Big Apple- Art Event

1)When dancing the Carolina Shag, the dancer counts 2 triple steps (1 and 2, 3 and 4) and a ball change (5, 6). So, in order, 1 and 2 and 3 and 4, 5 6.

2)The Big Apple Building is an important historical building in Columbia. Originally called the “House of Peace Synagogue” it was built in 1907-1909. When it was first built, it was located on 100 yards south of its present site on Hampton/Park Street. In 1936 the building was sold because the congregation outgrew it and moved to the location where it is currently placed. When it was bought it was also renamed the “Big Apple Nightclub”. This became a popular African American juke joint. One day a couple of white students from USC heard the music coming from the building and wanted to go watch. From then on it became a popular event for the white students to go watch the African American’s dance. They were only allowed to watch from the balcony though. From this, the dance “The Big Apple” was named, after the building. Today, the building retains many of its original architectural features such as the synagogue’s domed ceiling and the neon moon and stars from its days as a nightclub. Natural light beams in from the two-story windows and the view from the balcony is splendid. The Big Apple was purchased by the Historic Columbia Foundation in 1993 and since has become a favorite location for memorable weddings, parties, luncheons and special events.

3)The Carolina Shag is the state dance of South Carolina. The original Carolina Shag is said to have originated in the Atlantic Beach area, but most agree on the modern form of the dance being danced in the Myrtle Beach area in the mid 1940’s. “Charlie’s Place”, a black dance club in the Myrtle Beach area, is speculated to have been the originating building of the Carolina Shag. The Shag may be danced to R&B music, blues music, or beach music. Shag emphasizes grace and smoothness over turns and athleticism. Unlike free style and hip hop dancing, shag is “danced from the waist down.” You need to achieve smooth, tight footwork with the look of having rubber knees.

Columbia Museum of Art- Event

Describe-
The photo that really caught my eye at the art museum was called “Madonna I”. This picture was one of the biggest in the exhibit. The official dimensions of this photo are 281.8 by 207 cm, or about 9 feet. The artist, Andreas Gursky, is known for his outsize, minutely detailed photographs. Originally, Gursky gave the photo to Madonna with an inscribed message on the back. But, according to the sale's catalogue, she parted with the piece in 2005, either cashing it in or giving it away, leading some to surmise the photo has been consigned by her ex-husband, Guy Ritchie. Other editions of the work reside in the permanent collections of the Pompidou Center and Düsseldorf's Kunst Palast. The photo itself is an aerial shot of Madonna playing to a packed Los Angeles audience on Sept.13, 2001. The original concert was scheduled to be on September 11th, but in the wake of the World Trade Center attacks, it was rescheduled. Madonna is wearing an American flag around her waist. The photo uses Cibachrome printing. Cibachrome prints have been used in museums for displaying images and everywhere else that high quality archival prints are needed. They are considered one of the most stable fade-resistant and affordable color prints available. In fact, they are made on the most fade resistant material currently available. Unlike normal color prints that have the pigment on the surface of the paper, the color pigment in these prints are built into the paper. The dyes are called AZO dyes and they are known for their exceptional stability and color purity.

Analyze-
The photo is of Madonna performing for a packed house in 2011. The photo has such an intense feeling. (Maybe because it’s 9 feet tall) I think the photo reveals a lot about Madonna. She’s obviously very popular judging by the large amount of people at the concert. I think it also reveals Madonna’s love for her country. She still decided to perform 2 days after the attacks on the Twin Towers. She also wears an American flag around her waist to show her support. The crowd is very overwhelming when you look at the photo. Most of the people in the picture can’t even see Madonna on the stage. She is also showing a lot of passion in the picture. She’s jumping up and down and appears to be belting out lyrics. From this picture, Madonna looks very passionate about her music.

Relate-
Andreas Gursky is a German visual artist known for his enormous architecture and landscape, often employing a high point of view. He was born in Leipig; in 1955, but he grew up in Dusseldorf, the son of a commercial photographer. In the early 1980s, at Germany's State Art Academy, the Kunstakademie Dusseldorf, Gursky received strong training and influence from his teachers, Hilla and Bernd Becher,a photographic team known for their distinctive, dispassionate method of systematically cataloging industrial machinery and architecture. A similar approach may be found in Gursky's methodical approach to his own, larger-scale photography. Before the 1990s, Gursky did not digitally manipulate his images. In the years since, Gursky has been frank about his reliance on computers to edit and enhance his pictures, creating an art of spaces larger than the subjects photographed. Visually, Gursky is drawn to large, anonymous, man-made spaces—high-rise facades at night, office lobbies, stock exchanges, the interiors of big box retailers. As of early 2007, Gursky holds the record for highest price paid at auction for a single photographic image.

Assignment #6- Dance

1.       The Baroque period of dance was from about 1600-1750. The Baroque period is characterized by dynamic movement, overt emotion and self-confident rhetoric. It was very grandeur with sensuous richness, drama, vitality, movement, tension, and emotional exuberance.  The reign of Louis XIV of France (1638 - 1715) was a quintessence of European culture. During his rule and under his enthusiastic guidance, the art of ballet was born. His court at Versailles was a glittering one in which dance played a pivotal role. It is here that baroque dance history begins. Baroque dance consisted of ballroom dancing as well as social dancing. The majority of surviving choreographies from the period are English country dance. English country dance is a form of folk dance. It is a social dance form, which has earliest documented instances with Queen Elizabeth I of England.

2.       People dance for many reasons. Dance is a major form of expression. Dancers express not only their feelings through dance but their abilities as well. Some people also dance as a form of prayer. Some religious ceremonies involving lots of dancing. Dancing is also a great way to get fit. There are all kinds of dance classes aimed at weight loss (Zumba, Aerobics etc). Social interaction is also a major reason that people dance. There are many types of social dances. South Carolina even has its own social dance, The Carolina Shag. Going to clubs to dance is very popular in today’s society. Dancing is a great way to meet new people and spend time with friends. Above all, dancing is fun! People may dance for many reasons, but most just find it to be an overall enjoyable experience.

3.       The Bihu dance is a folk dance from the Indian state of Assam related to the festival of Bihu. This joyous dance is performed by both young men and women, and is characterized by brisk dance steps, and rapid hand movement. Dancers wear traditionally colorful Assamese clothing. It is performed in conjunction with traditional Bihu folk music, played with: the "dhol", similar to a drum; the mohor singor pepa, a pipe instrument made from a buffalo horn; the tala, a cymbal; the gogona, a reed and bamboo instrument; and the toka, a bamboo clapper. The songs (bihu geet) that accompany the dance have been handed down for many generations. The subject of the lyrics ranges from welcoming the Assamese New Year to describing the daily life of a farmer, from historical references of invasions to Assam to contemporary socio-political commentary in a satirical way. The dance takes several forms among the different northeast Indian tribes, for example, the "Garo Bihu dance" and the "Khasi Bihu dance." However, the underlying goal of the dance remains the same: to express the desire to feel both pain and happiness.