Dance Styles Research Articles

Kabela for Enriching the Contemporary Concept of Choreography at Gorontalo

The Kabela is one of traditional dances of Bolaang Mongondow, which reflects the cultural values of North Sulawesi. Behind the ephemeral form and nature, it is necessary to investigate more deeply the rules and essential values, so that the understanding of the meaning of this dance is completely intact for the Gorontalonese as well as the Bolaang Mongondownese. This research is a starting point for mapping dance styles in eastern Indonesia, through strengthening local cultural values in northern Sulawesi in the construction of contemporary choreographic concepts in Gorontalo. The research integrates the ethnographic techniques with methodical experiments in learning process of a non-traditional choreography for the department of Pendidikan Seni Drama, Tari dan Musik at Universitas Negeri Gorontalo. Ethnographic techniques place field research simultaneously with literature studies, to create a qualitative-phenomenological analysis process that considers emic and ethical data. The choreography process adapts Hawkins' exploration model as a guide for realizing experimental works, which also creates an intersubjective understanding discourse process on the Kabela. The results show the Kabela’s presence as symbols of a noble tradition of the Bolaang Mongondownese as well as its structure. The choreographic concepts then intensify the meaning in the production of imaginative and sensory effects, so that the appreciation towards the dance is active and dynamic. This also shows that, it is by understanding others, that the appreciation of one's own is deepened.

A Study of Dance Usage in Kusa Paba Movie

A dance technique used to supplement the acting can be identified in modern Sinhala films that have taken Indian historical stories as a source. The Sinhala film Kusa Paba, directed by Sunil Ariyaratne, is based on the Kusa Jãtaka in the book Pansiya Panas Jathaka Potha, and it is set in North Indian social culture. The research problem of this study is to investigate how the proposed social culture is revealed through the use of dance in the Kusa Paba film. The central assumption of this study is to identify the use of dance in this film and, secondarily, to recognize the proposed social culture. This study is based primarily on qualitative data and inductive reasoning. The data gathered through the methods of watching the film, library research, and interviews has been presented as a contextual analysis. For those dance scenes, costumes and composition, background decoration, and music styles were well used to represent North Indian culture. The study revealed that South Indian culture is highlighted through the use of dances such as Kudirai Attam, Kathakali and the constant use of basic postures, foot movements and hasta mudras in Bharata Nãtyam. The study concluded that other dance-related features are more indicative of the projected social culture than the dance style and motions employed in the Kusa Paba movie. Accordingly, the research recommends that these negative impacts can be reduced through proper source analysis and through an optimal interrelationship with the film squad to choreograph the cinema dance.

Mining and Applying Composition Knowledge of Dance Moves for Style-Concentrated Dance Generation

Choreography refers to creation of dance motions according to both music and dance knowledge, where the created dances should be style-specific and consistent. However, most of the existing methods generate dances using the given music as the only reference, lacking the stylized dancing knowledge, namely, the flag motion patterns contained in different styles. Without the stylized prior knowledge, these approaches are not promising to generate controllable style or diverse moves for each dance style, nor new dances complying with stylized knowledge. To address this issue, we propose a novel music-to-dance generation framework guided by style embedding, considering both input music and stylized dancing knowledge. These style embeddings are learnt representations of style-consistent kinematic abstraction of reference dance videos, which can act as controllable factors to impose style constraints on dance generation in a latent manner. Hence, we can make the style embedding fit into any given style while allowing the flexibility to generate new compatible dance moves by modifying the style embedding according to the learnt representations of a certain style. We are the first to achieve knowledge-driven style control in dance generation tasks. To support this study, we build a large multi-style music-to-dance dataset referred to as I-Dance. The qualitative and quantitative evaluations demonstrate the advantage of the proposed framework, as well as the ability to synthesize diverse moves under a dance style directed by style embedding.

Unleashing the potential of dance: a neuroplasticity-based approach bridging from older adults to Parkinson's disease patients.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects >1% of individuals worldwide and is manifested by motor symptoms such as tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia, as well as non-motor symptoms such as cognitive impairment and depression. Non-pharmacological interventions such as dance therapy are becoming increasingly popular as complementary therapies for PD, in addition to pharmacological treatments that are currently widely available. Dance as a sensorimotor activity stimulates multiple layers of the neural system, including those involved in motor planning and execution, sensory integration, and cognitive processing. Dance interventions in healthy older people have been associated with increased activation of the prefrontal cortex, as well as enhanced functional connectivity between the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and prefrontal cortex. Overall, the evidence suggests that dance interventions can induce neuroplastic changes in healthy older participants, leading to improvements in both motor and cognitive functions. Dance interventions involving patients with PD show better quality of life and improved mobility, whereas the literature on dance-induced neuroplasticity in PD is sparse. Nevertheless, this review argues that similar neuroplastic mechanisms may be at work in patients with PD, provides insight into the potential mechanisms underlying dance efficacy, and highlights the potential of dance therapy as a non-pharmacological intervention in PD. Further research is warranted to determine the optimal dance style, intensity, and duration for maximum therapeutic benefit and to determine the long-term effects of dance intervention on PD progression.

Don't stop me now: A qualitative study of how Brazilian dancers and staff perceive injury and its prevention

ObjectiveTo investigate how Brazilian dancers and dance staff perceive and deal with injury and its prevention in professional and non-professional contexts. DesignQualitative study. SettingSemi-structured interviews conducted using an online platform. ParticipantsThirteen participants (8 women, 5 men) from four different dance styles (classical ballet, jazz, contemporary and urban): 6 dancers, 6 staff and 1 classified as both. Main outcome measuresInterviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed based on Grounded Theory principles using comparative data analysis. ResultsThe main themes and findings were: 1) Injury definition: Injury was defined and classified based on pain, structural damage and consequent limitations and restrictions. 2) Dealing with injury: Dancers' fear of having to stop dancing justifies different behaviours facing injury. 3) Injury factors: Overload and many personal and environmental factors were perceived as related to injury. 4) Injury prevention: it is linked with physical preparation and additional measures and influenced by communication, trust, experience, time, access to preventive programs, dancers’ personalities and environmental factors. Responsibility for injury prevention should be shared by all stakeholders. ConclusionsTo improve injury prevention, we need to acknowledge the dancers’ drive to keep dancing, consider the multiple factors that influence their behaviours, and develop education and self-efficacy to help them make better decisions to reduce the risk of injury.

Perfomance of the Gegesik Style Cirebon Mask Kalana Dance in the Context of Coastal Culture as a Source of Local Wisdom

Gegesik-style Klana mask dance is one of the styles that have survived to the present day. The importance of maintaining and preserving the Gegesik-style Klana mask dance, which is comprised of dance elements presented in the form of a dance perfomance, is understood by a few people who have studied its dance elements. By comprehending the elements contained therein, the Gegesik style of the masked Klana dance will maintain its authenticity without altering a single aspect of the Gegesik style masked Klana dance's standard. Gegesik-style Klana mask dance has excellent appeal for ceremonial events, welcoming guests, and filling in events organized by government and non-government organizations. This study used qualitative research and an ethnochoreological methodology as a scalpel to investigate the textual components of dance. The Gegesik style Klana mask dance has eight text components: movement, dancers, make-up, clothing, floor patterns, music, property, and place of performance. Collecting data was done with observation, interviews, and document analysis. After conducting research, the researcher discovered that the form of perfomance of the Gegesik-style masked Klana dance consists of eight interrelated components that cannot be changed without altering its authenticity. Consequently, the Gegesik-style Cirebon masked Klana dance contains elements that cannot be easily altered, as well as meanings and values implicit in every movement, music, costume, and another component. Keywords: Gegesik Style Klana Mask Dance, Dance Perfomance, Ethnochoreology.

Injuries in Ballroom DanceSport: A Retrospective Study on Prevalence and Relation With Demographic Data.

DanceSport is a variant of Ballroom dancing, a style that is performed as a couple dancing together. Although there are many participants worldwide, the amount of research on injuries done in this style of dancing is limited. The aim of this study was obtaining information about the DanceSport Athletes in the Netherlands including anthropometrics, level, frequency and duration of dance training per week. Our second objective was to investigate injury prevalence and type of injuries. Retrospective questionnaire study. All 816 registered active dancers within the Dutch DanceSport Association received an online questionnaire with questions on anthropometrics, level of dancing, frequency and duration of dance training, and questions on injuries. The Chi-Square test was used to calculate differences between categorical variables. A total of 218 dancers (33.7%) completed the questionnaire, 107 males (49.1%), and 111 females (50.9%). The mean age for men was 42 ± 15.9 and 36 ± 15.1 for women. 176 dancers (80.7%) reported 1 or more injuries. Foot, ankle, and lower leg injuries were reported most frequently, 49 males (45.8%), and 60 females (54.1%). No significant difference was found in the total number of injuries for the variables sex (P = .761) and discipline (P = .225). Significantly more head and neck injuries were identified in female Standard dancers (P < .001) compared to male dancers. Also, Standard dancers have more back injuries compared to dancers in both disciplines (P < .009). With the described anthropometrics and an 80% lifetime prevalence of injuries, this group can be compared to other dance forms. Significant differences in injuries of the head and neck for female Standard dancers compared to male dancers and significantly more back injuries in Standard dancers compared to dancers in both disciplines were found. Future studies need to translate and validate existing questionnaires in Dutch for use in this population.

The role of choregraphic training in the development of artistic skills in 7–8-year-old female gymnasts

Within rhythmic gymnastics, the choreographic training of 7–8-year-old children is a current issue, but not valued in the theory and practice of sport. Since the choreographic training represents one of the basic links that conditions the aesthetic training of the movement, it offers the maximum possibilities of knowing the school of movements, which positively reflects on the level of technical training of the gymnasts. Choreographic training must be based on elementary technique, a correct outfit, stable motor skills, musical training and a series of requirements of this activity. Well-systematized choreographic training develops muscle elasticity, agility and coordination capabilities of movements, contributes to achieving harmonious and expressive movements. In the choreographic training, exercises from various dance styles are used to develop the qualities that dance execution requires: support force, joint mobility, the formation of body aesthetics and the improvement of artistic execution and rhythmicity. Choreographic training is more easily formed in childhood, when we have to act correctly by applying a scientifically based system, but this is achieved in performance. We propose to form a qualified choreographic training of gymnasts to be able to face the needs imposed by the Scoring Code of the International Federation of Rhythmic Gymnastics.

Low Stiffness Dance Flooring Increases Peak Ankle Plantar Flexor Muscle Activation During a Ballet Jump.

Research in court sports shows that factors which aid in extrinsic shock absorption, that is, flooring and footwear, can help reduce lower extremity injuries. However, since students and performers of ballet or most styles of contemporary dance cannot depend upon footwear, the only extrinsic factor to help them with shock absorption is flooring. We investigated whether doing sauté on a low stiffness dance floor produced a difference in EMG output of the vastus lateralis, gastrocnemius, of soleus compared to a high stiffness floor. Average and average peak amplitude EMG output from 18 dance students or active dancers performing 8 repetitions of sauté on a low stiffness floor (Harlequin® Woodspring) was compared to a maple hardwood floor on concreted subflooring. The data showed a significant increase in average peak EMG muscle amplitude during jumping on the low stiffness floor compared to a high stiffness floor for the soleus muscle (P = .033) and a trend for increase average peak output for the medial gastrocnemius (P = .088). The difference in average peak amplitude of EMG output is explained through the difference in force absorption between floors. With the high stiffness floor, more force of the landing was returned to the dancers' legs, but the low stiffness floor absorbed some of the force of landing the jump, and therefore muscles needed to contribute more to maintain the same jump height. The force absorption characteristic of the low stiffness floor may decrease injury rates in dance through causing an adjustment in muscle velocity. Rapid eccentric muscle activity carries the greatest possibility of musculotendinous injury and is experienced in lower body muscles controlling all joints during impact absorption, which includes landing of jumps in dance. If a surface can decelerate the landing of a high velocity dance movement, it also decreases the musculotendinous demand for high velocity tension generation.

Differences in Peripheral Vision Between Contemporary Dancers, Folk Dancers and Non-Dancers

Abstract Introduction. In stage performances, dancing requires synchronous connections, choosing paths in space, forming, balancing shapes, adjusting tempo and energy, as well as partnering. Therefore, in addition to proprioceptive abilities and central vision, peripheral vision is used to a large extent. Will the role of peripheral vision be relevant in selected dance styles and techniques? The aim of this study was to compare peripheral perception between contemporary dancers, folk dancers and non-dancers. Material and Methods. The study included 126 individuals. This group consisted of 48 contemporary dancers, 19 folk dancers and 58 non-dancers (the control group – students who did sports other than dance). The Vienna Test System was used to assess peripheral perception. Statistical analysis of the results was performed using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results. Interpretation and analysis of the test results indicate that the dancers’ visual range is relatively large, averaging 175.3° for contemporary dancers and 175.58° for folk dancers. As for the control group, the visual range was 172.64°. In the case of peripheral vision, statistically significant differences were noted between the control group and the contemporary dance group (p &lt; 0.01) as well as between the control group and the folk dance group (p &lt; 0.05). Conclusions. Contemporary and folk dancers did not show variation in peripheral vision. However, differences occurred between dancers and non-dancers. It was noted that the studied groups of contemporary and folk dancers had a better range of visual functions related to the peripheral visual field than the control group.

Multimodal dance style transfer

This paper first presents CycleDance, a novel dance style transfer system that transforms an existing motion clip in one dance style into a motion clip in another dance style while attempting to preserve the motion context of the dance. CycleDance extends existing CycleGAN architectures with multimodal transformer encoders to account for the music context. We adopt a sequence length-based curriculum learning strategy to stabilize training. Our approach captures rich and long-term intra-relations between motion frames, which is a common challenge in motion transfer and synthesis work. Building upon CycleDance, we further propose StarDance, which enables many-to-many mappings across different styles using a single generator network. Additionally, we introduce new metrics for gauging transfer strength and content preservation in the context of dance movements. To evaluate the performance of our approach, we perform an extensive ablation study and a human study with 30 participants, each with 5 or more years of dance experience. Our experimental results show that our approach can generate realistic movements with the target style, outperforming the baseline CycleGAN and its variants on naturalness, transfer strength, and content preservation. Our proposed approach has potential applications in choreography, gaming, animation, and tool development for artistic and scientific innovations in the field of dance.

Practising cultural identities: British Indians' use of Indian classical dance

AbstractThe Indian diaspora has faced many obstacles including the challenge of navigating their dual identities, in order to belong in the UK. Music and dance are popular ways of practising cultural identities, which could mean that British Indians (BIs) use Indian Classical Dance (ICD) for maintaining cultural continuity and establishing a strong cultural identity. This qualitative study explores the reasons behind ICD practice, the relationship between ICD practice and the cultural identities of BIs, and the role served by themes of cultural continuity in their talk about identity. We conducted semi‐structured interviews with 10 UK‐based, Indian classical dance artists and analysed them using Thematic Analysis to identify the following themes: (1) Dual‐Identity Struggle (Sub‐themes: Confusion and Isolation and Racism and Stereotypes), (2) Parental Influence, (3) Embracing Dual‐Identity (Sub‐themes: Growth with Age and Impact of a Diverse Community), (4) Benefits of ICD (Sub‐themes: Education &amp; Connection to Indian religion and history and Expressing &amp; Understanding Identity) and (5) ICD: Authenticity versus Modernity (Sub‐themes: Authentic ICD in UK and Modernising ICD). The results from this piece of exploratory research have generated further data that improves our understanding of how BIs maintain a sense of collective continuity, and how they practise their Indian identity in daily life. Limitations of this study include the lack of balance between participants of different genders and dance styles. Therefore, further research can be developed including large‐scale studies on the role of ICD between genders, nationalities or generations.

Oleg Tamulilingan with Badung Style as the Primadona in the Performance Arts of Bali Tourism

The Oleg Tamulilingan dance is a traditional Balinese dance with the theme of romance, which depicts the romance of male and female beetles, danced in pairs by a male and female dancer. Researchers have extensively discussed the popularity of the Oleg Tamulilingan Dance. But, no one has disclosed the Badung Style in Oleg Tamulilingan Dance has remained the primadonna of the Bali tourism industry. The question is: what is the structure of the Badung version of the Oleg Tamulilingan dance?; What is the origin of the Badung-style Oleg Tamulilingan dance?. This research was conducted using qualitative methods. The data sources for this study were: Oleg Tamulilingan with Badung Style Dance, dancers, musicians, dance teachers, artists, humanists, experts, and related communities who were selected based on purposive sampling and snowball techniques. All data that has been collected through observation, interviews, and literature studies was analyzed qualitatively. The results of the research show that the Badung Style in Oleg Tamulilingan Dance is performed in the form of a loose dance depicting a male and female beetle making out in a flower garden. This can be seen from the way it is presented, the makeup and clothing, as well as the musical accompaniment used. The structures used in the Oleg Tamulilingan with Badung Style performance are pepeson, pengawak, and pengecet. The emergence of the Badung Style in Oleg Tamulilingan dance was caused by internal and external factors. The internal factor of the Oleg Tamulilingan Dance is the talent of the first dancer, Gusti Ketut Raka Astuti, who teaches his students. The external factor is the development of tourism, which provides an opportunity for the development of the Badung Style in Oleg Tamulilingan Dance and has implications for the enrichment of the presentation model of the Oleg Tamulilingan Dance.

Upper body posture in Latin American dancers: a quantitative cross-sectional study comparing different postures

BackgroundIn Latin American dance sport (LD), the shoulder girdle and the torso area are particularly stressed due to the dance style specific requirements. The aim of the study was to define differences in various dance specific upper body postures in Latin American dancers and to show gender-specific differences.MethodsThree dimensional back scans were performed in n = 49 dancers (28 f/21 m). Five typical trunk positions in Latin American dance (habitual standing and 4 dance specific positions, P1–P5) were compared with each other. Statistical differences were calculated using the Man-Whitney U test, Friedmann test, Conover-Iman test and a Bonferroni-Holm correction.ResultsSignificant gender differences were found in P2, P3 and P4 (p ≤ 0.01–0.001). In P5, the frontal trunk decline, the axis deviation, the standard deviation of the rotation, the kyphosis angle and the shoulder as well as the pelvic rotation were also significantly different. The comparison of the postures showed significant differences between postures 1–5 (p ≤ 0.01–0.001) in the males, (scapular height, right and left scapular angles and pelvic torsion). Similar results were observed for the female dancers, with only the parameters of frontal trunk decline with the lordosis angle as well as the right and left scapular angles being non-significant.ConclusionsThis study is an approach to better understand the involved muscular structures in LD. Performing LD changes the static parameters of the upper body statics. Further projects are needed to analyse the field of dance even more thoroughly.

A Note on Mr. Margolis and the Definition of Dance

I demur to Margolis’ insistence that we form a generalized concept of art before the formation of a definition of specific art forms. I consider the elements proposed for a definition of “dance” by Margolis, including “dance notation, dance style, and dance as the expression of a contingent culture.” I note the problems with the third element, especially the blind spot shared by many of us to anything other than Western culture.

Dance and the Violated Body: Trauma-Informed Frameworks for Dance in Non-Clinical Settings

ABSTRACT Little is known about how individuals with histories of sexual trauma experience dance in non-clinical settings. Dance educators outside of the clinical sphere, such as in dance studios and higher education dance programs, may lack knowledge surrounding how the experience(s) of sexual trauma can alter one’s movement and involvement in the dance space. Although a growing body of research exists, specific guidelines for developing a trauma-informed curriculum are needed. This study utilized 21 qualitative interviews with dancers who had experienced sexual violence to explore how various Western dance styles intersect with their sense of mind-body connection, agency, and bodily autonomy. We explore how these dancers describe their understanding of empowerment, relationship to space, bodily disconnect, and kinesthetic perceptions, both pre- and post-trauma. Results indicate a distinct discomfort and pulling away from the body for dancers, followed by a regained sense of safety in movement when accompanied by trauma-informed atmospheres and curricula. Guidelines for establishing a trauma-informed curriculum are provided.

The evolution of the stage dance style and technique: principles and peculiarities

The article addresses the issue of the evolution of the dance style and technique, based on different concepts and approaches. In this sense, the following theories are analyzed: the biological, psychological, social and communicational, as well as the cultural, philosophical and artistic factors. It should be mentioned that all the types of choreographic art through its interconnection, the interpretative art of great performers, different currents of choreographic art have contributed to the formation and development of the stylistics and technique of the dance, which, even at the current stage, evolves under the influence, first of all, of postmodernism.

THE MORAL VALUES IN GAMBIRANOM DANCE

Based on Immanuel Kant’s perspective about morality, this study aims to identify the moral values in Gambiranom dance that are worthy of being used as a guideline in reviving the disappearing moral values. The researcher used a discourse analysis method and a qualitative approach to understand the symbolic meaning of discourse. The discourse in this study was the Gambiranom dance. In collecting the data, the researcher conducted interviews, observations, literary reviews, and documentation studies. The researcher also used the Miles and Huberman model of analysis technique to analyze the data. This study resulted in two primary data, the Gambiranom dance Hasta Sawanda and the form of presentation. The data resulted in an interpretation of Hasta Sawanda in Gambiranom dance as good will and the presentation form of Gambiranom dance as act rightly, both from the perspective of moral values by Immanuel Kant. The two data produced praiseworthy values, bringing forth the highest or ultimate good (Summum Bonum). A dancer can achieve the highest good if they implement act rightly and good will by the rules of Surakarta’s style of classical Javanese dance. It is a condition where the dancer succeeds in wholly merging themselves into the character of Irawan, where the spectators or audience no longer see the dancer as a dancer but as the character of Raden Irawan, the Prabu Gambiranom.

A Cross-Sectional Study Comparing Traumatic Alopecia Among B-Boys and B-Girls to Other Dance Styles and Its Impact on Dance Performance and Health.

Breaking, often mislabeled as breakdancing in the media, is a dance style originating from the Bronx of New York in the early 1970s. A unique condition in this population is a form of alopecia known as "headspin hole," or "breakdancer overuse syndrome" of the scalp. This form of hair loss may show a variety of patterns based on the activities of the dancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between alopecia and breaking, the level of concern dancers have regarding hair loss, barriers to medical treatment, and how it affects their dancing. This was a cross-sectional study using an online survey. The survey addressed participants' demographics, hair, dancing styles, training, and health history. Questions about the effects of hair loss on the participants were also asked. This study found that there was a significant difference in hair loss among breakers compared to non-breakers. This was not seen after controlling for age and sex. However, the concern for hair loss was significant even after controlling for these variables. Similarly, hair loss was significantly associated with the frequency of headspins. Despite these concerns, breakers were less likely to seek medical attention. This study showed that there are significant disparities in hair loss between breaking and other dance styles. Hair loss due to breaking has been shown to have significant effects on an individual's concerns, which may be compounded by the fact that this population is less likely to seek out medical care and have significantly greater substance use compared to the other dancers surveyed. Further research is necessary to investigate interventions to prevent and treat hair loss in this population and the means to decrease the gap in health care in the dance population.

La danse classique ou la domestication de la transe

Through a previous anthropological perspective, links have been established between foundational dances (tribal and ethnic) and their relationship to trance. This article proposes to examine the relevance of bringing our westernized classical academic dance closer to a “tamed trance”. This style of dance, corresponding to a given era and culture, will allow us to understand the context of its emergence and its formative influence on the dancer. By defining the specificity of certain modified states of consciousness (MSC) otherwise known as “trance states”, it appears that the classical ballet dancer can experience “trance-in-dance” states which have certain functionalities. Achieving a daily and professionalized trance state would make it possible not only to subjugate any painful phenomena but also to experience one's body as a medium for uniqueness and association. The symbolic research underlying this choreography of bodies would appear to impose a connection with a supra order, a form of spirituality, even one of transcendence which would indicate a utilitarian purpose of the trance in the dancer.