Kaitlin Fayles Dance 261 12/4/2012 Philosophy on Dance If you can move any part of your body your

le!s" fin!ers" eyes" toes you can dance# It

is a physical !ift !iven to us from $od# %ut it is difficult to put an e&act definition on dance# Dance is movement" but movement is not inherently dance li'e a s(uare is a rectan!le" but a rectan!le is not a s(uare# I thin' that the difference bet)een dance and everyday movement is the intent behind it# *here are professional pieces that use pedestrian movements" but there is a deeper meanin! they are tryin! to !et across# +lso" they li'ely e&ecute those movements )hile thin'in! about aspects of dance such as their core to distal connection and ener!y (ualities# ,i'ipedia#com has a surprisin!ly !ood description of dance- .Definitions of )hat constitutes dance can depend on social and cultural norms and aesthetic" artistic and moral sensibilities# Definitions may ran!e from functional movement /such as fol' dance0 to virtuoso techni(ues such as ballet# 1artial arts 'ata are often compared to dances" and sports such as !ymnastics" fi!ure s'atin! and synchroni2ed s)immin! are !enerally thou!ht to incorporate dance# In some cases" the motion of ordinarily inanimate ob3ects may be described as dance /the leaves danced in the wind0#4 I li'e that this covers many different areas of dance# I have heard so many people say that they cannot dance" or that they5re not a dancer" because they are not formally trained and do not )ant to be compared to anyone )ho is# %ut dance can be a social or cultural event" )here people !ather to!ether to move ho)ever they feel" not necessarily in a technical )ay# I also li'e that this description mentions martial arts 'atas" sports" and nature# +ll of these sub3ects contain

movement" and althou!h the performer /or leaf" or stream" or sno)fla'e0 may not intend their movement to be as dance" the vie)er may choose to interpret it that )ay# I dance for me and I dance for the future# I dance for myself because it ma'es me happy" it is challen!in! mentally and physically and it helps me develop relationships )ith people# I

)ent to a )or'shop in hi!h school tau!ht by some dancers from 6o 7ou *hin' 7ou 8an Dance# Durin! the (uestion and ans)er session after)ards" ,ill ,in!field said" .If there )ere )ords to e&press ho) I feel" )hy )ould I dance94 I connected )ith that statement# 1ost people communicate on a day:to:day basis )ith mainly their )ords; body lan!ua!e and hand !estures can help a lot" too# I thin' that even )ith those efforts" some communication can still be lost" but dance can help brid!e that !ap# It e&plains concepts on a deeper level by allo)in! the vie)ers to not 3ust hear and comprehend" but to feel the messa!e# Dance is universal as lon! as you have the !ift of si!ht /and an open mind0 you can connect )ith dances from all over the )orld# I dance for the future because I )ant dance to be my career# <n a lar!er scale" I also believe that havin! a !reater abundance of dance in our society )ill help the future of not only our country" but the )orld# *hat may sound li'e (uite the presumptuous statement" but I say it )ith confidence# I have constructed some hefty !oals for myself and my future in dance# *hey are definitely sub3ect to chan!e" but if my life )ere to continue on as it is no)" these are my plans for the future# <nce I receive my bachelor de!ree in dance performance" I )ould love to dance professionally for a fe) years in order to build my repertoire" !ain e&perience" and learn )hat the .real )orld4 is li'e# I then plan to open my o)n studio so that I can teach the sub3ects that I feel are most important# $ro)in! up" I attended a local nei!hborhood studio )here most of the teachers did not have any other trainin! than .!raduatin!4 from the studio itself# It )as not until colle!e that I reali2ed ho) much I )as lac'in!# I )ant to open a reasonably affordable

studio so that students )ho )ere li'e me can attend" yet still receive proper trainin! that )ill prepare them for a future in dance# *here are three areas my studio did not teach that I feel )ill be valuable to students" on top of your standard modern techni(ue class- ballet" improvisation" and martial arts# I did not !et to study ballet until I came to colle!e" and I had no clue ho) important this trainin! is# If you as a dancer do not have !ood ballet techni(ue" you )ill not be near as successful in the )orld of modern and contemporary# 6ome people may thin' that ballet is incredibly strict and !ives you no freedom" but it is almost the opposite althou!h there are many rules you need to follo)" once you master them" you )ill be much freer in the other !enres of dance because you have !reater techni(ue and control# I also )ant to have improvisation classes at my studio# Professional performer $i!i +rrin!ton said that .Improvisation is the most potent teacher of dance"4 and due to my e&perience in improv classes at %7=" I believe this to be true# *hrou!h improvisation e&ercises" you can learn the stren!ths and )ea'nesses of your physical body" e&plore different (ualities of movement" challen!e your mind and body to move in ne) and different )ays" develop trust in others" and confidence in yourself# 8reative dance such as improvisation and composition important to me and helps me reali2e that dance is more than seein! )ho can 'ic' their le! the hi!hest or do the most turns# It can teach you s'ills that transfer to multiple areas of life" such as problem:solvin! and )or'in! )ith people" time restraints" and boundaries# *he third area I )ill teach at my studio is martial arts# I have been trainin! in 6hoto'an 'arate for the past seven years and plan to achieve my blac' belt by the time I !raduate colle!e# If I am accepted to the dance study abroad to 8hina for sprin! 201>" I )ill be able to further my 'no)led!e by learnin! 8hinese martial arts throu!h our !roup lessons and )ith private lessons# is

I )ill complete my senior pro3ect there" )hich )ill be to choreo!raph a piece that combines martial arts and modern dance# 1odern dance and martial arts are similar in many aspects" such as the patterns of total body connectivity and effort (ualities that they use# ?ach demands the production of hi!hly coordinated" physically demandin!" beautifully crafted movements that should be delivered )ith precision# *his re(uires students to have fle&ibility" stamina" and .2anchin"4 /the @apanese term for intense focus0# I thin' it )ould be beneficial to teach both areas simultaneously- students )ould have the discipline that traditional martial arts brin!" as )ell as the creativity of modern dance# In her article Martial Arts: A Training Discipline for Dance?" 1erilyn @ac'son su!!ests that usin! martial arts to enhance dance techni(ues" movements" and choreo!raphy is not a forei!n concept to dance professionals# 6he indicates that many dancers have refined their techni(ues by incorporatin! the principles and movements of @apanese and 8hinese martial arts forms# I also )ould love to brin! more dance into schools and communities" and by fusin! the creativity of dance )ith the discipline and structure of martial arts" I could ma'e a product that )ould serve a dual purpose and be more attractive to schools" community pro!rams" and so forth" thus ensurin! that more youth have access to it# Participatin! in activities such as martial arts )ill also promote !lobal and cultural a)areness" thus supportin! unity in racially diverse communities and open:mindedness in less diverse communities# *here are many 'ids out there especially boys )ho )ould hesitate to learn to dance because it is stereotypically somethin!

!irls do" but )ould be more ea!er to learn if it )as a martial arts/dance combination# ,hat a )onderful )ay to be able to introduce children to the beauty and stren!th of martial arts and dance" and provide them )ith a s'ill and a passion that could literally chan!e their lives#

+nother interest of mine is the concept of usin! dance as therapy# + (uarter of adults live )ith a mental health disorder my brother and sister are amon! them yet less than one third of

adults and one half of children )ith a dia!nosable mental health disorder receive mental health services in a !iven year# Fifty percent of students a!es fourteen and older )ith a mental health disorder drop out of hi!h school the hi!hest rate of any disability !roup# I believe that dance can help lo)er these statistics# 1any studies have sho)n that children and adults sho) pro!ress )hen dance is used as therapy# +n!ela *atum Fairfa&" PhD" said" .*he aesthetic (ualities of e&pressive artsAhave the ability to increase serotonin levels and endorphins in the 8entral Bervous 6ystem# *he act of en!a!in! in or bein! e&posed to any of the e&pressive arts un)ittin!ly has a positive effect on a person5s mood by lo)er inhibition and increasin! playfulness or youthfulness#4 *his research also )ould help me !et dance in the schools and communities# Dance could be used as an alternative discipline pro!ram /as opposed to traditional detention0" in relation to court sentences" or in 3uvenile detention facilities since t)enty:four percent of state

prisoners" t)enty:one percent of local 3ail inmates" and seventy percent of 'ids in 3uvenile detention have at least one mental illness# I )ould love to teach improvisation classes in schools for the same reasons I )ant to teach them in my o)n studio# +fter:school pro!rams could be helpful" especially if you )ere able to teach hip hop or martial arts" )hich )ould !et more boys involved# Cecreation centers could hold ine&pensive dance classes or pro!rams )here parents could drop off their children in order to !rocery shop" run errands" and so forth# I )ant to touch on one final reason )hy I dance" and that is to come closer to $od# *his is a fairly recent reali2ation that I have had# I have al)ays believed that dance is a !ift" a talent that I have been !iven" one that if I do not develop )ill fade a)ay# *ravis *# +nderson said that

dance can .re3uvenate the spirit#4 It can not only re3uvenate my spirit" but it can help me to feel the spirit# I attended the 6enior Dance 6ho)case in Bovember and )al'ed a)ay )ith my heart full and a !reater sense of purpose# *he pieces in that concert had such )holesome messa!es of hope" endurance" !ratitude" and happiness" and I could feel the ho) connected the dancers )ere to those messa!es# I had never felt the spirit so stron!ly throu!h dance" and it )as incredible# I feel so blessed to be able to do )hat I love and 'no) that if I have pure intent" rememberin! $od al)ays" that I )ill be able to dra) nearer to Dim and allo) others to feel Dis love" too# Dance is a !ift that everyone can participate in and en3oy# I )ant to continue to develop my techni(ue" teachin! abilities" and 'no)led!e of it so that I may share it )ith the people around me# Dance is )holesome# Dance is po)erful# +nd it can literally chan!e the )orld#

%iblio!raphy EDance#E Wikipedia# ,i'imedia Foundation" n#d# ,eb# 04 Dec# 2012# Fhttp-//en#)i'ipedia#or!/)i'i/DanceG# @ac'son" 1# /20100# 1artial arts- + trainin! discipline for dance9 *he Dance @ournal# H+vailable online at- http-//philadelphiadance#or!/blo!/2010/10/11/martial:arts:a:trainin!:discipline: for:dance/ Mental Illness: FACTS AND N M!"#S# B#p#- n#p#" n#d# NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness# ,eb# 21 Bov# 2012# Fhttp-//)))#nami#or!/*emplate#cfm9 6ectionI+boutJ1entalJIllnessK*emplateI/8ontent1ana!ement/8ontentDisplay#cfmK 8ontentIDIL>1LLG# Koch" 6abine 8#" Katharina 1orlin!haus" and *homas Fuchs# E*he @oy Dance 6pecific ?ffects of a 6in!le Dance Intervention on Psychiatric Patients )ith Depression#E The Arts in $s%chotherap% >4 /200M0- >40:4N# Www&adta&org# ,eb# *atum Fairfa&" +n!ela" PhD# EDealin! Depression *hrou!h the ?&pressive +rts#E Intervie)# 'oices&%ahoo&co(# B#p#" 1> Feb# 2011# ,eb# 21 Bov# 2012# Fhttp-//voices#yahoo#com/G# $ronlund" ?rna" %arbro Cenc'" and @enny ,eibull# EDance/1ovement *herapy as an +lternative *reatment for 7oun! %oys Dia!nosed as +DDD- + Pilot 6tudy#E A(erican )o*rnal of Dance Therap% 2M /200L0- 6>:OL# +ttp:,,www&springerlink&co(# ,eb# %ryant" 8hris# EIn3ectin! Dope#E #esearch Maga-ine# B#p#" n#d# ,eb# 21 Bov# 2012# Fhttp-//research#ua#edu/2011/04/in3ectin!:hope/G# +nderson" *ravis *# E6ee'in! after the $ood in +rt" Drama" Film" and Piterature#E !. St*dies 46#2 /200M0- 2>1:46# ,eb#