• Lomax, Alan and Forrestine Paulay (Directors). “Choremetrics presents: Movement Style and Culture: Dance and Human HIstory (1974).” YouTube, uploaded by Benjamín Slavutzky. Jan 05, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMPOaqtPXKI&list=PLLG1cXfxuEMpSFWs4H-DguZb6LUi0GcXk&index=3
• Boylston, Isabella. “Ballerina Breaks Down 11 Iconic Ballet Scenes.” YouTube, uploaded by Insider. Nov 22, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uloBdN4WNkk
Choose one or two of the following critical questions to guide your critical response (~250 words), or respond freely, if you would rather. Don’t forget to include your own critical discussion question. Please do not respond to all of these questions. These are simply a guide to get you started in your own critical response. Likewise, you are welcome to write your response independent of the questions I have provided here. While these prompts focus on the Lomax and Boyalston videos, feel free to include relevant observations from other videos, images or activities and discussion seen in class this week. You can also write a response that has nothing to do with the questions I’ve asked here. Even though these questions are about the Lomax and Boylston videos, you can also talk about other videos, pictures, activities, and discussions from class this week if they are relevant. Include your own critical question to further the discussion.
• How do identity, gender norms, social position, geographical location, religion, or other factors influence dance (both cultural and performative/artistic) in your experience? How do the Lomax and Boyalston videos support or contradict your opinion, and how does that add to or complicate your position?
• Lomax talks about the the relationship between the movements of cultural dance in the world, and the daily lives of these peoples. Please expand on this idea given either your own experiences with dance or with other cultural celebrations, either as a participant or an observer, perhaps from festivals, cultural shows, studies, or personal experiences.
• Both videos give a single perspective of a variety of dances or cultures. What other voices or perspectives would you be interested in hearing, and why?
• Lomax gives us some vocabulary to classify cultural movements, like “one-dimensional movement” and “multi-unit trunk movement”. Boyalston also gives us vocabulary to use when looking at modern performative dance, from “coffee grinder” to “grand jeté.” What experience, if any, do you have with either these movements or this vocabulary? What did you find useful/interesting/surprising about these descriptions and explanations of movement?
• Lomax discusses at length different cultural uses and definitions of physical touch, and the palm. How do your own experiences support or contradict Lomax’s ideas? What did you find useful/interesting/surprising about these descriptions and explanations of the relationship between the palm and various cultural expressions? Does your experience with modern and performative dance styles (like those discussed in the Boyalston video) support or contradict Lomax’s observations, had how?

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