In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period
lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries,
similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with
the fall of the Western Roman Empire and transitioned into the Medieval period, the
Renaissance and the Age of Discovery.
II
Learning Objectives
Understand the importance of the Middle Ages after the fall of the Roman Empire
Explain the role of dance in upper and lower social classes in Medieval society
Gain an awareness of the differences between profane and sacred dances across times
Realize the impact of Catholicism on the syncretic festivals that emerged in the Americas
Experience the main steps of a Medieval dance scene
III
Main Lesson
1
Middle Ages
Question 1
Which events are important during the Middle Ages?
After reading about the moresca, what are the discrepancies between
the description given in the book and the scene in the movie?
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4
Choreographic Elements
(2:53)
The video above shows the main steps of a Medieval court dance.
Try the steps.
Question 4
Why do you think these steps and no others were created around this time?
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5
Village Dances
Many Western holidays, traditions, and dances trace back to Medieval Europe.
As a matter of fact, dance played a significant role in
the cultural identities of countless European ethnic groups and nations. Each dance presented in this video represents a different nation state. Nation states emerged after the fall of the Roman Empire. However, folk-dances are not so much a matter of countries, arbitrarily framed by borders, but of regions.
There is a big difference between regions in one country. For instance in France. A Breton dance is completely different from a dance from Poitou or the South-east of France, the North and so many other regions. The Flemisch part of Belgium dances different from the southern - French speaking part. Ireland has more dances than the famous step-dancing. Notice the sense of togetherness and community prominent in these dances.
6
MAIN POINTS ABOUT MEDIEVAL DANCE
Dance was not considered an art; its function was limited.
It had a social purpose for the nobility, basically show wealth and alternate with other nobles.
It had an entertaining purpose for the peasants, who danced during some
pagan festivals that increasingly became co-opted by the Catholic
Church.
When it was done as a form of worship, it was condemned by the church as sorcery.
The body was a source of sinful behavior so, it was not welcomed by the Catholic Church.
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7
Sacred Manifestations During Medieval Times
Exercise
Find the saint commemorated the day of your birth.
Question 5
Write about the life of the saint of your birthday and the historic period in which he/she lived.
Note:
Note how most saints were born during the Medieval period during which the church was in the process of filling in the void left by the Roman Empire. Bellow, the introduction to St. Agustine proves his influence in the philosophical transitioning from Greco-Roman times to Christianity.
[The Catholic Candelmas is the 40th day of the Christmas – Epiphany
season. It celebrates the presentation of Jesus at the Temple and the
purification of the Virgin Mary. It may have evolved from the ancient
Roman spring purification festival of Lupercalia.]
[Carmen is another invocation of the Virgin Mary, is the patron saint of the sea,
and particular of the Spanish Navy and her feast day is celebrated on
July 16th which a modest celebration in the port zone of Xàbia.]
Gagaku,
characterized by long, slow songs and dance-like movements, is the
oldest of the Japanese traditional performing arts. It is performed at
banquets and ceremonies in the Imperial Palace and in theatres
throughout the country, and encompasses three distinct arts. The first,
Kuniburi no Utamai, features ancient Japanese songs, partial
accompaniment by harp and flute and simple choreography. The second
consists of instrumental music (especially wind instruments) and a
ceremonial dance developed on the Asian continent and subsequently
adapted by Japanese artists. The third, Utamono, is danced to vocal
music whose texts include Japanese folk songs and Chinese poems.
Influenced
by the politics and culture of different periods over its long
evolution, Gagaku continues to be transmitted to apprentices by masters
in the Music Department of the Imperial Household Agency, many of whom
are the descendants of families with deep roots in the art. It is not
only an important cultural tool in confirming Japanese identity and a
crystallization of the history of Japanese society, but also a
demonstration of how multiple cultural traditions can be fused into a
unique heritage through constant recreation over time.
Shrine Maiden Dance
Kamakura Palace Unohana Festival Houei no Mai (shrine maiden dance in the glittering light) Daitonomiya Concert Performance
Noh mai is a dance that is done to music that is made by flutes and small hand drums called tsuzumi.
At various points the performers dance to vocal and percussion music;
these points are called kuse or kiri. Noh mai dances are put together by
a series of forms. Mai is soft, with internal expression at its base.
Traditional Japanese Dance from 1600s (Noh theatre style=Mai)
(7:00)
The mai (dance) of noh, along with the musical elements of song and instrumental music are components of this comprehensive art form. Mai
can be called the foundation of the form. The dance of noh is not
simply the expression of the body moving through space, it has a much
deeper meaning. When one is said to perform noh, one is said “to dance
noh.” In a broad sense of the word, mai expresses much more than just the music and the movement, it somehow encapsulates the comprehensive nature of noh.
The word mai is also used for a specific dancing section of a noh. These mai, with names like chū-no-mai or jo-no-mai, feature the flute and the drums playing in a rhythmic fashion, timed to coincide with the shite’s dance.
18th century style popular dance (Kabuki theatre style=Nihon Buyo).
(0:24 - 0:51)
Nihon-buyō refers to the classical Japanese performing art
of dance.
Nihon-buyō developed from earlier dance traditions such as mai and
odori, and was further developed during the early Edo period, through
the medium of kabuki dances, which often incorporated elements from the
older dance genres.
Odori Dance
Odori shares the same origin as Kabuki, which started about 400 years ago.
Nishikawa-ryu style of classical Japanese Odori was established over
220 years ago in Edo (now Tokyo) when Japan was still governed by a
shogun whose lords served him as loyally as they were served by their
samurai.Odori emphasizes the element of rhythm and moving to i.
Question 5
Compare and contrast the medieval times in Europe and Japan.
IV
A Note to Remember
Throughout the Carolingian era (eighth to tenth centuries) and the later Middle Ages or Medieval Period, dancing was a part of all types of celebrations, both formal and informal.
It could involve a solo dancer, couples, or groups of any size, and was
accompanied by music that was either sung or played on instruments of
all types. The Middle Ages in Europe ended with the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, the emergence of Capitalism and its new class, the bourgeoisie. In The Americas, Medieval rule ended with the wars of independence throughout the continent. The Medieval period in China ended with the creation of the Republic and later the Communist system. The Medieval period in Japan ended with the American occupation. In India, after Muslim and British rule, the Medieval period ended with its independence in 1947. Indian cultural dances, both Muslim and Hindu, have been kept alive in Trinidad and Tobago. Japanese culture has also been retained in Brazil. In Cuba the Chinese built the largest Chinatown in Latin America and the largest Chinatowns in North America were build in San Francisco and New York. European folk dances have permeated the folk dances of all the emerging newly independent nation states of the American continent.
V
Case Study
Romeo and Juliet
In the Italian city of Verona, the Montague and the Capulet
families are perpetually feuding. When Romeo (Leonard Whiting), a
handsome young Montague, disregards convention by attending a Capulet
ball, he falls in love with the beautiful Juliet (Olivia Hussey), a
Capulet. After a brief courtship, the two elope,
creating even greater tension between their families. Italian director
Franco Zeffirelli's film, Romeo and Juliet (1968). is considered one of the best screen versions
of Shakespeare's classic love story.
Question 6
Based on the scene above, what was the purpose of court dances during European Medieval times?
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VI
ACTIVITY
Let us put some steps together and dance.
Using the video shown above, create an 8 steps phrase.
VII
Journaling
VIII
Glossary
IX
Sources
List of Saints at Rome by Italian Name. https://romanchurches.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_saints_at_Rome_by_Italian_name
How did Medieval People Dance? https://www.worldatlas.com/middle-ages/how-did-medieval-people-dance.html
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/does-dancing-just-feel-good-or-did-it-help-early-humans-survive/ 1 Dance is not Only a Ritual Anna Maria Davis Throughout this semester, we have learned as a class the importance of history and its evolution with dance. There have been many historical time periods that represent various dances each highlighting the culture of that civilization at the time. Dance requires one to have a very open mind towards trying new moves and techniques. During the semester, I had trouble with some dances over others as some were more difficult to learn. Nonetheless, all techniques were unique in their own way. Dance is not only a ritual, but a unification and social aspect of our society. In our class, we even started at the point of Hominims, which were the first people with dexterous fingers. The Neolithic era came after showing the domestication of plants, and animals. The point of the Middle A...
Timeline First Hominins Period: The earliest, dating 7-6 million years ago. Early Hominins Period: From 2.7 - 1.5 million years ago. Paleolithic Period: Roughly from 2.5 million years ago to 10,000 B.C. Neolithic Period: From around 4300 BC down to 2000 BC Indigenous Caribbean 1492 AD (Spider web idea) Syncretic Caribbean 2022 AD (Spider web idea) Copper or Chalcolithic Age: 3500 to 2300 BCE. Bronze Age : 3300 BC to 1200 BC, Iron Age: 1200 B.C. and 600 B.C. The Portuguese, in the 16th century , were the first to buy slaves from West African slavers and transport them across the Atlantic. In 1526, they completed the first transatlantic slave voyage to Brazil, and other Europeans soon followed. Syncretic Caribbean: 2022 AD (Spider Web idea) Ancient Egypt: First Dynasty: 3150 - 2890 B.C. / Apis Bull Ritual or The Running of Apis Old Kingdom / 2,700-2,200 B.C., Middle Kingdom, / 2,050-1,800 B.C., New Kingdom / until about 34...
I Unit: Baroque & Rococo Theme: Minuet & Contradanza Introduction The Baroque is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. Rococo, less commonly Roccoco, also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding. In dance, the spirit of Rococo is present in its depiction of the curving lines of the hoop-supported skirts, the delicate lace and flower. II Learning Objectives Understand the main characteristics of the Baroque Explain relationship between the Baroque, Rococo and the Renaissance Gain an awareness of the pre-clasic aspect of these dances Experience dancing the contradanza III Main Lesson 1 The Baroque General Notes The Baroque is a style of architecture, music, dance, pain...
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