The issue that was chosen by my group, JuicyR, was one that shocked us in our transition from high school to college. The issue is that due to the lack of multicultural unity at UCR there is a lack of school spirit. When we first attended UC Riverside, we realized that the campus is really diverse, unlike many of the high schools we went to. At first, we thought this was amazing, until we began to notice that most students of their same ethnicity cluttered into groups to spend time together. We also noticed this happening even in fraternities, sororities, and other student organizations. Most organizations are based on a certain type of culture and are usually not very open to others. As we spoke about it as a group, we noticed that for most of us realizing this was very disappointing and it made us feel unwelcome in specific organizations. We are aware that we are not the only group of students who felt this way; therefore, we decided to focus our performance on this issue. We believe that if there were more unity between cultures, then we would be able to have closer relationships with each other as well as possibly develop more things in common and easily be united when needed to represent our university.
While analyzing our performance, I came to realize that there were certain things that had we included them it would have made our performance better. However, I believe that overall our theme was well represented. I personally enjoyed this project because I saw a different perspective to dance. I understood and experienced that dancing can communicate strong points one usually wants make. While doing the choreography with two other classmates, I learned more about critical thinking because the three of us had to meet in order to analyze the issue and try to apply it to what we had learned in class in order to have an effective choreography. Some of the things we could have included in the performance to make it better were adding different clothing to the costume and adding certain movements to our dance. Aside from that, I believe that the set up of the performance, the dance moves, the music, the custom, and the gestures symbolized strong things that helped us to successfully represent our issue.
(The group focused on what we are about to do)
First, I would like to describe the things that successfully defined our theme: one of them was the set-up of the performance. The group was aiming for organization and neatness due to the fact that we were a big group. It was crucial for us to focus on this so our audience would not misinterpret our theme or feel confused. In order to accomplish this, we separated the entire group into three smaller ones and each group was assigned to a choreographer. Each groups’ responsibility was to represent a different ethnicity similar to what we see on campus. Each small group had less than a minute to represent their identity through a dance while the other two groups watched them without any interest in their style. Aside from this helping us in making our performance flow smoothly, it also helped us with classifying different identities.
(The “U” and the “C” group wanting to join the “R” group)
The dance movements were also successful because they helped show a variety of dance moves that exist. Each group differed in their dance moves that were based on the specific rhythm of their music. For instance, some dances moves where slower than the others and some were faster depending on the rhythm of the song the group was dancing to. The purpose of this was to show that even though they differed in their dance moves, they shared something which was dancing. They were all excited about dancing and representing their identity. What we wanted to gain from this was getting the viewer thinking about what it would be like if the entire group’s energies joined. This would obviously create a strong energy of enthusiasm, happiness, and unity, which we define as school spirit.
Another thing that was important and successful in defining the theme was the music. Since there were three groups, each one had to have their own music. Each song again had to represent a different ethnicity. The songs that were assigned to each group were Solta o Frango, from Brazil, Soul Bossa Nova, from Brazil, and Bonde Do Role, from Africa. Even though Bossa Nova was also representing Brazil, the song had slightly different roots than the song of Solta o Frango because jazz is incorporated into it. The reason why we choose to do this was to show that even if one is from the same country as someone else, it does not necessarily mean that they follow an exact same culture. Both songs showed a different side of Brazil.
Even though our costuming was very plain and simple, it symbolized something very strong. We obtained t-shirts with a different letter on them that when put together would spell out UCR. Each group was assigned a letter in order to show the division between people. However, the colors of the shirts were the same; blue and gold, in order to show that even though we belonged to a different letter, we all valued the same colors since after all we all attend UC Riverside. Towards the end is when each group decides to join together and through this we successfully are able to spell out UCR. The purpose for this was to show that once we are able to accept and unite with other students of a different culture, we can obtain a strong energy that could be created into school spirit. The way we showed how the three groups were able to obtain this was through each one of them being open to each other’s dance and finally dancing together with streamers.
The last thing that was very successful in defining the issue was our group of gestures. We all agreed that we would not include talking in our performance in order to make it more creative and so the audience would be forced to pay close attention and analyze it. Even though we knew this would be a challenge, we still tried it and due to this, we were able to learn more about symbolism. In the performance, while one group was dancing, the other two groups would stand behind them and make certain gestures among their own group that showed no interest in the moves of the group performing. They frowned to show that their dance was weird and not stylish. The purpose to this was to show that sometimes we criticize other cultures because we think that ours is superior to others. When we do this, we create a boundary amongst each other and sometimes even hate.
Even though I believe that our theme was well represented I also acknowledge that there were things that could have made it better. One of these things would have been adding more elements to our costumes. The reason for this is because since our topic represented a variety of identities, we would have been able to make our costumes much more creative than what they were. For example one if the ideas I had, that due to the lack of time and money we had we weren’t able to do, was including something in our costume that represented a country. Some of these things could have been flags, hats, skirts, etc. This would have made it easier for our audience to quickly understand that we were part of different cultures as well as show school spirit through the colorfulness of the attire.
Another thing I thought we could have added were dance moves that represented school spirit. For instance, moves such as pretending to swing at a baseball, bounce a basketball, ect. I believe this would have been unique and creative and at the same time it would have helped us emphasize more on school spirit.
(Enjoying what we accomplished)
To briefly summarize this, I would like to say that this was one of the most fun and challenging experiences I have had during my first year at UC Riverside. I have always enjoyed dance, but I had never seen the symbolic side of it. This project helped me understand better how valuable every single Orisha dance is to their believers. I was also able to learn about my creativity and develop more critical thinking skills when creating the choreography. At first, I thought I would not be able to do it, but once I started, many ideas came to my mind. Once I saw how successfully our set-up, our dance moves, our music, our custom, and our gestures represented our theme, I realized that thanks to the course we obtained the potential to do this and that all of the struggles we went through were worth it.
While analyzing our performance, I came to realize that there were certain things that had we included them it would have made our performance better. However, I believe that overall our theme was well represented. I personally enjoyed this project because I saw a different perspective to dance. I understood and experienced that dancing can communicate strong points one usually wants make. While doing the choreography with two other classmates, I learned more about critical thinking because the three of us had to meet in order to analyze the issue and try to apply it to what we had learned in class in order to have an effective choreography. Some of the things we could have included in the performance to make it better were adding different clothing to the costume and adding certain movements to our dance. Aside from that, I believe that the set up of the performance, the dance moves, the music, the custom, and the gestures symbolized strong things that helped us to successfully represent our issue.
(The group focused on what we are about to do)
First, I would like to describe the things that successfully defined our theme: one of them was the set-up of the performance. The group was aiming for organization and neatness due to the fact that we were a big group. It was crucial for us to focus on this so our audience would not misinterpret our theme or feel confused. In order to accomplish this, we separated the entire group into three smaller ones and each group was assigned to a choreographer. Each groups’ responsibility was to represent a different ethnicity similar to what we see on campus. Each small group had less than a minute to represent their identity through a dance while the other two groups watched them without any interest in their style. Aside from this helping us in making our performance flow smoothly, it also helped us with classifying different identities.
(The “U” and the “C” group wanting to join the “R” group)
The dance movements were also successful because they helped show a variety of dance moves that exist. Each group differed in their dance moves that were based on the specific rhythm of their music. For instance, some dances moves where slower than the others and some were faster depending on the rhythm of the song the group was dancing to. The purpose of this was to show that even though they differed in their dance moves, they shared something which was dancing. They were all excited about dancing and representing their identity. What we wanted to gain from this was getting the viewer thinking about what it would be like if the entire group’s energies joined. This would obviously create a strong energy of enthusiasm, happiness, and unity, which we define as school spirit.
Another thing that was important and successful in defining the theme was the music. Since there were three groups, each one had to have their own music. Each song again had to represent a different ethnicity. The songs that were assigned to each group were Solta o Frango, from Brazil, Soul Bossa Nova, from Brazil, and Bonde Do Role, from Africa. Even though Bossa Nova was also representing Brazil, the song had slightly different roots than the song of Solta o Frango because jazz is incorporated into it. The reason why we choose to do this was to show that even if one is from the same country as someone else, it does not necessarily mean that they follow an exact same culture. Both songs showed a different side of Brazil.
Even though our costuming was very plain and simple, it symbolized something very strong. We obtained t-shirts with a different letter on them that when put together would spell out UCR. Each group was assigned a letter in order to show the division between people. However, the colors of the shirts were the same; blue and gold, in order to show that even though we belonged to a different letter, we all valued the same colors since after all we all attend UC Riverside. Towards the end is when each group decides to join together and through this we successfully are able to spell out UCR. The purpose for this was to show that once we are able to accept and unite with other students of a different culture, we can obtain a strong energy that could be created into school spirit. The way we showed how the three groups were able to obtain this was through each one of them being open to each other’s dance and finally dancing together with streamers.
The last thing that was very successful in defining the issue was our group of gestures. We all agreed that we would not include talking in our performance in order to make it more creative and so the audience would be forced to pay close attention and analyze it. Even though we knew this would be a challenge, we still tried it and due to this, we were able to learn more about symbolism. In the performance, while one group was dancing, the other two groups would stand behind them and make certain gestures among their own group that showed no interest in the moves of the group performing. They frowned to show that their dance was weird and not stylish. The purpose to this was to show that sometimes we criticize other cultures because we think that ours is superior to others. When we do this, we create a boundary amongst each other and sometimes even hate.
Even though I believe that our theme was well represented I also acknowledge that there were things that could have made it better. One of these things would have been adding more elements to our costumes. The reason for this is because since our topic represented a variety of identities, we would have been able to make our costumes much more creative than what they were. For example one if the ideas I had, that due to the lack of time and money we had we weren’t able to do, was including something in our costume that represented a country. Some of these things could have been flags, hats, skirts, etc. This would have made it easier for our audience to quickly understand that we were part of different cultures as well as show school spirit through the colorfulness of the attire.
Another thing I thought we could have added were dance moves that represented school spirit. For instance, moves such as pretending to swing at a baseball, bounce a basketball, ect. I believe this would have been unique and creative and at the same time it would have helped us emphasize more on school spirit.
(Enjoying what we accomplished)
To briefly summarize this, I would like to say that this was one of the most fun and challenging experiences I have had during my first year at UC Riverside. I have always enjoyed dance, but I had never seen the symbolic side of it. This project helped me understand better how valuable every single Orisha dance is to their believers. I was also able to learn about my creativity and develop more critical thinking skills when creating the choreography. At first, I thought I would not be able to do it, but once I started, many ideas came to my mind. Once I saw how successfully our set-up, our dance moves, our music, our custom, and our gestures represented our theme, I realized that thanks to the course we obtained the potential to do this and that all of the struggles we went through were worth it.
Great work, Stephanie! Though spell check is a blessing, you should always re-read your work because sometimes it makes a correction that is false: 'costum' should be 'costume' in your paper. Other than a few issues with possessives, this was a very good paper! I especially enjoyed learning about your creative process in making the dance. I would like to say that because of the budget and time constraints, you managed to create a piece that was far smarter than you would've if you been able to depend on fancy costumes and more intricate moves. This piece worked on a lot of levels. I would like to share your insights with the Dean of Student Services. Your group has taken an active and productive interest in changing your campus life. I am sure they would appreciate the feedback, especially since it is so thoughtful and clearly communicated. Excellent work!
ReplyDeleteparade: √++
write up: √++