Bamdad Dance In America
Dance is such a beautiful art because it is not only something that we, in America, share with each other, it is practiced world-wide. In Baghdad, there is one dance in school in particular that focuses on using dance to bring people together. The Baghdad School of Music and Ballet has given decade’s worth of children the opportunity to purse their dreams in the arts. The country of Iraq, which Bagdad is the capital of, has been at war for years which causes a lot of fear in the children who are only trying to go to dance class and enjoy their youth. It is different to the other school’s in Iraq because it gives boys and girls the opportunity to work together instead of being segregated into different classes based on their gender. Amongst
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the rise of religious extremism, it had been claimed that ballet was “immoral” and “anti-Islamic”. This caused the school to remove their sign from the street and have children hid their musical instruments when in public in fear of having the studio shut down by the government. In the height of the war, enrollment dropped drastically due to the kidnappings and bombings in the area and parents where afraid to have their children out of their sight. The students pray that the violence can surcease so that they can continue in their studies. This school is outlet for so many children who have been exposed to all the hatred and violence and anger at such a young age and need a way to get away from it all. The students at this school have been able to form bonds with each other that will last a lifetime because they can understand what each other are going through. The student’s parents are proud of their children and are glad they have found something that makes them happy. Broadway is a place that every dancer dreams of going one day. Developing this legendary are began in what we know today as the “Theatre district” on West 42nd Street in the early 1900s. Today, if you walk down Broadway, you will see 40 individual theatres but it didn’t not always look that way. The Theatre district area used to be an undeveloped countryside and was occupied by the Hopper family’s farm up until 1899 when the “Victoria Theatre” was built in its place. Owned by a man named Oscar Hammerstein, the Victoria Theatre was a 1,000 seat venue that brought a sense of elegance to the city that all the people adored. As the theatre district wanted to expanded, the idea to move into the “Longacre Square “ came to mind. Longacre Square was the intersection of two busy avenues and was refereed to as the “crossroads of the world”. Hammerstein brought his Olympia Theatre into Longacre Sqaure which he illuminated with light initiating the nickname the “Great White Way”. During World War I, the people of New York had to fight for the city to restore the coal ration so that they could keep the lights of the marquees on and the make the city look bright and alive. The visual of the Broadway lights at night has become so iconic that people will travel to the city just to get a glimpse of what it looks like in person. Broadway has always found a way to bring large amounts of people out together to share the meaning of the story with one another. One of the ways that these musicals are able to tell a story is by the choreography. Bob Fosse is one of the most well-known choreographers, known for his work in in Sweet Charity, Cabaret, and Pippin earning him 8 Academy Awards and a Tony Award for best choreography. Another choreographer who is an icon in the eyes of Broadway, is Gene Kelly. Kelly was known for his creativity and ability to push the limits on choreography. He has done this in ways such as portraying a mouse in Anchors Aweigh and having sailors performing ballet in On the Town. He continued to push the boundaries when he joined the film industry with An American in Paris where he choreographed all of the dance scenes including the lengthy ballet finale. He received he an Academy Award as well for his “achievements in the art of choreography on film.” The following year he choreographed and now started in a second movie called Singin’ in the Rain. Kelly managed in sing and dance in the rain while twirling his prop umbrella. One of Broadway’s top rated musical’s that is still currently being performed is Lin Manuel Miranda’s, Hamilton. The story of Hamilton is based upon the life of founding father, Alexander Hamilton. The musical has become popular by people of all ages for its catchy soundtrack and easy-to-follow story line. Hamilton has won an astounding 16 Tony nominations and a Grammy for “Best Musical Theatre Album”. Broadway gives the dancers involved in it the opportunity to become a triple-threat and an influence the lives of others. The most recent style that has been added into the dance community is hip hop.
Hip hop originated in the Bronx in the 1970s and was referred to as “street dancing”. In an attempt to expand hip hop, there were tours that would go through the city and would show off their new dance moves. As the hip hop movement progressed through out the 20th century, so did the music that went along with it. The music seemed to slow down over time and stray away from super up-tempo beats. With this change in music, it allowed for the dance moves to progress as well. Hip hop was starting to be referred to as “free style” and was moving its way into pop culture. As soon as an actor, musician, etc. would do a simple movement such as the “running man”, it would lead to a nation-wide trend. Each of these new trends have resemblance to traditional African dancing which is what the roots of hip-hop are mostly based upon. Traditional African dances include Indlamu, Kpanlogo, Moribayasa, etc. which are typically danced to honor a god or bring you closer to loved one’s who have died. Other ways that hip hop have swept the nation is through television and movies. Shows such as “So You Think You Can Dance” and “America’s Best Dance Crew” have millions of viewers per episode and have large portions of the competition dedicated to hip hop. Also, in movies such as “Step Up” there is a love story depicted through singing and dancing. The dancing has movements from all styles but is most known for hip hop. Shows and movies like these are not just seen by dancers, but all types of people who enjoy watching a good performance. Hip hop has quickly reached a large audience, quicker than anyone expected. For starting as an underground hobby for some local aspiring dancers, hip hop has come a long way and has evolved into something
great. Dance is an extremely important part of modern-day culture just as much as it always has been in the past hundreds of decades. Dance is not only visually pleasing, but it also teaches people discipline, commitment, and work ethic. Nothing will ever come easy, your accomplishments must be earned through hours of practice and dedicated. When you dance, you can not only be only focused on yourself, but the people around you. If you all do not move as one, the story will not be conveyed to its full potential. Dance is able to express an entire story in a series of movements and make people feel something.
the rise of religious extremism, it had been claimed that ballet was “immoral” and “anti-Islamic”. This caused the school to remove their sign from the street and have children hid their musical instruments when in public in fear of having the studio shut down by the government. In the height of the war, enrollment dropped drastically due to the kidnappings and bombings in the area and parents where afraid to have their children out of their sight. The students pray that the violence can surcease so that they can continue in their studies. This school is outlet for so many children who have been exposed to all the hatred and violence and anger at such a young age and need a way to get away from it all. The students at this school have been able to form bonds with each other that will last a lifetime because they can understand what each other are going through. The student’s parents are proud of their children and are glad they have found something that makes them happy. Broadway is a place that every dancer dreams of going one day. Developing this legendary are began in what we know today as the “Theatre district” on West 42nd Street in the early 1900s. Today, if you walk down Broadway, you will see 40 individual theatres but it didn’t not always look that way. The Theatre district area used to be an undeveloped countryside and was occupied by the Hopper family’s farm up until 1899 when the “Victoria Theatre” was built in its place. Owned by a man named Oscar Hammerstein, the Victoria Theatre was a 1,000 seat venue that brought a sense of elegance to the city that all the people adored. As the theatre district wanted to expanded, the idea to move into the “Longacre Square “ came to mind. Longacre Square was the intersection of two busy avenues and was refereed to as the “crossroads of the world”. Hammerstein brought his Olympia Theatre into Longacre Sqaure which he illuminated with light initiating the nickname the “Great White Way”. During World War I, the people of New York had to fight for the city to restore the coal ration so that they could keep the lights of the marquees on and the make the city look bright and alive. The visual of the Broadway lights at night has become so iconic that people will travel to the city just to get a glimpse of what it looks like in person. Broadway has always found a way to bring large amounts of people out together to share the meaning of the story with one another. One of the ways that these musicals are able to tell a story is by the choreography. Bob Fosse is one of the most well-known choreographers, known for his work in in Sweet Charity, Cabaret, and Pippin earning him 8 Academy Awards and a Tony Award for best choreography. Another choreographer who is an icon in the eyes of Broadway, is Gene Kelly. Kelly was known for his creativity and ability to push the limits on choreography. He has done this in ways such as portraying a mouse in Anchors Aweigh and having sailors performing ballet in On the Town. He continued to push the boundaries when he joined the film industry with An American in Paris where he choreographed all of the dance scenes including the lengthy ballet finale. He received he an Academy Award as well for his “achievements in the art of choreography on film.” The following year he choreographed and now started in a second movie called Singin’ in the Rain. Kelly managed in sing and dance in the rain while twirling his prop umbrella. One of Broadway’s top rated musical’s that is still currently being performed is Lin Manuel Miranda’s, Hamilton. The story of Hamilton is based upon the life of founding father, Alexander Hamilton. The musical has become popular by people of all ages for its catchy soundtrack and easy-to-follow story line. Hamilton has won an astounding 16 Tony nominations and a Grammy for “Best Musical Theatre Album”. Broadway gives the dancers involved in it the opportunity to become a triple-threat and an influence the lives of others. The most recent style that has been added into the dance community is hip hop.
Hip hop originated in the Bronx in the 1970s and was referred to as “street dancing”. In an attempt to expand hip hop, there were tours that would go through the city and would show off their new dance moves. As the hip hop movement progressed through out the 20th century, so did the music that went along with it. The music seemed to slow down over time and stray away from super up-tempo beats. With this change in music, it allowed for the dance moves to progress as well. Hip hop was starting to be referred to as “free style” and was moving its way into pop culture. As soon as an actor, musician, etc. would do a simple movement such as the “running man”, it would lead to a nation-wide trend. Each of these new trends have resemblance to traditional African dancing which is what the roots of hip-hop are mostly based upon. Traditional African dances include Indlamu, Kpanlogo, Moribayasa, etc. which are typically danced to honor a god or bring you closer to loved one’s who have died. Other ways that hip hop have swept the nation is through television and movies. Shows such as “So You Think You Can Dance” and “America’s Best Dance Crew” have millions of viewers per episode and have large portions of the competition dedicated to hip hop. Also, in movies such as “Step Up” there is a love story depicted through singing and dancing. The dancing has movements from all styles but is most known for hip hop. Shows and movies like these are not just seen by dancers, but all types of people who enjoy watching a good performance. Hip hop has quickly reached a large audience, quicker than anyone expected. For starting as an underground hobby for some local aspiring dancers, hip hop has come a long way and has evolved into something
great. Dance is an extremely important part of modern-day culture just as much as it always has been in the past hundreds of decades. Dance is not only visually pleasing, but it also teaches people discipline, commitment, and work ethic. Nothing will ever come easy, your accomplishments must be earned through hours of practice and dedicated. When you dance, you can not only be only focused on yourself, but the people around you. If you all do not move as one, the story will not be conveyed to its full potential. Dance is able to express an entire story in a series of movements and make people feel something.