Dance as an art form
September 27, 2008 · Posted in Assignments
Is Dance a Language?
What did you learn from meeting Dante Adela?
Comments
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"The Original Topography of Manhattan Island from the Battery to 155th Street" From Report on the Social Statistics of Cities, Compiled by George E. Waring, Jr., United States. Census Office, Part I, 1886. (Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, University of Texas-Austin)
It’s interesting to connect dance, a form of art that consists almost entirely of fluid motions, with language, a written or auditory way of communicating with one another. It seems as though they can not be in the same category. But, what got me thinking about dance as a language was the image of Dante using his elbows to write his name out. It is a small and specific example of how we can use dance and motions as a language to communicate a word or an idea. But, if we think about it in a broader sense, just like language, dance can be used to express our emotions and ideas. Another clear-cut example to demonstrate this notion is Dante’s interpretation of the famous Robert Kennedy speech. At first, I think we were all a bit skeptical and wondering how on earth could someone dance to a speech. But, Dante was able to wave his arms, stretch his legs and create facial expressions in synchronization to evoke the dark and powerful emotions of the speech. So, yes in a weird and unconventional way, dance is a language that can be just as powerful as putting fifty cent, “colorful” words on a piece of paper.
Humans use both verbal and non-verbal communication. We communicate our thoughts and feelings in both modes. A few examples are silent film, sign language, and music. Could Dance be added? Is Dance a form of acting though movement alone? Look at how African and tribal dance is used
Dance is most definitely a language.
A language is a form of communication between people, and dance, just as many other art forms, is a way for an artist to communicate several ideas and emotions, without using any words.
Dance can serve as several forms of communication and expression:
First off, there is the communication between the dancer and him or her self. A dancer can express emotions such as frustration, fear, excitement, and love through the dance piece. This can be done for the purpose of expressing these emotions to others, or even solely for the relief of these emotions from within the dancer.
There is also dance as a form of communication between two or more different dancers. A dance can express a conversation between characters, explicitly revealing actions or implicitly revealing emotions through the different dance moves. A duet like the third piece we saw the Ballet NY performance often expresses a love relationship between two people. Others, like the second piece in the show about table manners, can express how different people interact in society.
A dance can also serve as a conversation between the dancers or choreographers and the audience. The dancer and choreographer can be telling a story to the viewers through the movement, or else delivering a general concept to the observers of the piece.
Dance doesn’t always have to be for the purpose of communicating, though. Just like any activity, dance can be used for relieving stress in the body and as a form of physical exercise and enjoyment. When performed, however, the choreographer usually does create the piece with the purpose of telling some kind of story through the arrangement of the piece.
The “language” of dance is very complex, and can be expressed through the music used in the background, through the facial expressions of the dancers, through the rhythm and style of the movement, or even through the arrangement of the lighting and set up of the stage. A dance piece can be either thoroughly planned or designed in advance, or else the outcome of an improvisation that came to the choreographer in the moment.
I think one of the most interesting things I learned from Dante Adela is that dance really becomes an art when it is filled with passion and emotion. Without this essential element, dance becomes just a routine exercise like any other, and doesn’t really express anything. He also really convinced me about how important it is to “follow your heart” and remain determined to succeed in what you want to achieve; I was very shocked to find out that he started his classical training so late and yet was dedicated enough to pursue his dream even though many said it was impossible to catch up at that age. Dante also talked a lot about the importance of the individual interpretation of the dance by each performer, and that even though the choreography is someone else’s, each dancer has the power of expressing the dance in his or her own way. I also thought it was very inspiring how Dante decided to break from Ballet NY because he was unhappy in the environment he was working in. He trusted himself to believe that he could accomplish more in a different setting and took this risk by quitting the company, something that a lot of people would be hesitant to do. It was really great to see how he indeed is still very happy that he had made this decision.
I really enjoyed seeing the ballet and then meeting with Dante afterward because the show is so much more interesting and appreciated after you really learn what hard work goes in to designing, practicing, and executing a professional dance performance.
Dance is absolutely a language. Dancers are constantly telling the audience a story. Although they do not use words (speech) or written language, they portray a scene through their body movements, facial expressions, lighting effects, the music, and other elements that go into the formation of a dance. For example, in the third dance at the Ballet NY we saw, part of the story that the dancers “told” was about cheating; the girl was torn between two guys. Dance, like any art form, is also an expression of emotions and feelings. Dancers convey their emotions to the audience and to one another. For instance, in the solo by Dante Adela that we watched, he depicted his various emotions when he realized his hump was gone. Clearly, dance is a form of communication.
I learned a lot from Dante Adela, but two ideas really stood out to me. First, he taught us that the simplest movements of the body can be considered “dance.” For example, he told us to lead with our elbow or to write our names with our toes. He did these things with such grace and beauty that he proved that these actions are in fact dancing. Something so basic as that can have such power and passion behind it that it becomes a form of dance. In addition, he taught me that when one door closes, many others open. He started dancing when he was 20 years old, which is relatively late, but he still became a professional. He was living proof that hard work and dedication can get you where you want to be in life. He also discussed how by quitting Ballet NY, many opportunities arose for him, such as climbing and teaching dance to children. When you feel trapped and believe that by quitting, you will have nothing, you’re wrong; doors will always open. Dante Adela was a tremendous inspiration to me, as I’m sure he was for many others.
I think that asking whether dance is a language is like asking whether painting is a language: yes but its so much more. Language, for me, is a form of communication and thus expression. This can be through sounds and words, like English is a language, or through motions like the Kathakali Theater technique in India is language. The Kathakali technique has an established language of what each motion means and the actors need only do these motions to tell their story and sometimes have no script at all. It is, however, theater. Dance is a lot more. The RFK speech i did not get to see because i was reading off the script. However weve kept in contact afterwards and he said that he was very moved by the LANGUAGE there and i agreed but i also added and he added simply by being a dancer that adding dance to it makes the language into an art. I never understood dance before speaking with him (and yes that includes the performance we saw as before) but he gave me a window through which to view. His respect for the “art” of sports didn’t hurt either though.
Is Dance a Language? – Michael Elka
I think that Dance as a concept is in fact a language. Much like sign language or body language, it is a physical, non-verbal form of communication. Again, like sign language, much of it is symbolic or suggestive, and, at times, it can be just as if not more explicit as verbal communication.
Language, whether physical or verbal, is a medium of communication between two or more persons; it can also be introspective in the way that a dancer or even a linguist can “talk to themselves” and express or clarify personal emotions. When a dancer works for an artist, they are communicating through motion the idea in the artist’s mind, becoming a canvas of sorts. When a dancer adds his or her own emotion to the piece, through subtle means such as fluidity or aggressiveness, they communicate their emotions to the spectator, using dance as the canvas. Dance, as Noa mentioned, can also be a form of exercise to relive stress. In the case of relieving stress, I think it is still language is that it is taking an internal feeling and expressing it externally, but purely as exercise dance is just that – exercise. Similarly, when a dancer is simply going through the mechanics of dancing, being purely technical and not investing any emotion (or trying to capture the emotion the choreographer had in mind) dance loses it’s impact as a Language (it becomes merely mechanical).
So, overall, when a dancer has his or her emotion involved in the piece, whether dancing “freestyle” or interpreting/demonstrating the work of another artist/choreographer, their physical movement acts as language, communicating ideas, emotions, themes, or even commentary on a subject.
I learned quite a few things from our meeting with Dante Adela. To see a professional dancer be so eager to see young people dance and express their emotions was a very positive experience. It solidified my belief that on does not have to be a professional to utilize art media – art can be created by anyone. Granted, professionals have more technical skill and might be able to communicate ideas/emotions more clearly, like Dante did when he danced to the Robert Kennedy speech, but anyone, regardless of experience, can create art and express emotions. In challenging us to dance, not caring what our skill level was, Dante showed me that one of the greatest inhibitors to making art is one’s sense of embarrassment. Fear of being embarrassed held most of us back from dancing! Dante showed us, through a variety of ridiculous motions, that there is no reason to be embarrassed when it comes to expressing yourself. Expression is expression. Finally, Dante showed me how similar dancing an any other artistic medium really are; In describing his movements as if they were “like painting a line with one’s elbow” he showed me dance is just as refined as any other art form, being both expressive and refined.
I would have to say that dance can certainly sometimes be considered a language. A language is a means for human beings to communicate, verbal or non-verbal. When I first read the assignment question my instant thought on the matter was no, it is not. However, after some speculation, I remembered that a language does not necessarily need to have spoken words to be considered a language. People express emotions, thoughts, and feelings through their body movements. They often are trying to convey those emotions or thoughts to an audience when performing. Thus, they are communicating with the audience, albeit without words. A dance can even tell a story. The earliest people did not have spoken language, and used dance as a way to communicate. I do believe that some dancers don’t always share their stories through their dancing. Dante Adela told us about those “mechanical”, robotic dancers and choreographers. They may not always be trying to tell a story, but just to get the move right and look good while doing it. Hearing Dante speak was very interesting. He mostly spoke to us about his life as a dancer and what it’s like, as well as how to move our bodies more comfortably in dancing.
Dance is definitely an unspoken language in a sense that a certain message is what the dancer may be trying to convey. Dance, may at times, try to communicate to the viewers that a certain feeling or emotion is what is at hand. At times, dance may just attempt to be an exercise for others. Either way there is a point behind dancing especially such a type of dancing as ballet. When we went to see Ballet NY, we could all definitely tell that there was some sort of story to every single piece. In the second section of the dance where there were guests at a table, it was evident that there were specific moods that each couple was trying to get across. There is a point behind everything and if that is the case, there must be some kind of language within dance.
From meeting Dante Adela, I learned that any simple movement can be considered dance and how one body part can lead for the rest. I also found it quite interesting how Adela started dancing when he was twenty years old and still managed to be so good at what he does. Also, when Adele attempted to dance to the Robert Kennedy speech, it was quite impressive how there was a sense that he was trying to show the words through his hand movements and by using his whole body. The movement was smooth and very attractive to the eye while at the same time he was doing ballet to a boring piece like Kennedy’s speech.
I would think that dance could certainly be considered a form of language. Language is a means of communication; ideas are exchanged, even if without sound or blatant gestures. Such as in an example like the ballet we went to see, dance is used to communicate a story to an audience. The dancers expressed basic ideas with movements to convey emotions and physical and mental states and the relationships between the characters. Even if you disliked the ballet or found it unnecessary and boring, eventually you would be able to discern meaning from the dancing.
Dante Adela reinforced this idea when he actually danced to the Robert F. Kennedy speech, which I thought would just be awkward but turned out nicely. What I thought was interesting was how he insisted on how dance doesn’t have to always be these grand movements that involve one’s entire body. Often it is best to begin with small movements and let your body continue to move without over-thinking.
I believe that dance is certainly a language, perhaps a more universal language than those that many other forms of art employ. For example painting often employs specific symbols that may mean different things to different cultures. However body language comes much closer to being universal. Even without knowing a lot about dance as art, a normal person can easily understand the emotions being played out in a dance sequence.
It is also a more uninhibited form of language. I’m sure I’m not the only one who sometimes feels like they spend entirely too much time talking about things and not just doing them. Dance is just that, it takes your thoughts farther than simply considering, and expresses them in an open manner for all to see and understand. In a way it also simplifies it. Instead of hiding or obscuring what you mean under layers of nuance and phrasing, the dancer just puts it out there. Most people find this hard to do, as we saw when so few people were willing to dance in class (myself included).
I’ve always had respect for dance simply because of the athletic ability, and control of the body that is needed. I’ll admit that I was skeptical of modern dance, but after hearing Dante speak about what he does, well, I’d say I’m a lot closer to “getting it”. I was disappointed that I had class during the ballet but I know I’ll try to see another soon.
In response to Jacqueline comment,
Maybe the word “boring” is misplaced. Would a “dry text” with no apparent rhythm should be used in your comment?
This text is very powerful and emotional to a lot of Americans and renders a change in the course of history. The words carry meaning in as much as the language of dance could be either carrying a text of meaning and emotions or be monotonic with no meaning to express.
Words can be painful, facial expressions can be painful, and a movement can be interpreted as painful.
I definitely think that dance is a language. We saw at the ballet how people managed to portray ideas without the use of words. In the table dance, for example, we saw an entire thesis paper’s worth of commentary on interpersonal relationships (and, of course, table manners). The dance expressed ideas, and that is exactly what language is - something that allows you to express ideas.
In ancient civilizations, dances were often used as prayers in religious ceremonies. Even without words, motions were choreographed to show what the people were praying for. If that was the case then, why should it be any different now? Dances can be used to express anything, as was proven by Dante dancing to a speech about the death of Martin Luthor King.
In regards to what we learned from Dante, I believe we the most important lesson that we learned from him is that anyone can dance if they set their minds and bodies to it.
As I may have mentioned earlier, dance is a medium of art I have relatively little experience with. Before last week’s meeting with Dante, I never really respected dance as an artistic expression, and I had barely danced before in my life, but even then I was aware that dance is a form of language. All artists use their respective mediums to convey something to their audiences, and dance is no different. Through the use of your body you can convey surprisingly complex emotions and thoughts if you have the eye to pick up on the subtlety. I used to think that dance as a whole was quite beyond me until I met Dante, but more importantly, tried dancing for myself. For while there are many similarities between dance and art, dance is unique in that you are the canvas for your own work of art. Attempting to dance for me was an eye opening experience, because I saw how dance was a very personal experience, as well as a communicative one. As you try to express a feeling or idea, you simultaneously learn much about yourself, your own limitations, personal boundaries. So coming back to the original question, I still do believe that dance is a form of language, but it is a form of communication that is quite personal. You communicate something through dance not only to your audience, but to a large extent, yourself.
I personally feel that any way of expressing yourself is a form of language. So dance, like speaking, painting or playing music is an expression that communicates to others, but often in a more freely interpreted way. Dante Adela showed this when he performed to the Robert F. Kennedy’s speech. He was communicating the same emotions that the speech was; but with only his movements. This was my favorite part of meeting Dante because it was so eye opening and beautiful. It was not how one usually sees a dancer perform but it fit in perfectly with the purpose of dance. I thought it was amazing to meet this particular dancer because he was of a more advanced age than most dancers. My mother was a dancer but she was forced to quit as she got older because her body just could not handle the wear and tear. His views on starting to dance later in life than most were very enlightening and i personally had always wondered why there was such a need for dancers to start young. I learned a lot from Dante Adela and his perspective on life and dancing was extremely interesting to hear and experience.
If by language Professor, you mean a way to communicate and express personal feelings, ideas, and thoughts; yes, dance is a language. As Dante showed us in his dancing in Frankenstein and RFK’s speech, dance can be used to express powerful emotions as loneliness, sorrow, and even hope; which are some very abstract and often intangible feelings. His graceful movements emulate the message he is trying to convey.
But as you said before, in regards to African tribal dancing, it can also be a way to praise and worship deities or simply celebrate. In this regard dancing can be a way to communicate to supernatural forces.
Dante taught me that dancing is beautiful, complex, and engaging. Before I never really understood dance or even appreciated it, but now I have to come see it as something more than just movement of the body.
Dance is absolutely a language. How else was it possible for the Ballet NY troupe to tell complete stories as they did? The combination of music and physical movement can convey strong emotions, enough to be a narrative form of art. There was no doubt in my mind what message was being conveyed when the dancers portrayed grief, strength, loneliness, joy and lust. Somehow, dance has an ability to tell a story- maybe not the minute details and exact plot, but the deeper emotional storyline can be felt by viewers.
If personal experience isn’t proof of this powerful storytelling ability, one only needs to look at the place dance has held in history and in different cultures. Dance is used in ceremony and ritual because it does mean something to those performing and to those viewing the dancing.
Dance is most certainly (see, I can use the word certainly in matters of opinion too) not a language. A language is a set of symbols used for communication. These symbols have, to some degree, an objective meaning, derived from consensus and relationship to other symbols. More importantly for the purpose of distinguishing art from language, these symbols, when replicated in other, non-artistic contexts, mean the same thing. Context, though it plays some role in understanding the meanings of words or syntactic structures, plays second fiddle to dictionary definition.
Dance, like any other art form, transcends language. It takes an idea, perhaps (but not necessarily) verbally expressed, and packages its emotional underpinnings in the form of body movements. Just as Guernica depicts the abstract concept of “pain” in a way that transcends language (it would not be very impressive to anybody if, in describing the Spanish Civil War, I said “pain pain pain pain pain PAIN pain PAIN), dance takes an already abstract concept and depicts it visually, using the artist as the medium of expression.
It is also different for that very reason. A dancer is a paintbrush. In language, if we are even allowing for an analogy between language and art, the word is the paintbrush. A human speaking is a painter. Dance’s painter is the choreographer. What interested me most about Dante was the fact that his art form splits the expression and expresser into two subjects. In painting, there is an artist (subject), and a paintbrush (object). Dance is more like music, in that the composer and performer both have subjective input. And as Dante mentioned, some dancers are just technicians. I can certainly recall writing a scathing (and irrelevant… I was fifteen) review of a certain guitarist in which I used the words “technician”, “machine”, and “automaton” to describe the impressive and soulless playing of a certain finger jockey.
Such a review would be impossible in discussing the merits of language. There is typically only one subject in speech. Oh, perhaps one person could write a speech and another could read it, but generally speaking the spoken and written word is emitted from its author. A good speaker (Barack Obama, anybody?) may be able to adapt someone else’s speech, but this is the exception rather than the norm. Nor are audiobooks and poetry readings the first thing we think of in a discussion about literature. But anyway, this is only a secondary point of dissent.
The real crux of the matter is the meaning of symbols in language, as opposed to the meaning of symbols in art. These fields may overlap in literature, but rarely in dance. A pirouette may be used for a thousand reasons in nine hundred and ninety nine plays. How many definitions can you give the word “happy?” Oh, a spectrum, perhaps, but it represents more or less the same thing to everyone, at any time, in any context.
Symbols and their relationships in a language are governed by a grammar. I challenge anyone who has seen a modern dance to find me rules of dance syntax. I can find you a meaningless dance, perhaps, but not an ungrammatical one. Because even the drunken cavorting of a nine year old who got into his parents’ liquor cabinet can be part of a story and be used meaningfully in dance. But drunken cavorting, if art were a language, would be analogous to, say, “arblalkjasge” in English. Or maybe to “Snakehemp jumped South Carolina May to degrees help of of the”. The dance analog is useful in some contexts, the language version is both meaningless and ungrammatical. Even that Miss America model who butchered the English language so beautifully (”I think that education also the such as…”) would recognize (unconsciously) that Snakehemp is not a word and that the prepositional phrase “to degrees” cannot be placed meaningfully next to the words following it.
At any rate, I think that everyone agrees that dance is a form of expression. But to call it language is to blur the lines between language and art, and it has always been my belief that the purpose of the latter is to pick up the slack where words simply fail.
Language can usually be translated to “communication” and with most forms of communication; the concept of context is very integral to the understanding of the point that is trying to be made. If your friend asked you “How was your day?” as you were scratching the bottom of your honey combs box at 6:05AM you probably would not quite understand what kind of information they were trying to elicit, after all your day “started” five minutes ago. Similarly dance has to have a context to be fully understood, the individual movements of the body don’t really make much sense on their own, and rather it appears that one is trying to ward off a bothersome insect. But in the context of the movement of the entire body and the colors and music of the performance it is much more apparent to the observer that the performer is in no way being pursued by a bee, rather they are expressing their feelings of rejection. My comparison is not trying to point out similarities in delivery rather it is emphasizing that similar elements are necessary to understand the forms of communication (which by my logic solidifies their unity as both being a language).
Another thing that I saw as a similarity between verbal languages and dance was the learning process integral to mastering the art. It takes time and practice to learn a language but once you have learned it you can use it to do all sorts of things: singing, poetry, narration, writing, even writing blogs for a college course. Similarly, dance requires years of practice and schooling to learn, but once learned one can express themselves in multiple forms and styles. They literally have a reservoir of knowledge from which they can pull moves from in order to evoke the mood called for by the choreographer.
Language can be considered any form of communication between people, whether verbal or otherwise. While most people would immediately correlate the spoken word with the idea of language, it seems clear to me that dance is most certainly a form of language because of the fact that it is all about communication.
Among the many things that I learned when Dante Adela came to speak to us last class was that a lot of thought and effort goes into choreographing any dance number. All this work is not simply for the sake of aesthetic beauty, but also for the sake of communicating a message to the audience, whether it be the dancer’s message or the director of the production’s message. I also learned much more about the value of dance as an art form. Before our class’ visit to the Joyce Theater and Dante’s visit, I’d had little experience with any of the many aspects of dance, but after seeing the production and peaking with Dante, my eyes have been opened to many of the things that go into this art: the choreography, the hours of practice, the stage work, and so much more.
Dance is most certainly a language. It is a form of expression and communication, a way to relay a message or idea to one person or to many. While it may not be a form of language that I am able to comprehend completely it still speaks to me in some way. Because dance is such an expressive art, it allows those dancing to convert their body movements into a language that truly does not need words to complete its idea.
Language is based on certain fundamentals -(1) sounds, which combine to form words. Any reorganization of those sounds will produce nonsense, most of the time, so a language is dependent on (2)words and the proper (3)grammatical usage thereof. It has clearly defined rules that, when broken, result not in revolutionary post modernism but in bad writing. Dance, on the other hand, is governed by purely aesthetic concerns and while “bad writing” is a fact, “bad choreography” is an opinion and depends on the standards of the era etc. etc. Ballet attempted to form dance into a language, with the various positions and moves corresponding to letters or words; however, it has yet to become language with complex layers of syntax; therefore I must side with Alex’s fine essay.
However, in terms of the evolution in use of our body, dance is our first form of communication, music second and language third. (For further discussion of the topic one can read some of Leonard Bernstein discussions on the language of music ‘The Unanswered Question”, and Noam Chomsky “Universal Grammar” on linguistics forms.)
The “form” –language must have a “content” -meaning in order to steer our emotions or intellectual debate. Non-verbal communication is just the use of our body, face, or hands to create silent words or abstract concepts. Still it is not an art (thought it could be). What makes it into art transcends words and the form, and as we observed today it also has little to do with the content.
Nonetheless it is not a cut and dry issue. Dance sometimes has an established form but no complex structure; it is an evolving field and like most art forms closely related to our changing cultural context.
There are a few points that might be of interest:
Metaphors in any language started in the first alphabets. Ancient Mandarin, Egyptian hieroglyphics, Celtic script have symbolic signs for abstract and concrete concepts and some of the letters form both a sound, a word and a concept. Therefore the form and the content are one. The letter conjured both a sounds and an emotional overtone. For example; the letter symbol for moon can and would convey a romantic entanglement, a mystical experience the object itself and the sounding of the letter “M”. The sign for mountain in Mandarin illustrates a tree and the distance from the peek. In that respect, symbol driven languages are closer to dance in their general ability to offer us a more complex meaning, with fewer strokes.
Dance does have a written symbolic text that was developed in the 1500s. (http://www.answers.com/topic/dance-notation )
Most dance styles join a musical line with the human movement, for the entertainment of the crowd. Most of Modern Dance struggle to offer context since the form is un-regulated and carries little collective meaning. This month it is the 90th year celebration in New York city of Leonard Bernstein. (http://www.wikio.co.uk/news/Leonard+Bernstein). There are a few events that you could go to see examples of the use of dance and music to create theater. If you have a chance go see some in person or hear some of the radio programs.
I believe that Dante’s greatest contribution to our class was his ability to communicate through movement seamlessly, making you unaware where the word ended and the metaphor started. Great artists are able to use any form to convey content in a more powerful way then others. I believe that great artists create art without a defined language.
Dance is most certainly a language. It is form of expression and communication just like every spoken language. I think every art form is a language. I myself act and do theatre and i think that is a language. When it comes to art the main objective is to deliver a message, communicate aesthetic beauty, share ones interpretation of something, etc. Notice in all of those objectives there is the element of transference, or giving something to another individual or groups of individuals. That is essentially what language is, even in the traditional form of everyday communication
I learned a lot from Dante Adela. I was mesmerized by the way he spoke of his craft. I found myself thinking that if i were put before a group to discuss acting, i would absolutely love to come off as passionate and have such a graceful delivery of words as he did. He proved that dance was a language. He took something spoken, that was communicated orally through an everyday device (Robert Kennedy’s speech) and delivered it with his dance. I watched Robert Kennedy’s every word be turned into a a complex dance move and saw the speech in his movements. It was understood and received in the same way, but just through a different language, the language of dance. Not only did Dante teach me about dance and about the scope to which it can be utilized, he taught me about theatre. He taught me not to limit myself when it comes to my passion. I plan on holding onto his example and his teachings for a long time.
PS- I WAS LOOKING AT THE DATES ON THE OTHER ASSIGNMENTS AND REALIZED THAT MINE IS PROBABLY A LITTLE LATE!!!!! SORRY PROFESSOR WEINROTH, HOPE YOU ENJOY READING IT THOUGH!!!!!!!
I enjoyed reading your posts. I am looking forward to hear your thoughts when our next guest will be coming this month.
Language is used as a form of communication and expression. Although language is most commonly thought of as being verbal this is not necessarily always the case. I think anything that provides a sort of communication and expression can be considered language. This being said dance is a language because through the use of movement, the artist expresses himself and communicates with the audience. Movement is a great way to convey expression because it depicts emotion very well. The audience can read whether the artist is moving gracefully or making more rigid changes in the dance and this communicates what the composer of the dance was trying to get across.
Meeting Dante Adela was a great experience. We were able to hear the point of view of a dancer firsthand and hear about his life. I was very impressed at the fact that he began to dance at a late age because in most cases people begin to dedicate themselves to professions in the art at an early age. Despite the age factor, Dante is an incredible dancer and seems to be a really great person as well. From meeting him, I feel like I received more of a life lesson. Dante was really inspirational and emphasized the importance of following your dreams. He is not a big man in size but he had a really great presence and the delivery of his words was strong without him having to be loud or over imposing.
Dance is most definitely a language. Although language is generally regarded as something spoken, it is not always the case. Language is simply a way to communicate feelings, emotions, and ideas. It is a means by which people express themselves. Being a form of expression in itself through which people convey emotion and meaning, dance becomes a language as well, a language of movement. As opposed to spoken words, dance is composed of the movements of body language. In dance, people speak with their bodies. If you define dance as an art form (which it is) then you can still consider it to be a language.
I think that the most important thing that I took away from meeting with Dante Adela is that so many things can be art. Although we have been exploring this so far through the semester, Dante opened my eyes to the concept in a new way. Ernest asked if basketball can be considered art, and Dante said that of course it is. It is like dance. There is movement, purposeful movement. In that sense, basketball can then be seen as a language as well.
I recently came across a few lines in a book about art education that, I think, perfectly describe the “language” of art, which concerns dance, as it is a form of art.
“The arts make vivid the fact that neither words in their literal form nor number exhaust what we can know. The limits of our language do not define the limits of our cognition.”
-Elliot Eisner, The Arts and the Creation of the Mind
As a form of art, dance is a form of expression; it does not need to be language, nor does it need to have the precision of one. Part of the beauty of art is that it transcends language. Dance may better represent an idea or emotion than any words in any language ever could. Language limits the understanding of a text to only those who speak the language. Art, and dance, do not require knowledge of a “language” to understand their meaning. Individuals can make their own associations with what they see in a dance, and not be wrong about what it makes them feel. If dance were a language, if art were a language, we would only be able to translate it in one way, narrowing the plethora of merited interpretations to only one text. Eisner continues to say,
“The arts help children learn to say what cannot be said. When children are invited to disclose what a work of art helps them feel, they must reach into their poetic capacities to find the words that will do the job.”
I do not think dance is a language. Forms of art are much more open-ended than language, and much more personal. A work of art, or a dance, is as many “languages” as there are people to interpret it.
I really enjoyed Dante Adela’s visit to our class. He reminded me that it is possible to make a career out of your passion, even if it isn’t law or medicine. He also reminded us of how important it is to be open to change, to take advantage of the options we have as young students, and not allow ourselves to get stuck in situations that do not serve us well. He rightly said, “When one door closes, many others open up.”