Big Apple Art Event

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1. While shagging, the dancers count to six. One and two, three and four, five, six. The first two steps are triple steps, followed by a rocking motion step. The male or lead starts on the left foot, and the female starts on the right foot.

2. The Big Apple building is a former Jewish synagogue. It was named the House of Peace Synagogue in 1907, when it was still the synagogue. Once it was no longer used as a synagogue, it became the Big Apple Club. While it was the Big Apple Club, it was an African American dance club.The inside has a dome in the top, with a stained glass image with the star of David in the center.Today it is just called the Big Apple, and is now a part of the Historic Columbia Association. Some people use it for weddings today. The front of the building reminds me of the Greek Revival style because it has two columns on the front, held up by the post and lentil design. The roof meets together at one point, which also reminds me of the Greek Revival style.
(http://events.thestate.com/columbia-sc/venues/show/923383-big-apple)

3.  The Carolina shag came from the Charleston dance and originated in the 1930s in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Although it is the state dance of North and South Carolina, it first began in South Carolina. The Carolina shag is more about the movement of the feet instead of the movement of the hips. It is usually danced to beach music, and only consists of six steps.The Carolina shag became our state dance in 1984, many years after people began dancing the Carolina shag.

Columbia Museum of Art Event

 

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/community/blogosphere/wp-content/uploads/Matthew/Watson_MichaelJackson.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/community/blogosphere/2009/06/30/share-your-michael-jackson-story/&usg=___Mwac1TQYq4Qf6AklMnvNYQivdI=&h=800&w=477&sz=385&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=N3l5a9v3YbP1VM:&tbnh=154&tbnw=92&ei=acKTTYurFIODgAeC9vWtCA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmichael%2Bjackson%2Bnyc%2B1999%2Bphotograph%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D610%26tbs%3Disch:1%26prmd%3Divnso0%2C273&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=454&vpy=91&dur=71&hovh=291&hovw=173&tx=97&ty=162&oei=acKTTYurFIODgAeC9vWtCA&page=1&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:15,s:0&biw=1280&bih=610

The photograph above is the one that stood out to me the most. It was so interesting to look at and read about. Michael Jackson is one of my all time favorite musicians and this image is the perfect way for him to be remembered. One reason why it was so noticeable is because of the size. It is an 8' by 6' photograph! No one could have missed it! At first glance, you can tell that it's not just one image, but instead it is hundreds of images. Albert Watson took the hundreds of images displayed, and turned them into one big photograph. The images were taken in 1999 in New York City, but were not printed until 2000. While reading, I noticed that the process used to create the photograph is called chromogenic print. Chromogenic print is a process in which a 'silver image is formed and is then replaced with a colored dye image'.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromogenic)

This photograph is simply about the way that Michael Jackson moves his body when he dances and performs. The photographer used eight mirrors to snap hundreds of photographs of Michael Jackson. He then layered the pictures in an organized way. An interesting fact that I read about the photograph while at the museum is that these images were taken in order to decide a cover image for the Invincible album. However, for some reason it did not get used for the album cover. Instead it became one gigantic image of images! I feel that this photograph reveals Michael Jackson's life perfectly. The clothes that he is wearing is that of stylish, rocker/pop star type clothes.He was always known for his style. The images capture every possible way that he moves his body, and we was also known for the way that he danced. When I think about the history of Michael Jackson, I think about the way that he used music and dancing to express himself. It is obvious, from this photograph, that the photographer wanted to capture this aspect of Michael Jackson and show it off in an interesting way. I do not think I will ever forget this photograph!

Assignment #6

During the baroque period (1600-1750), not only dance,  but art, music, and architecture began to flourish. The baroque period was all about dynamic movement and overt emotion. Many would call the arts in the baroque period the "overdone stuff". The costumes that dancers wore during this period were very detailed. Women did not become prima dancers until the 1700s. The following picture shows an example of the types of costumes that were worn by dancers during the baroque period. The costumes were changed in the classical period so that the audience could see the dancers' ankles better.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://i.ehow.co.uk/images/a05/6n/do/history-rigodon-dance-800X800.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_5463480_history-rigodon-dance.html&usg=__fsdUOwQxAdILtDhG1A0KTa343mU=&h=375&w=500&sz=201&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=lQiq3szkbOqe2M:&tbnh=142&tbnw=187&ei=ERqATcOGOYGctwf78LXlCA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbaroque%2Bperiod%2Bdance%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D610%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=704&vpy=261&dur=2526&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=138&ty=112&oei=ERqATcOGOYGctwf78LXlCA&page=1&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:0

There are a number of reasons why people dance. When I was a child I danced tap and ballet for fun. Many people start out dancing for fun at a young age and it becomes an interest or hobby of theirs. Dance is seen to many people as a form of representation as well as a way of expression. Today there are dance classes that people take for fitness or to get in better shape. Couples may also take dance classes together as a way to spend quality time with each other. Dancing has become expected at weddings and today some people even choreograph dances for their wedding ceremonies or receptions! There are plenty of different reasons why people dance. The following is a picture of a zumba class. Zumba is a Latin-inspired dance that people do for fitness. It is offered at many gyms today.

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In class we learned about several kinds of non-western dance. The first one we discussed is called Butoh dance, which derived from Japan in 1959. It is also known as "a dance of the dark soul", which is obvious in the music and movements that we watched in class. Folk or ethnic dances come from a variety of different places and have their own ethnic costumes, music, and movement. We learned about folk and ethnic dances like belly dancing, river dancing, Irish dancing, square dancing, American Indian, and Zulu Warrior dancing. We watched a video of a kathakali dance, which comes from southern India. The costumes, especially the masks, are interesting to look at and each hand movement has a different meaning. The image below is a picture of Chinese folk dancers.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.folkdance.tk/wp-content/gallery/international-folk-dance/chinese-folk-dance.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.folkdance.tk/&usg=__HGA9KeDCrDQWffvJw5UwnxJQHE4=&h=749&w=1062&sz=62&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=-jtmfW37Uj-igM:&tbnh=139&tbnw=197&ei=Mh-ATefKJdKGtwef5pDSCA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfolk%2Bdance%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D610%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=273&vpy=138&dur=1186&hovh=188&hovw=267&tx=146&ty=103&oei=Mh-ATefKJdKGtwef5pDSCA&page=1&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0

Film Art Event

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://agcrump.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/made-in-dagenham-poster.jpg&imgrefurl=http://agcrump.wordpress.com/2010/12/06/review-made-in-dagenham-2010-dir-nigel-cole/&usg=___pfd3YGdcHZU1Ie3Ls32zCwMk_8=&h=600&w=406&sz=65&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=BMNeA4QYP6rgcM:&tbnh=147&tbnw=102&ei=C7ZlTdCdB8aitgfZ1vCqBg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmade%2Bin%2Bdagenham%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D610%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=127&vpy=246&dur=177&hovh=273&hovw=185&tx=128&ty=235&oei=C7ZlTdCdB8aitgfZ1vCqBg&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:12,s:0
I went to see Made in Dagenham at the Nickelodeon theater. It was a very interesting movie about women going on strike for equal pay in the late 1960s/early 1970s. The establishing shot was the image of women riding on bicycles to work. The establishing shot made the time period obvious by the style of bicycles and the way the women were dressed. The most unique camera angle that I noticed was a scene with the main character and her husband on the staircase in their apartment building. It was a view from the ground up and it seemed as if the camera person as laying on the ground and looking up at the staircase. I thought it was really neat and wonder if the camera person was laying on the ground. It was definitely a low-angle shot. The story line of the film definitely moved me as a woman. It made me feel proud to be a woman and even more proud that women now have equal pay because of one woman standing up for the rest of us. The scene that moved me the most was when she went to Ford headquarters and instead of looking down and not speaking like she was told to do, she spoke up and made a point that the women that were machinists were very skilled and deserved to be payed the same amount as men. It was incredible to see and hear her explaining all of these things to the men in charge of Ford. The main character, (real name Sally Hawkins) did a fantastic job portraying her character. She was very convincing from the way she expressed her emotions to her body language. All of the women that she worked with in the factory portrayed their roles well. They were very convincing that they were unhappy in their working conditions. The soundtrack was appropriate for the movie. Each song set the mood for the particular scene. Made in Dagenham is a combination between history and drama. It is based on history and the events in the movie are real and dramatic. Not only did I learn about the events when women went on strike for equal pay, but I learned about the working conditions they were faced with as well as the hardships. I learned about the events in detail from watching the movie.

Assignment #5

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1. Jazz music came about in the early 1900s, and still exists today. It was created first my African Americans, but now there are people of all races that are jazz musicians. It usually includes popular melodies and a swinging rhythm. People may also think about call-and-response when they think about jazz music. The first person that came to mind when I heard jazz music is Louis Armstrong. He not only played the trumpet, but he was famous for singing. My favorite song, and perhaps the most popular is "What A Wonderful World". You can really hear the instruments most commonly associated with jazz music.  

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.q8animeshop.com/media/Peter%2520And%2520The%2520Wolf.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.q8animeshop.com/products.asp%3Fstart%3D26%26CID%3D50%26letter%3D&usg=__JXFFPtrMtGvHZKoJ_C0zrBdOSW0=&h=733&w=870&sz=113&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=mUc24dwP2PWqXM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=159&ei=VaZlTbqjEYHXtge9-ZSDBg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpeter%2Band%2Bthe%2Bwolf%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D610%26tbs%3Disch:1%26prmd%3Divnsb&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=709&vpy=122&dur=2868&hovh=206&hovw=245&tx=89&ty=118&oei=VaZlTbqjEYHXtge9-ZSDBg&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0

2. Peter and the Wolf has a different instrument for every character. Peter is the main character and he is represented by the string instruments such as the violin, viola, etc. I think he is represented by strings because he seems to have a positive outlook and these instruments have a happy, positive sound. The bird is represented by a flute and I think the reason is because it almost sounds like a bird's chirp. The duck is represented by an oboe. The wolf is represented by the French horn, and the hunters by the timpani. The reason is because they are the dangerous characters, and these instruments represent deep or dangerous sounds. Grandpa is represented by the bassoon.

3. Classical music is in the time period of the mid 1700s-the early 1800s. The most common musicians in this time include Mozart and Beethoven.When I think of classical music I think about doing my homework. Teachers at my elementary school used to play classical music while we worked independently in class.

Assignment #4

The building in these pictures is the Children's Center at USC located on Wheat Street. The columns on the front of the building are doric columns. They have a flat top and a flat base. A difference between the columns on this building versus the columns that we looked at in class is that there are no lines or indents in the columns, they are flat and round all the way around. Although this building is fairly new, it is definitely a Greek Revival style building. The way the roof meets at a point and looks like a triangle and the columns on the front are definitely characteristics of the Greek Revival buildings. The front of it reminds me of our State House building and the Longstreet Theater building. The front part of the building with the columns is definitely post and lintel in the way that the columns support the top of the overhang or carport. Overall, I learned that many buildings on campus, such as the State House or the Longstreet Theater, have the Greek Revival style architecture, even the newer buildings on campus like the Children's Center at USC. The Greek Revival style is still popular today.

Assignment #3

1.         Every night I straighten my hair. I use exactly two flat irons, one that is wide and one that is skinny. I also use a hairbrush to brush out the tangled sections of curls. I begin by placing the curls in between the bronze colored plates of the skinny flat iron. As I glide the blazing flat iron over the curls, the section becomes as straight as an arrow. The radiant colors in all of the strands begin to glow. What once looked like a head full of snakes slithering all around now looks like a head full of beautiful, red pine straw. As the steaming locks fall on my neck, I feel warm as if the sun is beating down on my skin on a summer day. When all of the newly straightened strands come together as one, I feel that I am ready to begin my day. 

Head full of snakes.

Head full of pine straw.

2.         While listening to “Nessum Dorma”, I felt that there was sadness as well as passion being expressed in the song. The red and purple lines that I drew show the passion that I felt, with the thicker part of the lines showing strong feelings, and the thinner parts showing weaker feelings. The blue line stands out because it is the thickest line on the paper. The reason it is so thick is because he seemed to accentuate sadness at times and gradually fade of sadness. This explains the shape of the blue line. The yellow line is a sign of hope and bright feelings, which he also seemed to express strong and times and weak other times. The green and gray lines have interesting shapes, almost like mountains. These lines are simply formed by the way his voice gets loud and soft. I felt happiness, hope, passion, and sadness in the song and I expressed it in the shapes and colors of the lines that I drew.

3.         The establishing shot in a movie is perhaps the most important shot in a movie. The purpose is to tell the audience the setting of the film. The establishing shot may show a view of a city where everything is taking place. The audience can gather information about the weather and other parts of the setting from the establishing shot. I feel that establishing shot also captures the audience’s attention as soon as it shows up on the screen.