is the concept of rasa, as put forward by Paul Stange. Namely, that rasa is a "tool" or "means" of perception, or a "function" of "whisper of heart or intuition", and rasa in Javanese dance as expressed by Katarina Indah Sulastuti, that rasa in Javanese dance is an element that is integrated with the senses in the body in a comprehensive manner which involves: the sensibility of heart vibrations, sharpness of intuition, imagination, bodily intelligence, and understanding of Javanese culture. Javanese dance, in the example of the case study, the Bedhaya Ela-ela dance is a representation of the rasa in Javanese culture, namely that the Bedhaya Ela-ela dance is a form of dance that substantially depicts the life of the Javanese people and the culture of rasa which involves issues of ethics, aesthetics, and religion in Javanese culture.

Formation and Development of Stage Ballroom Dance in Ukraine from the Mid-90s of the Twentieth Century to the Early 20s of the Twenty-First Century

The purpose of the article is to analyse the formation, tendencies and peculiarities of the development of stage ballroom dance in Ukraine from the mid-90s of the twentieth century to the early 20s of the twenty-first century. The research methodology is based on the principles of objectivity, historicism, and systematicity. To achieve the goal, the following methods were used: systematisation – to understand the combination of events in stage ballroom choreography; synthesis – to analyse the specifics of the processes of development of stage ballroom choreography in Ukraine; included observation – to review individual choreographic works, stage performances and their preliminary comprehension. Scientific novelty. For the first time, an art historical analysis of the formation and development of stage ballroom choreography in Ukraine was conducted, the specifics of the existence of ballroom choreography in the stage space were highlighted through the prism of the activities of theatres, show ballets and ballroom dance groups that have been operating since the 90s of the twentieth century. Conclusions. It is important to note that one of the most powerful areas of national choreographic art is stage ballroom choreography. Ukraine is a leader among other countries in the world in popularising ballroom dancing through theatrical and stage practice. In other countries of the world, the competition and sports direction are developing more actively, and foreign show ballets are synthesised forms of classical and modern dance with some elements of ballroom dance. Instead, Ukrainian dancers, including students and graduates of the Department of Choreographic Arts of the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts (specialising in ballroom choreography), create a large number of choreographic productions, concerts, show programmes, musicals, ballets based on the vocabulary of ballroom choreography, which, unfortunately, remain the property of the local dance community. In our opinion, it is the lack of promotion of this art form, as well as the absence of systematic state support for this industry, that makes it impossible to convey to a wide range of viewers the high potential of ballroom choreography as a spectacular stage and dramatic art form.

An analytical look at some Romanian choral works from the First half of the XXth century

Choral music at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century is rooted in the folk art of Romanians, an art preserved to this day in the monodic form of folk songs, peasant dances, and church melodies. Modal melodies, whether chromatic or diatonic, modal harmony and polyphony, particularly attractive heterophony, and the intense variety of timbre and rhythm are expressive means through which the choral music of this period enriches the national treasure. Music has the immense quality of being able to „absorb” the specific sensitivities of each nation, and the composers of the first half of the 20th century in Romanian choral music constitute landmarks in the national musical universe. Both their cultivated works and their folk arrangements are musical jewels of value that must be promoted.

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To digitize and preserve the cultural heritage in the form of Indian classical dance become apparent area of research. Sattriya classical dance of North-East India (Assam) is one of the eight Indian classical dance forms that requires immediate preservation. Sattriya classical dance consists of 29 Asamyukta hastas (single-hand gestures) and 14 Samyukta hastas (double-hand gestures). Moreover, the foundation of Samyukta hasta depends on understanding Asamyukta hasta. Therefore, the paper aims to classify single-hand gestures of Sattriya classical dance only. Although, a solution based on two level classification method to classify the Sattriya classical dance is available in recent literature, but it requires a trial and error method to select the optimized features. Since, Asamyukta hastas can appear closely similar to each other and therefore misclassification chances are very high. Thus, accuracy rate obtained for the two level classification method was only 75.45%. So, to address this issues in this paper, a Multilevel Classification Model with Vision based Features (MCM-Vb\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$V_b$$\\end{document}F) has been proposed to classify the Asamyukta hastas of Sattriya classical dance. This model uses two types of feature matching, viz., high-level feature matching and low-level feature matching. To extract the high-level features and low-level features different algorithm has been proposed. In this model, features are automatically selected. This proposed MCM-Vb\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$V_b$$\\end{document}F model is also tested on Asamyukta hasta mudras of Bharatanatyam classical dance of South India (Tamil Nadu). This model obtain an accuracy 94.12%, 87.14% for Sattriya classical dance Single-Hand Gestures (SSHG) dataset and Bharatnatyam classical dance Single-Hand Gestures (BHSG) dataset respectively. This paper also provides the comparative study of the proposed model MCM-Vb\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$V_b$$\\end{document}F with traditional bench-mark classifier model such as Naive Bayes, Decision Tree and Support Vector Classifier (SVM) etc.

Tibetan Dance and Its Artistic Value Rediscovered

Tibetan dance carries a rich history, culture and national feelings, and its history can be traced back to the Neolithic Age. At that time, the ancestors of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau had begun to express their lives and emotions in the form of dance. After thousands of years of development and evolution, Tibetan dance has formed a unique artistic style and a complete dance system, which not only reflects the profound historical and cultural heritage, but also shows the unique aesthetic pursuit and national spirit of the Tibetan people. This paper reviews the historical development of Tibetan dance, sorts out the characteristics and changes of Tibetan dance in different historical periods, analyzes the dance posture, rhythm and costumes of Tibetan dance, and discusses the value of Tibetan dance in contemporary times.

An Analysis of Non-verbal Performance in Theatre

Theatre, commonly seen as an audiovisual art, has performance at its core. Performance is mainly narrative through language, movement, dance, music, art and other forms to create an artistic image for the stage, which contains verbal and non-verbal elements. Non-verbal elements have crucial implications for theatre practice and theoretical perception. The present research investigates non-verbal performance in theatre based on semiotics and non-verbal communication theory. The study found that non-verbal performance includes (not limited to) posture, movement, gestures, props, and costumes. To make a more comprehensive analysis of non-verbal performance in theatre, a mixed research method combining textual analysis and questionnaire survey to collect data was employed, comprehensively investigate non-verbal performance in theatre, and comprehensively discuss the definition, classification and characteristics of key elements of non-verbal performance in drama based on the research design of analytical study, and reveals how non-verbal performances are expressed in theatre. Then, it provides ideas for the theatre creation and education.

A Studying the Music, Dance, and Performance Styles in Shi Jing-Feng

Background and Aim: Shi jing, the earliest collection of poetry in ancient China, collects 305 poems from the beginning of the Western Zhou Dynasty to the middle of the Chun qiu Period(11th century B.C.E.-6th century B.C.E.), and is divided into three parts, namely, the Feng, the Ya, and the Song. This paper can actively explore the types of dances and performance forms unique to the Shi jing-Feng from the literature, expanding the ideas for the theoretical study of ancient music and dance, which is of great social significance and artistic value. Materials and Methods: This paper uses the documentary research method to discover textual records on the types of music dance and performance forms of the fifteen vassal states. A case study method is used to select representative chapters from the five types of music and dance for specific analyses. The main informants of this paper are divided into three groups: experts on the Shi jing, researchers from museums and cultural centers, and performers of ancient music and dance. The validity of the collected data was tested using mathematical statistics. Results: A study of the Shi jing - Feng concept, its composition and contents, and the characteristics of its language and methods of expression. From 160 poems, 17 poems with music and dance records are selected and analyzed in terms of the types of music and dance as well as the forms of performance. Conclusion: Based on the results of the study, the concept of "Shi jing-Feng", the three accounts of the process of its formation, and its specific characteristics are clarified. Five types of music and dance are derived from the text, namely, the witch dance, the ten thousand dance, the shooting and hunting dance, the collective song and dance, and the banquet and drinking music and dance, and it is summarized that the Chinese pre-Qin music and dance adopt the integrated performance form of poetry, music, and dance in a trinity.

Studi Banding Pola Gerak Tari Kataga dengan Seni Gambar Cadas di Situs Tron Bon Lei, Alor, Nusa Tenggara Timur (Tinjauan Etno Arkeologi)

The rock art of the Tron Bon Lei Site, Alor, East Nusa Tenggara has unique form because it is depicted in anthropomorphic figures. The figure is depicted in a certain movement pose and has attributes in the form of traditional clothing and weapons. Kataga dance is a traditional dance that was previously performed in death rituals after war in Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara. This article discusses the form of the anthropomorphic figures of the Tron Bon Lei Site Rock Art and the Kataga Traditional Dance forms with the aim of seeing the similarities and differences between the two objects in relation to the meaning of the rock art. This research was conducted using a qualitative method, namely a descriptive analytical approach. Data collection was carried out using field surveys and literature studies. The results of the research show that there are similarities between the rock art form and the Kataga Dance form. The similarities are in the movement poses, attributes and dance formations. It is hoped that this article can provide a new perspective in interpreting rock art, by looking at similar forms in contextual situation.

An Analysis of the Transmission Content of the Dance Culture of the Jiajong Tibetan "Kasdawen" in Western Sichuan, China

Background and Aim: Cultural communication is a kind of cultural continuity that has existed since the beginning of human civilization. "Kasdawen" dance is the most distinctive folk dance of Jiarong Tibetan people in western Sichuan, China. From the initial sacrificial hunting and production activities, it has gradually evolved into a folk sacrificial singing and dancing activity in funeral rites, and festival celebrations to worship Buddha and pray for peace. Taking the Tibetan folk dance "Kasdawen" in Heishui County, west Sichuan, China as a case study, this paper analyzes the communication content from three aspects: performance ceremony, performance form, and cultural connotation. Materials and Methods: This study adopts the qualitative research method of literature method, observation method, and interview method, and analyzes the data content. Most of the literature materials come from the county cultural centers or literature and history research centers in the research area, a small part comes from the library of Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China Knowledge Network, and a small part comes from the people. The interviews mainly come from folk artists and outstanding contribution dancers and observe Tibetan social life. Results: In the research results, the communication contents of the "Castaven" dance performance ceremony are mainly divided into festival ceremony and sacrifice ceremony; The communication content of the dance performance form is mainly divided into dance form, style feature, and rhythm feature. The communication content of cultural connotation is mainly divided into patrilineal culture, Wuwu dance culture, and religious belief culture. Conclusion: The dissemination of "Kasdawen" dance culture is to spread the spirit and belief of Jiarong Tibetan nationality, and it is also hoped that the dissemination of the substantive content and spiritual value of "Kasdawen" dance culture will help protect and inherit Tibetan culture.

The cruel optimism of contact improvisation: Dancing between neoliberal subjectivation and practices of commoning

Within the social world of Contact Improvisation, the question of class relations remains conspicuous by its absence. Whilst ongoing debates in the global Contact Improvisation (CI) community and recent scholarship have foregrounded the problem of Whiteness, there have been few attempts to provide intersectional analyses of the racialised, classed subjectivation of contact dancers. To make such future enquiry possible, this paper dismantles originary CI myths about ‘natural’ movement, also attended to by Bojana Cvejić, and explores the question of social antagonism through analysing the dance form’s discursive norms and movement vocabulary. As this essay argues, the contact dancer occupies a paradoxical subject position: between a neoliberal embrace of risk-taking and precarity, and a cruelly optimistic prefiguration of the commons.

Paisagem, Território e Cultura: Estudo de caso do grupo de dança de Siriri Flor de Atalaia

This article investigates the intersection between traditional cultural practices and the urban landscape, focusing on the cultural manifestations of Siriri and Cururu in the city of Cuiabá, Mato Grosso. The study highlights how these dance forms not only reflect but also shape the city's cultural and physical landscape, integrating in meaningful ways with urban life and local cultural heritage. The research specifically addresses the influence of these practices in public and free space, particularly in the courtyards used by the dance group Siriri Flor de Atalaia, which serve as vital stages for rehearsals and cultural presentations. The primary objective of this study is to analyze the transformations in the landscape of open spaces caused by the continuous interaction between the Siriri Flor de Atalaia group and its urban environment. This analysis seeks to understand how these spaces are used for the practice and dissemination of Siriri and Cururu culture, and how they contribute to the cultural dynamics of the city of Cuiabá. Through a detailed examination of physical and cultural changes in these places, the article explores the role of backyards and open spaces in perpetuating popular culture and forming a strong local identity. Methodologically, the study is based on a bibliographical review that addresses the themes of territory, open spaces, landscape and culture of the Siriri and Cururu dance. In addition, a case study of the courtyard of the dance group Siriri Flor de Atalaia is carried out, using direct observation and qualitative analyzes to capture the essence of cultural interactions and their impact on urban space. The results of the article provide an in-depth analysis of the cultural landscape formed around the Siriri Flor de Atalaia group, revealing how practice spaces not only serve as places for cultural activities, but also as elements that redefine the urban landscape. This investigation contributes significantly to debates about the importance of preserving and promoting cultural spaces within the urban environment, supporting the continuity of popular culture and informing public policies that value and promote traditional cultural practices in the city of Cuiabá. This study emphasizes the need for a more integrated and conscious approach to urban planning, which considers cultural practices as essential components of city development, not only for the preservation of heritage, but also as a vital strategy for enriching community life and strengthening local identity.

Outbound Training Based on Local Wisdom and Art Attractions in Gamplong Tourism Village

The purpose of this community service activity is to develop tourist attractions based on local wisdom so that they can be used as one of the tourist attractions. The obstacles faced by Pokdarwis are the limitations in developing outbound training materials based on local wisdom and cultural potential in the form of dance arts that have not been explored as tour packages that can be offered to visitors. The program implemented is Outbound Training based on local wisdom aimed at outbound guides and modern-traditional creative dance training. The activity method is delivered through counseling and training where partners and the community participate directly in the activity. The results of the activity are increased knowledge and skills of partners in packaging outbound materials and games based on local wisdom.

Reduced activity in the form of recreational dancing and menstrual pain in the COVID-19 pandemic — prelaminar observations

Reduced activity in the form of recreational dancing and menstrual pain in the COVID-19 pandemic — prelaminar observations

Indian dance (Bharatanatyam) to ease social loneliness and isolation in older adults

ABSTRACT Older adults worldwide are facing disproportionate levels of isolation and loneliness. The current frameworks for understanding social isolation and loneliness include factors such as the physical and mental health of the individuals, loss of friends and family, level of education, relationships, and the built environment. While these models are useful, they fail to consider the individual experiences of older adults holistically; as an example, they do not include older adults’ relationship with themselves as they navigate the many challenges of life. In this article, I propose a novel framework for describing social isolation and loneliness in older adults that includes relationships to their changing bodies and experiences, to history and literature, and to nature and current events. Considering this revised framework, I summarize my observations as a teaching artist using Bharatanatyam, a 2,000-year-old Indian traditional dance form, in alleviating loneliness and isolation. Outcomes are in the form of qualitative narratives that are thematically united and presented. Given the highly communicative and relational nature of Bharatanatyam, I hypothesize that immersion in Bharatanatyam will enable connections of various kinds. This article describes three ways in which Bharatanatyam is particularly well-suited to build connections; these are 1. Connection with oneself in body, mind, and psyche; 2. Connection to tradition and history and 3. A systematic structure of relating to others, to the nature and environment, and current events.

Comparison of anthropometric measurements related to the medial longitudinal arch of feet between non-dancers and Bharatnatyam dancers- an observational study

BackgroundBharatnatyam is an Indian classical dance form that involves rhythmic barefoot tapping at varying speeds. The intense impact forces generated during this dance can result in biochemical alterations in the feet, potentially causing injuries to ligaments, tendons, and fascia. This can lead to changes in the structure of the foot over time. Therefore, this study was conducted to compare anthropometric measurements related to the medial longitudinal arch of the foot in non-dancer, mid-stage, and last stage Bharatnatyam dancers. MethodsThe study was conducted on 192 participants. They were divided into three groups: 1) Non dancers 2) Mid-stage Bharatnatyam dancers, and 3) Last-stage Bharatnatyam dancers. Each group consisted of 64 participants each. Various measurements were taken on both the right and left foot using a wooden platform, foot image, and footprint. Later the results were analyzed statistically. ResultsOn comparing the parameters in non-dancers and mid-stage Bharatnatyam dancers it was found that all the parameters were found to be significant except right and left arch index. On comparing the parameters of mid-stage and last-stage Bharatnatyam dancers, it was found that none of the parameters showed significant value. On comparing the non-dancers and last-stage Bharatnatyam dancers, it was found that except right and left arch index all the parameters were found to be significant. ConclusionFrom the results of the present study, it can be concluded that there were significant changes in the arches of the foot between the non-dancers and mid-stage and last-stage Bharatnatyam dancers.

Folk art classification using support vector machine

<p dir="ltr">Tremendous amounts of effort have been carried out every year by the governments of all the countries to preserve art and culture. Art in the form of paintings, artifacts, music, dance, and cuisines of every country has the utmost importance. The study of Tribal arts provides deep insight into our history and acts as a milestone in the roadmap of our future. This paper focuses on three popular folk arts namely: Gond, Manjusha, and Warli. 300 images of each artwork have been collected from various online repositories. To generate a robust system, data augmentation is applied which results in 7510 images. A feature vector based on a generalized co-occurrence matrix, local binary pattern, HSV histogram, and canny edge detector is constructed and classification is performed using a linear support vector machine. 10- fold cross-validation produces 99.8% accuracy.</p>

The Trace Dance Leaves Is Air: On Steve Paxton (1939–2024)

Abstract Artist, writer, and choreographer Ralph Lemon tangentially marks his life in dance through an account of the times he witnessed the work of an important artistic guide, Steve Paxton, a founding member of Judson Dance Theater (1962–64) and Grand Union (1970–76), two collectives that indelibly redefined dance for the following decades. In addition to composing major works, while involved with Grand Union Paxton first formulated the dance form known as contact improvisation, which has become influential worldwide. “The Trace Dance Leaves Is Air” is a personal reflection and tribute, honoring a major artist, while also questioning how much one can trust creative inspiration.

Aesthetics and Choreography of Bharatanatyam

The word “Aesthetic” in the context of Indian Aesthetics means “Science and philosophy of Fine Art” Bharathe muni wrote the theoretical treatise Natyasastra on Indian performing Arts including theatre, dance acting, and Music. Natyasastra is said to explain Indian aesthetics. Natyasastra is the scientific explanation of classical Indian dances. In this context, Bharatanatyam is also grounded in the principles of the Natyashastra. This research highlights how aesthetic aspects permeate Bharathanatya choreography, which involves designing the dance according to the rhythm of the ragas, along with abhinaya, bhava, and rasa. The choreography of Bharatanatyam is based on body parts and body shape( body proposition) by various elements, including positions (sthāna), hand gestures (mudra), neck movements, eye movements, head movements, karanas, mandalas, and charis. In Bharatanatyam, the body and the shape of the body (including the organs) are the basic source. Beauty is associated with interpretation. Deciphering the symbols means interpretation. The purpose of this study is to explore how aesthetic aspects play an important role in the creation of Bharatanatyam choreography, as Bharatanatyam is an art of both design and creativity this study uses the descriptive research method, observational research method, and qualitative research method. It is descriptive in the sense that it explains the aesthetics of Bharatanatyam choreography and observational since it observes the aesthetic aspects of Bharatanatyam choreography which is method-based. Moreover, the study examines the aesthetic expressions of the performers, who also serve as observers of the art form... When Bharatanatyam is designed with aesthetic aspects in mind, it becomes a powerful and valuable dance form. Systematically, organizing and expressing choreography with these aesthetic elements leads to seamless creativity, effective communication with the audience, relevance for future generations, and the preservation of socio-cultural values.

Translingual crossings: an enactive-performative approach to a pedagogical guide for the teaching of Portuguese as a welcoming language to children

ABSTRACT This article revisits the jongo activity ‘Pisei na Pedra’ (2014) integrated into the Nossa Casinha guide (Martins & Sala, 2022) for teaching Portuguese to migrant children. Jongo is seen as an Afro-Brazilian form of expression, encompassing chants, drumming, collective dance, and spirituality (Rufino, 2014, 2023). The connection between this assembly (Pennycook, 2018) and an enactive-performative pedagogy, uniting biological and aesthetic aspects of poetic languages (Aden & Eschenauer, 2020; Maturana & Varela, 1987; Lecoq, 1997, cited in Aden & Eschenauer, 2020), forms a translingual framework. This allows jongo to be understood as an Afro-diasporic expression in anti-racist education. This perspective also affirms the aesthetic, emergent, experiential, embodied, and transformative nature of jongo as a decolonial practice. By challenging the conservative approach of language activities favoring compartmentalization, assimilation, and monolingualism, the translingual framework promotes transformative education in Portuguese as an additional language. It embraces complexity, relationality, and affectivity as integral to our experiences in linguistic education.