Dance History Spring 2026 MDC

  Diasporas: United States Today we'll view a documentary on Jazz dance and its historical development in the United States,  with particular attention to African American histories and contributions.   We are moving into Diasporas:  di·as·po·ra /dīˈasp(ə)rə/ noun: diaspora; plural noun: diasporas     the dispersion or spread of a people from their original homeland.  - Oxford Languages    Documentary Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance (Khadifa Wong 2020) Full film available for free on Tubi     *** Trailer for Uprooted (2020)   Interview with Director Khadifa Wong (2020)    Extended interview with Director Khadifa Wong (2020)   *** Additional Resources   The Nicholas Brothers & Cab Calloway in Stormy Weather (1943)  Cab Calloway & Animation  

    Homelands: Guatemala Overview from ancient to modern history of Guatemala, and the expansion of traditional dance into contemporary dance theater. *** Warmup Creative Movement *** Ancient History: Mayan Civilization “In Mesoamerica, the classical period took place from 200 BCE - 1000 CE (Common Era) with the emergence of cities, social stratification, and the flowering of material culture. From 300-900 CE the Maya in Mesoamerica developed astrology, calendrics, math and writing.”  - Jorge Morejon, Ph.D.    Facts about the Ancient Maya   0:40 Geography 2:00 Olmecs 3:04 Calendars 4:33 Math 7:02 Religion 7:42 War 11:15 Collapse ***   Xcaret - Pok-ta-Pok - Mayan ball game The Mesoamerican Ball Game  (Wilcox & Scarborough 1991   To Be Like Gods: Dance In Ancient Maya Civilization  (Looper 2010) Rulers are depicted in dance, on stelae (page 5) Grupo Pakal Ceremonial @ 5:30  Ball game @ 14:20   *** Q&A with guest...

      Homelands: Native North America Today we look at some of the complex history of Turtle Island (North America - attrib. Lenape ) and traditional and contemporary dance practices   Above: Choreography by Tanya Lukin Linklater at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art *** Warmup Land Acknowledgement: [We] acknowledge that we stand on the land of the Tequesta, Calusa, Miccosukee and Seminole peoples. We stand in solidarity with them and we honor and respect the ancestors, elders and descendants of these tribes.  - Miami Light Project   Dignity Practice ( Miakoda Taylor )   *** Natasha Oda, Miss Aloha Hula 2001    *** Student Presentation: Distant History    *** History America B.C. 0:00 - 6:18 Introduction & Creation Stories Beringia Land Bridge Theory 12:24 - 20:48 Ocean Arrival 28:00 - 32:00 Language Question: What event or cultural feature stood out to you from the video?   Tribal Nations Map ( Carapella 2013 ) ...

      Homelands: Bali Traditional and contemporary Balinese dance and theater.   *** Warmup Sildet   *** Maps of Bali History of Indonesia      *** Traditions of Balinese Dance & Cultural Practice Balinese Royal Wedding   0:00-5:30   Barong Dance Question: What actions are performed in the Barong dance to animate the character and tell a story? Gamelan Çudamani     Questions:  What are some differences in the male and female dance styles that you see, particularly as performed by Gamelan Çudamani? Pak Nyoman Cerita - Jauk Manis    *** Modern History: Civil War & Genocide    Dark Side of Paradise https://www.jstor.org/stable/2651312?seq=1     Bite-Sized Bali (Brachey 2020) https://theclassicjournal.org/bite-sized-bali-grown-in-genocide-consumed-by-capitalism/    “Although the events of 1965 have shaped Bali, marks of the genocide are absent in its landscapes and monuments. S...

      Homelands: Thailand An overview of the regions of Thailand and various dance forms, including Classical (Central Thailand), Lanna (Northern Thailand), and Contemporary Southeast Asian dance.   *** Warmup Thai self massage   *** Ancient History Four Regions of Thailand History of Thailand     Historical Footage: 1910-1930 Siam   0:00 East vs. West (Orientalism) 16:00 Dance *** Classical Dance (Central Thailand) How Traditional Dance Battle Masks Are Made In Thailand     ‘Khon’ - the beautiful and mesmerizing masked dance drama of Thailand      Costume revival *** Lanna Kingdom & Renaissance   Thailand History: The Story of the Lanna Kingdom     Thailand History: The Story of the Lanna Kingdom     Reading: What is Lanna? https://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/clg/our-city/history/what-is-lanna-how-lanna-became-the-identity-and-brand-it-is-today/     Question 1: (See discussion boar...

       Homelands: Egypt  Today, we will look at the reconstructed dance traditions of Ancient Egypt, and contemporary Egyptian folk & entertainment dances. *** Warmup Sun Salutations   *** Ancient History Ancient Egypt 101 (National Geographic) Questions: What were some of the technological and scholarly innovations of Ancient Egypt?   Copper Age: Finger Cymbals Mr Ibrahim playing sagat (finger cymbals) in Cairo, Egypt *** Reconstruction of Dances   Ancient Egyptian Dances (Irena Lexova)   Pages 8 & 9 The Dance: Historic Illustrations of Dancing   Chapter 1   Activity:  In groups, read the texts above. Based on their illustrations - or by searching for more Ancient Egyptian depictions of dance in art - re/create 5 dance movements. Combine phrases of two or more small groups to create a longer dance; share with class.  *** Modern History Timeline of Egyptian History (BBC) 7000 BCE to 2018 CE   Arab Spring...