Assignment 1 Blog "And What They Wore"

                                           How Do Clothing and Dancing Go Hand and Hand?

When I think of historical dancers and clothing I think of Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley.  I think that these two artists paved the way for our entertainment world today. I think that the clothing and dance a performer chooses can go along with the mood and rhythm of performance. We all have our own style in clothing and in music. I think dancing and wardrobe go hand in hand because is an expression of the artist. Sometimes we wear things because of a trend. Sometimes our apparel is our voice and expression of art without saying a word. I think these two artists had a good hand on clothing and dance. They had their own self possession in performing.

 Michael Jackson for instance he wore flashy jackets with sparkling glitter (which I think set the mood) and one white glove? He also wore a hat and used it as one of his dancing tools. The clothes he wore not only set a new look to the modern age but it also fit with the rhythm and plot of the music. In his hit single “Smooth Criminal” music video. He wore a white suit, blue shirt, black tie, khaki pants, black shoes and his traditional hat. He blended his style in with the plot of the song. Michael was a performer and an artist. I think Michael Jackson would pull the attention of his audience in with his clothing and then he would start to dance and you would be hooked. I could never see Michael singing any one of his songs and not getting his grove on. His style in wardrobe defiantly went hand in hand with his term. He was a performer. He had a beauty of form. The audience was always in tune with his dancing and I think his clothing was an added bonus.

 Elvis Presley also set the manner for clothing and dancing. Elvis Presley was thought to be the devil in his day, because of his style and way of dancing. I think Elvis Presley was misunderstood as a performer. His style was so different from all other singers in his time; he broke all the rules and made a statement by his expression of emotion. I think Elvis was a great natural dancer. He wore flashy loud clothes like tight leather, suit, and half button down shirts. Elvis even had his own big hair. I think his closely related styles go along with today’s genres. I think Elvis and Michael had their own taste in music and style, never boring. I think both of these artists started a trend in music and clothing that you see a lot of today. Elvis wasn’t afraid to perform his own style in dance and clothing. That is what made him a true artist. You could tell when Elvis was singing and dancing he was in touch with his own approval. I think we have come along ways in the performance world. It is normal to make a spark in the clothing and dancing world today. This is a new age of performance wither it be Folk, Rock-n-Roll, Jazz, R&B, or Classical. It will be very interesting to see what the future will hold for Dancing and Clothing in the performance world.

Austin Minton

“The Value and Cycles of Life"

                                           

 

                                              

                           Part 2C - Blog: The Importance of Cycles

                                     

  I think we all value life in our own way. I think we go through life a lot of the time and don’t really think about the cycle. I value the life wither it be human or animal. In my life I have some ways that mark the events of the recurring cycle. I have an everyday cycle that I go through. I get up and get ready each day. I brush my teeth, fix my hair, wash my face, put on my clothes and get ready to face the day. I have school Monday through Friday and some Saturday, School is different every year, different subjects, different grade level, but yet we all had to go through year after year and it’s still same in its own way. I have a birthday each year that I celebrate this is a perfect example of the recurring events. This is a cycle of our life span.

The changing of the seasons is a cycle. We have winter, fall, spring, and summer. The seasons have a role in our recurring events. In my family one recurring event is how we farm in the summer and harvest in the fall. I always look forward to my mom’s canned salsa and canned pear jelly. Yummy!!  The cycle of the seasons we know quite well, when spring and summer comes along the trees blossom and bloom. When the tree leaves fall off in autumn we know winter is right around the corner, it is a cycle of earth rejuvenation so each year it can bring another cycle.

 My belief /religion in my life are a cycle and a recurring event. I try to pray every day. My family goes to church every Sunday. Every recurring year I try to serve the Lord better. In almost every culture we all have our own way of strong values and cycles of life. In the Buddhist and Hindu cultures the strong values vary. The Buddhist has their recurring cycles of life. They do not pray to a Creator God but they do meditate and this can be compared to praying. They also believe that you should love all living beings and with this practice will come the benefits of goodness in  history if you practice this. The Buddhist worship images, such as the temple or Centres. They have what they call a pure land in the west that is made with pure infinite light that Amida and has prepared for them to visit.

 Hinduism is a belief in one God called Brahman. Brahman means that there are literally thousands of gods and goddesses in Hinduism that each contains a part, or embodies a characteristic of Brahman. Many Hindus choose one god or goddess as their representation of Brahman, but may have many gods and goddesses that they worship or celebrate. Daily worship and it is called puja includes lightning incense, prayer, and meditation They also believe in suffering,karma,and reincarnation.Reincarnation essentially means to be reborn. They believe the body is like a set of clothing that the soul removes before putting on  new clothing.From the Hindu viewpoint, one can be born as a human,an animal, an insect, or even a plant.How each person lives and the deeds they do both in current and past life determines what sort of rebirth they obtain? Hindus believe that while death is the end of this life, it is also the beginning of a new cycle.

 All of these beliefs and cycles of recurring life are handed down through each generation. Sometimes they change a little down through time. Humans can have different life styles and spiritual beliefs; we can all look at the seasons different. Celebrate the holidays in our own ways. Worship our God or goddess. We can change and evolve, but we all have one thing in common and that is the values of recurring life cycles.

Austin Minton