Dance Performance Research Articles

Mental Health Arts Festival as a tool for mental health promotion

Abstract Background of the problem 1 in 4 people experience mental health problems each year, and that number is only growing. Stigma and discrimination of mental health are widespread and affect the quality of life at the individual and societal level. The WHO identifies mental health arts festivals as an effective way to reduce stigma and improve mental health. Description of the problem We are not comfortable talking about mental health difficulties and the care we need. Consequently, individuals often withhold personal experiences to shield themselves from potential bias and harsh judgement. Methodology The Mental Health Arts Festival (MHAF) Bonds https://www.rysiaifest.lt/, https://www.facebook.com/Rysiaifest) seeks to contribute to the human rights based mental health knowledge creation across the partner organisations, involved communities and audiences, as well as contribute to local creation of artworks on the topic of mental health in open, accessible, safe space where every voice matters. The biannual MHAF brings together recognised artists, arts institutions, scientists, policy makers and communities of people with mental health issues (over 80 events, attracting about 4,500 spectators) for group exhibition, films, contemporary dance and live performances, literary readings, open microphones, followed by discussions and workshops. Qualitative study methodology is applied to assess the potential impacts of the MHAF. Lessons • Visual identity that seeks to challenge existing stigmatising views. • The festival has become the production or premier place of new artworks on the topics of mental health, spanning addiction, war-related trauma, transgenerational trauma, neurodiversity. Key messages • Mental health arts festivals promote mental health literacy and reduce negative attitudes towards health-seeking behaviour. • Art festivals should be an integral part of national programs to address stigma and promote mental health and well-being.

Stick Fighting and Stick Fencing in Ancient Egypt and Their Impact On the Present Day

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of stick fighting or stick fencing-like activities in ancient Egypt on modern sport. In the study, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to investigate stick fighting and fencing activities in ancient Egypt and their impact on contemporary sport. The literature review focused on historical documents, tomb paintings, hieroglyphs and archaeological findings from the ancient Egyptian period from 3000 B.C. In ancient Egypt, stick fighting was a widely practised sport alongside wrestling. In ancient Egypt, stick fighting was a rivalry between two players. Although stick fencing is a very popular attraction for exhibition fights, it is sometimes not seen as a fight against an opponent, but rather as a dance performance. It is said that the stick or club wielders wore masks during the matches. The fencers had to bow to the audience before the fight. They then held their sticks in a crossed position. It is assumed that there was a scoring system for fighting with sticks. Although in ancient Egypt fighting with sticks or acrobatic movements with sticks were used for demonstration purposes such as dance events, this could have been the origin of modern fencing and combat training. The aesthetic movements and manoeuvres with sticks and the wearing of masks by the athletes are similar to today's fencing. In ancient Egypt, stick fighters can be seen as stick fencers. In African and Middle Eastern cultures, stick fencing is still widespread and is reflected in the traditions.

Enhancing dance education through convolutional neural networks and blended learning

This article explores the evolving landscape of dance teaching, acknowledging the transformative impact of the internet and technology. With the emergence of online platforms, dance education is no longer confined to physical classrooms but can extend to virtual spaces, facilitating a more flexible and accessible learning experience. Blended learning, integrating traditional offline methods and online resources, offers a versatile approach that transcends geographical and temporal constraints. The article highlights the utilization of the dual-wing harmonium (DWH) multi-view metric learning (MVML) algorithm for facial emotion recognition, enhancing the assessment of students’ emotional expression in dance performances. Moreover, the integration of motion capture technology with convolutional neural networks (CNNs) facilitates a precise analysis of students’ dance movements, offering detailed feedback and recommendations for improvement. A holistic assessment of students’ performance is attained by combining the evaluation of emotional expression with the analysis of dance movements. Experimental findings support the efficacy of this approach, demonstrating high recognition accuracy and offering valuable insights into the effectiveness of dance teaching. By embracing technological advancements, this method introduces novel ideas and methodologies for objective evaluation in dance education, paving the way for enhanced learning outcomes and pedagogical practices in the future.

Tai Chi training: An effective method to enhance the oneness of mind and body in dance performance

Since the nineteenth century, the primary goal of university dance programmes has been to enhance students' dance skills, while the development of artistic expression has been neglected. Tai Chi training has been shown to be an effective method of exercising the mind and body to enhance perceptivity and body creativity. However, there is still less research on its impact in teaching dance performance in universities. Therefore, this study aims to address two fundamental questions: (1) How does Tai Chi training affect students’ perceptivity and creativity in dance performances? (2) What are the specific effects of enhanced perceptivity and creativity on the state of dance performance? In order to answer these questions, this study utilized a qualitative research methodology involving 43 dance students from Hunan Women's University in China. The research methodology included a 10-week Tai Chi training program at Hunan Women's University in Hunan Province, China, and semi-structured interviews with participants. The findings reveal how Tai Chi training enhances dance students' perceptivity and creativity in dance performance and explains its effectiveness on the state of oneness of mind and body in dance performance. This exploratory study provides preliminary evidence for understanding the impact of Tai Chi training on mind and body awareness in dance and provides a basis for incorporating more mind and body exercises into dance education in the future.

The Resistive Gaze in Kuwaiti Screendance: An Analysis of Women’s Zar Dance in Alsamt (1979) and Mohammed Ali Road (2020)

This article examines representations of women performing the zar dance in the Kuwaiti film Alsamt/The Silence (1979) and television show Mohammed Ali Road (2020). A review of scholarship overviews the history of the zar dance in Kuwait and examines representations of women’s dance in Kuwaiti screendance. A comparative analysis of the zar dance scenes in Alsamt and Mohammed Ali Road considers the reasons why the latter exemplar was censored from Kuwaiti television. The analysis draws on Kuwaiti Islamic feminist perspectives to take up a consideration of multiple gazes that frame the cine-choreography of the zar dance and shape representations of women’s dance in Kuwait. Expanding on these theoretical foundations, describe how patriarchal and resistive gazes influence the way the camera shapes representations of women’s dance performances in Kuwaiti film and television.

Creation of Dance According to Beliefs from The Namo Coin Sign

The creative performance of the Pallava Namo series. The researcher used mixed methods by conducting qualitative research to find the form and elements of the performance and study the ideas obtained after the creation of a performance of a dance performance based on beliefs from the Namo coin symbol by using research tools consisting of studying and surveying information from academic documents, information media, studying areas and surveying field data, structured interviews and the researcher's experience used the obtained data to analyze and synthesize the content analysis and data triangulate. Then, evaluate the performance by using statistics and finding the mean and standard deviation and presenting them descriptively in the development and design of dance works that are used to explain through the dimensions of creative performing arts that are a medium for conveying values and importance. The results showed that the creative styles can be classified according to 8 elements of the 1) Performance Design; is divided into 3 periods. The first period, “Pain” is the period that conveys pain and suffering and sadness from sickness and death from plague, the second period "Hope" is the period that conveys the prayers of the holy things and having hope. Based on the belief that sacred things will help protect and heal villagers from various illnesses, the third period, “Faith”, is a period that conveys a better life through belief and faith in Namo coins. 2) Selection of performers 3) Design of dance moves 4) Design of performance equipment 5) Performance Sound and music design, 6) costume design, 7) lighting design, and 8) performance space design. In addition, the researcher took into account three ideas obtained after creating dance: 1) considering creativity in dance, 2) considering the use of symbols in creating dance, and 3) considering dance theory, music, and visual arts.

On the Shaping of Characters in Dance Drama

Dance performance is a kind of artistic dynamic image soaked with "emotion", and only by grasping the unity of inside and outside and the situation, can we completely shape the character image and achieve a certain artistic aesthetic effect. In dance creation, the creator is an inseparable and complete process of artistic creation, from deeply capturing the dance image, creating and organizing the dance language, arranging and designing the dance section, to finally reflecting the artistic conception on the stage by the actors through rehearsal. This paper takes the dance drama "Zhaojun Out" as an example to discuss how to shape the characters with dance, improve the dancers deep aesthetic thinking on the dance image, and shape the character characteristics of the main characters in the dance drama.

Gandasari Gandawangi Dance: The Transformation of Legendary Form Into Tourism Arts in Jalawastu Brebes

This article traces the transformation process of the legend of the characters Gandasari and Gandawangi into Gandasari Gandawangi Dance, created as a tourism performing art in Jalawastu Traditional Village, Brebes, Central Java. The legend narrates the story of a civil war among prominent figures embracing Islam in that region. From this narrative, a dance and music performance with an innovative tourism package highlighting Jalawastu Traditional Village's local wisdom was realized. The research methodology employed in this study is qualitative with an ethnographic approach. Data collection techniques encompassed interviews, documentary studies, and field observations. Observations were conducted to gather data, which was subsequently analyzed to formulate the transformation process and understand the significance of the Gandasari Gandawangi Dance. This article concludes that Gandasari Gandawangi Dance is adapted from the legend and further developed with creative dance movements, thereby serving as a tourism performing art that is expected to enhance the tourism potential of Jalawastu Traditional Village.

Describing the Ephemeral: Facilitating Rich Search Experiences with Performing Arts Video Collections

ABSTRACTDigital video collections of dance, theatre, and other performances can provide unprecedented access to these ephemeral art forms. Making these collections searchable requires understanding of users' needs, necessitating collaboration among subject matter, metadata, and information behavior experts. Focusing on the example of Circus Oz, a prominent Australian circus company, this paper describes an exploratory, user‐centered process that draws on qualitative thematic coding techniques to create descriptive metadata schema. This iterative process illustrates the extensive labor involved, and the combination of expertise required, to create schema that extend beyond technical and basic categories to support rich search and discovery of cultural data collections.

Investigating the Relationship Between Dance Flow and Improvisation

This article explores the intrinsic connection between dance flow and improvisation, aiming to analyze dancers’ thinking and behavioral patterns in dance creation from a psychological perspective. The study points out that the application of flow theory in the field of dance is relatively scarce, while improvisation, as a core skill in dance art, requires dancers to create without preset conditions. The article begins with an overview of flow theory, emphasizing how the flow state facilitates dancers’ technical performance and creativity. It then analyzes the improvisational practices of professional dancers to reveal the positive interactive relationship between flow and improvisation. The research finds that dancers in a flow state are more likely to enter a state of improvisation, and improvisation itself can also stimulate the flow experience. The article concludes with a discussion on the role of dance flow and improvisation in dance education and performance practice, highlighting the importance of relational creativity in dance creation.

A Study on Social Participation Dance and Dance Performance in the 1960s

A Study on Social Participation Dance and Dance Performance in the 1960s

Unveiling the hidden narratives: investigating gender, identity, and activism in contemporary dance performances within the realm of social arts

Objectives: This study shows how contemporary dance serves as a dynamic platform for challenging and redefining notions of gender and identity. By analyzing a variety of contemporary dance performances, the research aims to reveal the underlying narratives that reflect and contest societal norms. Through a detailed examination of choreographic choices, movement vocabulary, and thematic elements, the study highlights how these components contribute to the deconstruction of traditional gender constructs. Methods: Additionally, the research investigates the role of contemporary dance as a form of activism, focusing on how performers use their craft to entertain, raise awareness, and provoke dialogue on social issues. An artificial neural network (ANN) was employed to estimate the relationships between gender fluidity, the challenge of social norms, and their effects on transformation potential, activist participation, and artistic expression. Results: The results indicate that increases in both gender fluidity and thechallenge to social norms significantly enhance transformation potential, activist participation, and artistic expression. The accuracy of the ANN's predictions was validated through linear regression analysis, demonstrating acceptable error margins compared to experimental results. Conclusions: This study ultimately underscores the transformative power of contemporary dance in shaping social discourse and advocacy.

Страх красоты

The article discusses the problem of rejecting the image of beauty in modern dance. It is indicated that the theme of despair, fear, violence and depression begins to dominate in modern dance since its inception in the 20s of the last century. The characteristic features of movements and plasticity in expressionist dance, in the school of M. Graham, are described: broken vertical, inwardly turned chest and feet, sharpness and convulsiveness of movements, blows aimed at oneself, etc. The article consistently examines the possible causes of this trend, such as technical ease and accessibility, lower energy cost of ‘sad dances’, as well as the opportunity to demonstrate originality, nonconformism, express social protest, etc. There is an opinion that the expression of pathological motives, negative feelings, fears in art contributes to the liberation from their destructive effect in real life. This approach is questioned, because there is also a reverse mechanism: as a result of viewing relevant plots (for example, scenes of violence), infection with emotions occurs, role models arise, and the thresholds of what is permissible decrease. Along with criticism of a number of trends in contemporary art, the importance of the concept of ugliness for culture is emphasized. Meeting one’s own infirmity and imperfection, be that physical, psychological or moral, plays an essential role in the spiritual development of a person. However, modern art, including the dance performances considered, follow the path of establishing ugliness as a new norm and cultivate the perverted reality of the ‘sick’ creativity of a disintegrating personality. The expression of beauty, on the contrary, is characteristic of an integral personality striving for perfection and praising life.

Standardized Hastasawanda Aesthetics in Dance Performing Arts

Aim. This research is important because so far the existing aesthetic concept of traditional dance is no longer able to accommodate thinking about aesthetic concepts holistically. The aim of the standardisation study of performing arts aesthetics is to form a new aesthetic theory that meets standards based on the principles of aesthetic values that develop in the performing arts genre. Methods. This research article is based on qualitative research. The types of data and data sources and information were all obtained from the Hastasawanda aesthetic concept, dance aesthetic elements and Surakarta style dance performance documents. Data collection was carried out using library study and document study techniques. All data has been collected, classified, processed and analysed using the triangulation method. Results. This study found the standard Nawasapada aesthetic theory which consists of aspects: pralambang, paraga, movement, pepaes, wewandan, piece, stage, furniture and pannyandra. Conclusion. The novelty of Nawasapada's aesthetic theory is that it complements existing aesthetic aspects and becomes the basis for analytical tools in solving aesthetic phenomena in the performing arts in depth and openly. For this reason, it is hoped that this research will trigger future researchers to discuss it more sharply and in depth.

Cortical oscillations are modified by expertise in dance and music: Evidence from live dance audience.

Over the past decades, the focus of brain research has expanded from using strictly controlled stimuli towards understanding brain functioning in complex naturalistic contexts. Interest has increased in measuring brain processes in natural interaction, including classrooms, theatres, concerts and museums to understand the brain functions in the real world. Here, we examined how watching a live dance performance with music in a real-world dance performance setting engages the brains of the spectators. Expertise in dance or music has been shown to modify brain functions, including when watching dance or listening to music. Therefore, we recorded electroencephalography (EEG) from an audience of dancers, musicians and novices as they watched the live dance performance and analysed their cortical oscillations. We compared intrabrain oscillations when participants watched the performance (with music) or listened to the music alone without the dance. We found that dancers have stronger fronto-central and parieto-occipital theta phase synchrony (4-8Hz) than novices when watching dance, likely reflecting the effects of dance experience on motor imagery, multisensory and social interaction processes. Also, compared with novices, dancers had stronger delta phase synchrony (0.5-4Hz) when listening to music, and musicians had stronger delta phase synchrony when watching dance, suggesting expertise in music and dance enhances sensitivity or attention to temporal regularities in movement and sound.

The Demands for Thai Arts and Cultural Activities: A Case Study of Thai People in Lulia, The Kingdom of Sweden

This research aims to 1) study the demands for Thai arts and cultural activities utilizing a case study of Thai people in the city of Luleå, Sweden, totalling 50 people. The result showed that the overall demand for Thai arts and cultural activities is at an extremely high level. The highest demand for Thai arts and cultural activities is traditional Thai dance performances, with an average demand rating of 4.43 (SD = 0.74); traditional Thai music, with an average of 4.42 (SD = 0.73); and traditional Thai craftsmanship also, with an average of 4.42 (SD = 0.73), respectively. 2) Guideline recommendations for organizing Thai arts and cultural activities should include the following activities: traditional Thai craftsmanship, traditional Thai food, regional Thai costumes in four regions, regional Thai dialects in four regions, traditional Thai dance performances, traditional Thai music, traditional Thai folk music/Mo Lam music, traditional Thai classical music singing, the art of decorating in Thai styles, and participation in Thai arts and cultural activities. This quantitative research collects data from a questionnaire of 50 individuals using statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation.

Some Characteristics in Light Music Performance Towards Sustainable Development in Vietnamese Cultural Identity

Objective: The goal is to introduce readers to the characteristics of pop music performances, to clarify more about pop music singing (mainly Rock-Pop), the differences compared to normal singing, in this article the author wants to introduce some characteristics in the way of performing pop music songs. Method: The study uses two main groups of methods: theoretical research and practical research to evaluate the overall data. In which, the focus is on observation and pedagogical experiments. Results: Research results have shown that, with special attention to novelty, uniqueness, and strong impression on the audience, since its inception, light music (Rock-Pop) has had a special appeal to the audience, especially the young. As a popular music genre, highly entertaining, paying important attention to the cyclical rhythm, often associated with dance music, musical language, singing style, performance, and use of the orchestra of light music have many different characteristics compared to classical music and popular music. Bringing positive values in the sustainable development of Vietnamese national culture Contribution: Understanding the characteristics of singing light music is one of the necessary things for singers and light music teachers at vocal training facilities to promote advantages and limit disadvantages.

The Influence of Sports Dance on Self-esteem Among College Students

Background and Aims: College students' lives depend greatly on their sense of self-worth. It has an impact on their social interactions, emotional well-being, and academic achievement. Several issues can arise for college students, such as social pressures, anxiety related to appearance, and negative body image. These elements may damage their sense of self-worth, which subsequently impacts their general health and standard of living. Sports dance is a unique physical activity that combines artistic ability and physical prowess to positively impact college students' self-esteem. Sports dancing has also been linked to improvements in self-esteem and self-image in addition to physical health, according to earlier research. The two main goals of this study are to first compare the experimental group's self-esteem before and after they participated in sports dancing, and then to compare the experimental group's self-esteem with that of the control group. Methodology: This study included a sample of 20 third-year undergraduate students from the Dance Department, College of Art, Chongqing University of Mechanical and Electrical Technology. The samples were divided into two groups: 10 students, consisting of 5 female and 5 male students, in both the experimental and control groups. The experimental group used the sports dance training method, while the control group used the traditional teaching method. A self-designed, expert-reviewed Rosenberg's self-esteem scale was issued before and after the experiment to determine the influence of sports dance exercises on the self-esteem of the sample group. Data were analyzed using means, standard deviations, and t-tests. Result: Before engaging in sports dance training, the experimental group's mean self-esteem score was found to be 28.3, while the control group's mean score was 28.8 before receiving traditional instruction. Following the experiment, the experimental group's mean score on self-esteem increased to 35.6, while the control group's score stayed at 27.8. After taking the sports dance course, the experimental group felt more confident in themselves. The mean score of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group. Students in the experimental group demonstrated higher levels of engagement in class during sports dance training. When given chores involving dance, they showed initiative in solving problems and made their own choices. They conversed with people more and gained self-assurance when voicing their ideas. These findings imply that sports dancing significantly and favorably raised the students' self-esteem. Conclusion: The results show that sports dance programs can help students feel better about their bodies and have higher self-esteem. Students receive timely rewards throughout the sports dance learning process, which boosts their self-esteem in the classroom and promotes greater interaction between them. By working together to create dance performances, students improve their interpersonal skills and become fully immersed in a stimulating, dynamic, and demanding learning environment. This promotes a calm and pleasurable learning environment while also helping students develop their knowledge and skills and improving their communication skills. This study provides educational institutions and schools with a workable strategy for enhancing students' mental health by introducing sports dance courses. The results also highlight sports dance's potential as a useful tool for psychological intervention. Mental health practitioners might think about introducing elements of sports dance into psychotherapy sessions to help patients feel better about themselves.

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.

Representasi Toleransi Beragama Dalam Film “Bidadari Mencari Sayap” Karya Aria Kusumadewa Tahun 2020

Indonesia is a country with religious diversity that can unite or divide. This research aims to analyze the representation of religious tolerance in the 2020 film ‘Bidadari Mencari Sayap’ by Aria Kusumadewa using Roland Barthes' semiotic analysis. The film was chosen because it depicts conflict and tolerance between religious communities, which is still an important issue in Indonesia. This literature research uses the film as the primary data source and books on religious tolerance as secondary sources. Data collection was done through literature study and documentation. Data validity was ensured through increased diligence and the use of references. The results showed four values of religious tolerance in the film: respect, respect, agree in disagreement, and sincerity. The film illustrates the implementation of tolerance in society, such as sharing angpao during the lion dance performance, advice on interfaith marriage, and sincere attitude towards differences in beliefs. The research also reveals that sincerity can solve the problem of intolerance, while religious discrimination can trigger conflict. This research provides insight into the importance of religious tolerance in strengthening the unity of the Indonesian nation. Through film analysis, this research highlights the role of media in learning the values of tolerance and understanding between religious communities.