2011

Prof. Turner LONG TRINH

[DANCE: A HISTORY OF GENDERED BODIES ON STAGE]

I pledge that I have neither received nor given any unauthorized assistance during the completion of this wok. Long Trinh

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In early history, many societies used dance as a form of mating rituals. For such purpose, participants would have to demonstrate their prevalent mating qualities through a series of steps and movements, usually accompanied by music. For some primal societies the capability to succeed in life is associated with dance prowess. Thus, biologically speaking, dance could be viewed as an embodiment of human capacity. As humanity evolves, dance takes on a more subtle and gendered role. Contemporary societies often view dance as a form of courtship or social gathering. The choreography and supporting elements in dance serves as a form of non-verbal communication (14). It is poetry given form and thus, like poetry, dance delivers its messages via the audiences imagination. This characteristic is what makes dance an art form, for it combines the purposeful performance of the dancers with the viewers interpretation, making each experience unique and personal. Indeed, the most obvious and instrumental element of dance is the dancers bodies. Thus, dance can evokes sexual images, for it basically displays movements of the human body. This sexual visibility is easily observable, particularly in jazz or ballet. You can see how our formal dance costume make the body lines as visible as possible. Occasionally dancers may choose to appear nude. The biological difference between mens and womens bodies serve as the first distinction and the first determinant of their roles. For instance, men are often fit and muscular, so they usually perform lifting. Accordingly, women are small and thin since they often get lifted

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or have to perform hanging movements. Thus, gender and sex can dictate the roles and choreography on-stage, but this can vary depending on the dancers and the performance itself. The effect of such sexual imagery is potent, for the artistic elements of dance allow it to escape the constraints of the physical and social world, while the messages that dance conveys are rooted in our deepest, most primal and most natural identities. For the audience, its an opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the human body and to let their imagination flow. For the performers themselves, its an opportunity to express their sexual identities in the barest, purest and most unhindered display. Due to such natural and unconstrained qualities, the gender differentiation in dance does not create discomfort, but instead harmony and unison. The distinctive images and messages that the bodies convey converge to create a harmonious overall picture of the dance. It helps each dancer to learn and internalize his/her roles in the performance and express such roles in the most natural ways Women in particular have found a way of expressing their new-found purposes and status through creative and daring dance steps. No longer a recreational activity, dance has been taken up by the modern women as a professional endeavor and a way of self-expression that had been sublimed by men (Hanna 131). It is not only a way of expressing womens sexual identity, but also a claim to the ownership of the female body and a rallying cry for female power In conclusion, through the artistic representation of the human body, dance preserves and develops gender dynamics in societies, facilitating traditional gender roles while serving as new avenues for innovation. Dance allows audience and dancers alike a degree of sexual freedom that transcends the limits of normal life.