Dance Free Essays

Dance for the Camera Dance has long been a means of expression for humankind and has a power that demands attention. It can portray the highs of joyful exuberance and the lows of dark depression. The modern dance world has seen a shift towards more urban themed techniques and has captured new audiences in the process. We will write a custom essay sample on Dance or any similar topic only for you Order Now The popularity of urban dance has carried over to Hollywood and is evident in numerous movies that have been released in recent years. Step up’ was one such film that garnered the interest of the masses and soon came worldwide phenomena. It changed the common perception of millions of non-dancers that dancing is in fact an art form deserving respect. In this paper, will be discussing the film itself, exploring the movement genres displayed, and I will conclude by deconstructing the main ideas of the film. In the film’s opening scene, it begins with a glimpse into two different worlds of culture. The camera shifts back and forth between high society ballet and urban competitive street dancing. The two groups were beginning their performance in the background as the introductory music played. The ballet angers’ movements were overtly formal, proper and elegant, while the hip- hop dancers more rugged, abrasive, and explosive. A stark contrast is presented between the classical dances of past eras and the innovation and inspiration of modern conception. However, despite their differences, both groups displayed cohesion, uniformity and were distinctly polished in their respective trades. Played by Changing Datum, Tyler Gage is a rebellious teenage boy who lives in a foster home in one of Baltimore’s toughest neighborhoods. All of his peers come from broken homes where making ends meet takes priority over pursuing dreams. He struggles to stay out of trouble and has not always succeeded. He and his friends make money by stealing cars and hustling neighborhood thugs on outdoor basketball courts. It is in this setting where he establishes himself as a highly talented break dancer. One night after a confrontation at a neighborhood party, they break into a nearby school to blow off steam and vandalize the theaters stage. Tyler alone is caught by the security guard on duty and he is sentenced to two hundred hours Of community service. His service entails working as the janitor Of this prestigious art school. The school Tyler and his friends broke into just appended to be one for the talented and gifted, the Maryland School of the Arts. Many of the students who attended the school came from privileged backgrounds, which only heightened the disparity between Tyler and the student body. Although the means in which Tyler arrived on campus were not favorable, his misfortune would serve to create an introduction to the leading lady and his future dance partner. Nora Clark, played by Jean Dean, lives in a privileged neighborhood and is an aspiring ballerina at the school. There, she is the institution’s most dedicated creative dance student and is hard at work on her senior project. Norm’s mom does not encourage her pursuit of dance, so Nora promises her mother that if she does not land with a dance company she will apply to a University. So for she dancing was an passion, it was going to be her livelihood In the movie there was Improvisation and Creative Movement, although was able to find signs of Improvisation Movement as well as Creative Movement. Since Improvisation is not about an actual dance step that a person would learn in a classroom, the participants are encouraged to move in a way that is unique and Original to them. Was able to see from Tellers style of dance, Hip Hop, a lot of Improvisation Movements. For example, in the beginning of the movie when he was dancing with a girl at this party, He portrayed freestyle dancing and in doing so he is basically improving. Learning about dance says â€Å"Improvisation is a wonder tool that all dancers and choreographer can use in order to find out more about themselves, create new movements and experience the freedom of moving spontaneously. † It is during this time that people are able to cut loose and enjoy moving freely with friends to good music, which is why it wasn’t surprising to see Tyler getting his groove on. When we look at Norm’s style of dance, there is neither Improvisation nor retrieve movement. She’s a participant that has a background in dance technique, and has advanced experience because of the dance school she attends. So her style would not necessarily match up with Improvisation Movement for the reason of, while improving being an advanced dancer with a lot of technical training she will fall back on what she knows rather than move freely and organically. Likewise you also can’t say it’s exactly a creative movement because Ballet, her style of dance contradicts it. Creative movement is a dance genre that does not necessarily require the participants o have a background in dance technique; it also focuses on self-expression and self-exploration. Nonetheless Ballet requires a dancer to put in the work necessary and to do so you will need to have a background in dance techniques, also the choreographer directs everything in Ballet leaving participant with no real self- expression or self-exploration. Learning about dance talk about Creative Movement and says â€Å"Dance teachers will Often use this form with children, and many feel that children (particularly pre- Kindergarten through third grade) benefits more from practicing creative pavement than some of the more formal techniques, such as ballet. With creative movement, the children’s individual personalities influence how they are going to move. The teacher usually leads and guides (instead of dictating or demonstrating like a choreographer) the students through different exercises, so that participants make most of the creative decisions. The film director Anne Fletcher chose to use hip-hop soundtracks during the opening scene, which set a tone that would carry throughout the movie. By utilizing this feature at the start of the film, it engages the viewer with an appetizing, unorthodox combination. It was this brilliant infusion of two opposing styles that laid the groundwork for dance to be utilized as a vehicle fo r overcoming divisive societal obstacles. Tyler is from the bad end of Baltimore, and Nora the expensively stylish part. The way they acted, their speech, and the way they dressed was different from one another. This was all enhanced by the difference in their style of dancing hip hop and ballet. Dance was the method use to portrayed falling in love process of a couple from different sides of the tracks. Tyler and Nora show some chemistry during their first big kiss, and a shot Of the sun lowly setting behind them made the moment magical. The power of dance was present in the very way Norm’s perception of Tyler drastically changes doing their rehearsal period. She originally saw him as a punk, the guy who trashed their theaters stage, this no good rebellious clown. After spying Teller’s dance display outside the school, although Nora pretends to frown upon his goofball ways, she secretly likes his style of dance. She began to build up interest in Tyler. It was at this peek she decided to then settle for him as the substitution rehearsal partner, upon the injury of her former partner. Dance did not only draw Nora closer to Tyler, but vice versa as well. He was greatly transformed mentally and physically. Before their acquaintance, Tyler was stealing cars, playing neighborhood basketball games, and a straight jerk to his siblings. Form what is consequent from their acquaintance is that because of the boundary breaking strength of dance, Tyler was able fall in love with Nora, Which altered his whole character. He finally abandoned stealing cars and hustling basketball games, and began to be an older brother to his siblings, because of his dedication to Norm’s dance reference. The film ‘Step Up’ allowed the general public to gain a greater understanding of modern dance, address societal movements and display performance techniques. Different forms of dance were used in the film to portray two lifestyles, which illustrated deeper social issues. Dance was also used to unite the two different lifestyles. Overall, the story used dance techniques to portray personalities, but was also used to bring change and unity. How to cite Dance, Papers