Instructions:
With a minimum of 900 words,
Make connections between your thesis statement and each paragraph, providing examples from the resources to illustrate your argument.
NOTE: You will be asked to watch the video of Stormy Weather. This video is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Your essay must describe dances, people, themes and concepts.
Question :
This assignment is a cold reading of a dance. The internet can easily provide information about a dance piece, its plot, characters and creators, but most often when you see a piece, you are going to want to see it with your own eyes and through the lens of your own experience. Although it may be tempting, do not research this piece--at least, not until you have formed your own thoughts and finished your essay. With a minimum 900 word essay, please:
a) Write an introduction that explains your own personal experience of watching Stormy Weather explaining your expectations before watching the film, your thoughts as you watch it, and providing a thesis about this film. If you need help with a thesis then you could explain, from your perspective:
how dance illustrates the American experience and in what ways;
how the movie illustrates the history of American dance.
b) Themes example: Choose a dance scene from Stormy Weather and describe it. What makes this scene significant for you? How does it develop your thesis? As you describe this scene, compare it to themes, concepts, people and dances from including:
Explain if this film supports Broadway themes or Modernist/Puritan themes.
How are these themes represented in the film and/or in the dance scene?
Which one(s) is represented and how?
Describe the form, technique and structure involved in this one scene. (consider technique as performing a cultural tradition, not about who taught it.)
What movements and gestures are part of this dance?
What technique(s) seem to be present? Who is represented?
Describe how the dance illustrates or contradicts your thoughts on the American identity and how it compares or contrasts to dances from a Lesson of your choosing;
c) History of Dance example:
Choose a second dance scene from Stormy Weatherand describe it. What makes this scene significant for you and your discussion?
How does it further develop your thesis? As you describe this scene, compare it to themes, concepts, people and dances from other Lessons including:
Describe the form, technique and structure involved in this one scene. (consider technique as performing a cultural tradition, not about who taught it.)
What movements and gestures are part of this dance? What technique(s) seem to be present? Who is represented?
As you describe this scene, compare it to themes, concepts, people and dances.
For instance, how does this dance mark a certain period of time and portray the culture that surrounds it?
How does this dance illustrate cultural fusion or conservation of traditional dances or cultures?
How does this dance compare to social dance or performance dance from the lessons?
Describe how the dance illustrates or contradicts your thoughts on the American identity and how it compares or contrasts to dances.
d) Develop a conclusion that summarizes your thoughts on the film. Develop your thesis further by comparing both of the dance examples (b and c).
What does the dance or film illustrate about society for its historical era. Examine these two examples and any other scenes or dance sections from Stormy Weather that stood out to you.
Examine the differences between America in the era of the film and the present and what that says about dance and American values.