Immorality of Modern Dances - Essay Example

Art and art forms all through the history has proved instrumental in deliverance and reflection of social and cultural values. With relevance to the Western culture, even in days dating back to centuries, dance had been an ideal tool for individuals to demonstrate their skills especially relating to their awareness on fashion, behavior physiologies and of course the sense of rhythm and timing . However this opportunity was limited to the wealthier part of the society because mastering the skill of dance in those days involved coaching sessions from dance teachers which were affordable to the common public. (The library of Congress, 2008). However in the nineteenth century, the art of dancing was more popularized through literatures. The influence of the popularization of music also contributed to the popularity of dance. Many other factors like an improvisation of the women’s role in the society and the strengthening of their physical activeness towards the beginning of the twentieth century were also influential in the development of social dance styles (The library of Congress, 2008). The arena of social dancing emphasizes on the sociability of the art than on set rules and competition. The inclusiveness is the basic principle adhering to the social style of dancing and is not performance oriented. This style of dancing more relies on the spontaneity in accordance to the situation than on the rules and regulations. How ever the various disciples with in the social dancing style share some universal principles. It is creative, spontaneous, coordinated and conventional in terms of these principles (Renzland P, 2008). In short, it is the style of dance which connects the art form with the common public. Some of the social dances which are popular in America today are Break Dancing, Alpine, Hip Hop Dancing, Argentine Tango, Balboa, Cajun, Ceili(dh), Charleston, Circle Mixers, Contra, Hambo, Irish Set, Lindy Hop, Old-Time-Waltz, Polka, Ragtime, Scandinavian, Scottish (Country/Folk) Dancing, Square, Vintage, Zwiefache and Zydeco. An understanding on the social scenario existing in the United States of America would serve as a background to analyze the relevance of social dancing in the present socio economic situation. American society is at the threat of individualization and a reverse socialization process is happening at an increased pace. This may be the result of the insecurity among the younger generation due to the disturbed family backgrounds. This scenario is supported by the fact that ideal family backgrounds are the foundation stones of an ideal society. The social dancing would with its sociability approach contribute much towards the improvisation of the feeling of togetherness with in the society. The social dancing process involves body, mind, spirit and feeling (Renzland P, 2008). The spirit and the feelings in the style of dancing would effectively contribute to a person’s respect towards the one dancing with, which would in turn affect positively his social approach. As social dancing involves the concept of dancing with every one in the group, and as one would change partners in every song, it would increase the magnitude of the social effect. The style of dancing would interfere with the introversion of the society as it is communicative, social and public while being simultaneously personal to each person involved in the dance. The role of dancing on the physique also has been emphasized in literatures. The art of dancing written by Leslie Clendenens (1919) placed great emphasis on physical fitness and included exercises, along with many alternative suggestions for healthy bodies, including pantomime, dramatic posture dances, Italian body exercises, and rhythmic dancing. However the literatures from the nineteenth century have suggested some negative impacts of social dancing on the society. In the literature, Immorality of Modern Dances (1904) it has been argued that although dance was acknowledged to have been practiced during biblical times, it was always performed by and for women solely. It further considered that dance was bad for the health and finally it argued that dance was a waste of time. The literatures of the period considered dancing as an immoral act. This argument was backed by the theological concepts of Protestant and Catholic churches. Modern dances were condemned by the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church’s verdict on dance was that who so ever other than the reserved cases who held the honor to be absolved from the sin, would commit a sin if they dance. A number of literatures has also related dance to lust and sexual feelings. The anti-dance writers have also equated the art of dancing with the ten commandments of Bible. They support their argument with biblical proofs that shows that dancing was done only by one sex. Some creative approaches were also followed by the anti-dance writers as the work of W.E. Penns (1884) ‘There is no harm in dancing’ used trees as metaphors, noting that it was the fruit of the tree that might prove dangerous; the "fruit" on the tree of dancing included "pride, lasciviousness, lying, drunkenness, embezzlement, fornication, cruelty, idolatry, prostitution, abortion, and assassination. However social dancing has always appeared to me as a binding force among the society. A social dance event always happens in relation with a number of cultural events and social events like singing, making music, eating, visiting, courting, and celebrating. Such dance events has always provided me confidence of being in public. The social dancing does not limits ones participation with reference to his dancing caliber or degrees of skills and experience. It is a very inclusive event, in which every one in the society can participate. Moreover, to me social dancing has given extensive stage for interaction. Limitless chances to associate with a number of people from different realms of the society are very much possible in social dancing. None of the corporate or cultural hierarchies limit the chance of interaction. Hip hop dancing and Argentine Tango appeared to the most attractive to me among the most popular social dance forms. The different versions of Tango as viewed in the Video Clip 81 and 82 of the video director complied in website of Library of Congress (1998), the intimacy in the dance form is very evident. The dance form is very gentle as well. The factor which attracted me most in this style of dance is that the rhythm and the steps closely followed the pattern of the music. The attraction in the hip hop dancing is the speed and the coordination. The narrative style of this dancing and the specialty in the body movements is contributing much to the beauty of the dance. These factors could be well viewed in the dance of the platinum group as viewed at the webpage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL6lXps5nAU&feature=related. With all the socially contributing factors, social dancing must be more highlighted as a participative event more than performance oriented and competitive by the media. The role of social dancing in affecting social and cultural relationships must be more portrayed by the media and other extension sources. WORKS CITED “Western Social Dance: An Overview of the Collection”,2008, The Library Congress, 08 Nov 2008, Renzland P, “What is Traditional Social Dancing?”,2008, Dancing.org, 08 Nov 2008, Clendenen L , The art of dancing,1919, The Library Congress, 08 Nov 2008, Immorality of Modern Dances , 1904, The Library Congress, 08 Nov 2008, W.E. Penns ‘There is no harm in dancing’1884, The Library Congress, 08 Nov 2008, Video Clip 81 and 82, 1998, The Library Congress, 08 Nov 2008, Read More