Autism Speaks

Hello Everyone,

 Recently my brother and I went to go see Jurassic World 3D. Three times in total. He thought that he was going to take his big sister on a date and treat me (with his own, hard earned money) to the opening theatrical showing of the movie on the day he though it came out. Well, I found out that the IMAX at Opry Mills was showing it a day early so I bought tickets and I surprised him.
 I had told him that we were going to the Rainforest Cafe and I was going to treat him to dinner.  When we got there I stopped and asked him if he really knew what we were going to do at Opry Mills. He, of course, didn't. So I pointed to the IMAX and told him. He began to get really excited. He asked what time the movie started and I told him 7:00 and he immediately looked at his watch and noticed we only had 20 minutes. Oh my gosh! Even if we had a full hour he would have been pestering me with the time.

 So we get in, go order mozzeralla sticks and... wait. As we are waiting for our order my brother is counting down the minutes and reminding me when it is getting close to show time. Finally we get our order and we have exactly two minutes before the show is supposed to start. So my brother is power walking and trying to get me to hurry up. However that was never going to work.We find our seats which were as close to the front as you could get before your nose was touching the screen and we scarf down our quick snack.  Then the movie starts. For two whole hours my brother was too excited to stop talking and I had to tell him to shut up a time or two (I do not do that on a regular basis). But I realize that my brother is excited and is happy his big sister enjoys going to dinosaur movies and eating fried, fatty, totally not gluten, dairy or soy free foods and getting totally scared/thrilled at the theaters so I let him go on with his talking for the most part.

After the movie, we HAD to call our parents and give them a teaser of what was to come when my brother showed them the movie for the first time. But my brother was not done with me. I was talking to him about the two of us hanging out with my boyfriend and letting him cook for us and my brother pipes up with "Has he seen Jurassic Park 3D?" I answered no. I knew what was coming. "Well, why don't we take him?"
If I could explain the happiness that I had when my brother was completely conning me into a deal that really meant that I was going to do what he wanted in the namesake of wanting to hangout with my boyfriend, world peace would occur. But I can't. My brother certainly know how to finesse me into doing what he wants and he knows it. The fact that he is autistic has never stopped him. So we took my boyfriend to see the movie and again my brother had to lay down the scientific knowledge that he had been accumulating and was just waiting for the fuse to be lit on my boyfriend.
My boyfriend didn't flinch or shy away from my brother either. Again, if I could explain my happiness....

Skipping ahead to Father's Day, my whole family went to see the movie and we had a great time.  Now my brother is looking forward to when Jurassic World comes out on DVD so we can all partake in a Jurassic Park franchise movie marathon.

Autism has not stood in my brothers way since he was born.

#JurassicWorld3D #AutismSpeaks #Happiness #Ilovemybrother @RegalCinemas @OpryMills

MTSU Swing Dance Club - Home

MTSU Swing Dance Club - Home

Blog Post 5

    For my last blog post for my journalism class the country that I will discuss today is China. China has a ballet company called the National Ballet of China, however, it is known as Central Ballet Troupe in its native country. The ballet company was founded in 1959, a few years after the Beijing Dance School was first opened.

    In 1966 the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, also known as the Cultural Revolution, changed the ballet school and troupe. During the revolution the school and troupe fell under the control of Mao Zedong’s wife, Madame Mao (she is also known as Jiang Qing).  She was once a movie actress before marrying Mao Zedong.  For the entirety of the revolution Madame Mao reduced the repertoire of the ballet company to two sanctioned dances. The Red Detachment of Women and The White Haired Girl were the only ballets the company could perform. After the fall of the Gang of Four in 1976, the original director Dai Aillian reinstated to her former position. The ballet company has since then been allowed to perform traditional and modern ballets, western ballets, and perform globally.

    In 2009, the Chinese Ballet came to Huntsville, Alabama, and performed. This particular performance was especially important to the ballet because it was the time of the Chinese New Year. My mother took my cousin, my sister, my brother, and me to see the Chinese New Year Spectacular. Everyone but my brother loved it.  Being the brother of a dancer (me) he failed to see what was so spectacular.  He was saying things like “Forest does this all the time. I have seen it before,” and “There are no dragons, fire, or explosions,” and “Can we go? Now?” At this point my brother was still fairly young and would appreciate the significance of this event for some time. But for me it was profound affect. I realized what this meant culturally.

    It was not so long ago that China and America were not on good terms, partly through their association to Russia and partly because of their political scene. China was also always a sort of secret country. They had weird and mystical medicines, dressed differently, spoke a complex language, and the country itself kept a closed off kind of policy. But how does this all pertain to Chapter 13 of the required reading of The World News Prism: Challenges of Digital Communication? The Chinese Ballet coming to Huntsville, Alabama, was a stark realization that the world is no longer closed off.

    The three major points that coincide with what the Chinese ballet was accomplishing are: 1) Vast Audience for Global Events, 2) Mass Cultural Acceptance, and 3) Diplomacy Change.  While the troupe dancers may not be journalists per se, they are conveying what journalists have been trying to promote for years, which is diversity. Because the troupe travels around the world to entertain people with the best aspects of their culture, the Chinese ballet performers are earning the respect and the trust of ambassadors of goodwill of other nations.

    If you get the chance to see the Chinese Ballet live it worth the time and money. It is culture live and in full Technicolor.

May I have this Waltz?

Blog Post 4

European Dances are also divided into two categories of folk dances and formal dances.

Each country had their own national folk dance and some countries even have multiple national folk dances. However, probably the most recognizable fold dance is the Irish Step dance. This particular dance was made incredibly popular by Michael Flatley and his Riverdance Troupe. Mr. Flatley’s use of traditional Irish step, theatrics that follow traditional Irish storylines, dance battles. Flashy coustumes, traditional Irish music in between dances made the troupe a sensation enjoyed worldwide. 

Again, because of the sheer number of countries and regions within those countries, I could spend a considerable amount of time explaining each folk dance. Therefore I will stick to the formal dances.

 As for the formal dances the list is much shorter. These dances consist of the *Waltz and the Viennese Waltz.

*The Waltz is considered to be a folk and formal dance.

The Waltz is a dance that many people can easily recognize. It is the epitome of classic ballroom dancing.  It is also one of the oldest.  The earliest known beginning of the Waltz is from around the 16^th century in Ausburg, Germany, hence the name “waltz”.  The Waltz is danced in ¾ time which means the steps follow a slow-quick-quick tempo. Despite the seemingly fast-paced timing of the dance the Waltz is a slow moving dance that gives the illusion of the dancers floating on the floor. There is also a staggering of levels when dancing the waltz meaning there is noticeable up and down movement of the dancers. This help to propel the dancers across the floor.

Contrary, the Viennese Waltz is much quicker and the level are more consistently up than the traditional Waltz. The Viennese Waltz came about during the second part of the 18^th century. While this dance is not the oldest dance it is the oldest truly formal dance. At the beginning of the Viennese Waltz, the dance was considered to be extremely inappropriate and provocative.  This is because of the requirement for the dancers to be exceedingly close to one another in order to dance the faster dance. Being that close to the opposite sex in public during that time was scandalous and outrageous. 

Movies

The Waltz and the Viennese Waltz are extremely popular for movies.

Shall We Dance (Japan)

Shall We Dance (U.S.)

The White Empress

 And many, many more.

In the News!

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/eric-scheiner/duck-dynastys-sadie-waltzes-away-praise-dancing-stars 

See Robert Duvall Dance!

Blog Post 3

Do you know who Robert Duvall is? If not, he is a famous actor known for his portrayals of cowboys and military giants.  He can also dance. In the movie Assassination Tango he plays a hired killer who travels to Buenos Aires  and becomes interested in a young and beautiful dancer named Manuela and leans how to dance the Argentine Tango.

 Also, Bruce Lee could dance.  Yes, that Bruce Lee. The one who could kick faster than the camera could capture the shot. In 1958 Bruce Lee won the Hong Kong Cha Cha Championship.

Latin American Dances have had two major influences. The first being the natives and their traditional dances. The other being the European influences brought by the Spaniards and the Portuguese.

Traditional Dances

The traditional dances consist of dances like:

Zamba

Zamba is a traditional dance of Argentina. It is a style of Argentinian music and Argentinian folk dance. Zamba is very different from its homophone, the samba – musically and rhythmically. It is afro-indigenous compared to the Samba, in the steps of the dance and in its costume. It has six beats to the bar and is a majestic dance, performed by couples who circle each other waving white handkerchiefs very elegantly

    

Cumbia

Cumbia began as a courtship dance practiced among the African population, which was later mixed with Amerindian steps and European and African instruments and musical characteristics. Cumbia is very popular in the Andean region and the Southern Cone, and is for example more popular than the salsa in many parts of these regions.

  

 In the Disney movie Three Caballeros there is a great deal of traditional Latin American folk dances that featured.  The movie also had traditional music playing throughout the movie and featured several Latin Stars of the period, like Aurora Miranda who was a very famous Brazilian entertainer.

There are many different countries that make up Latin America and because of that I could go on and on about traditional folk dances and their history and their music.  However, I will stick to the more well-known Latin American Dances such as the Samba, Argentina Tango, and Cuban Salsa.

Modern Dances

  The well-known Latin American dances are recognizable because of the European influences. These particular dances are considered Ballroom dances.  Social Latin dances include salsa, mambo, merengue, tumba, bachata, bomba, plena, and the Argentine tango. There are many dances which were popular in the first part of the 20th century, but which are now of only historical interest. The Cuban danzón is a good example.

Competitions and Championships

The International Latin American Dance Championships were created after the Second World War in England by Elsa Wells, and are now organized by Dance News special events. The current full title is the Elsa Wells International Dance Championships, and includes all categories in Standard and Latin American ballroom dance. The Latin American competition comprises five dances: cha-cha-cha, samba, rumba, paso doble, and jive, conducted in line with British Dance Council (BDC) regulations. Advanced choreography has, however, broken through the traditional limitations of social dancing, and more obviously in the Latin and American dances than in ballroom (Modern or Standard).

The World Dance Council Ltd (WDC), is a registered limited company, and the legal successor to the International Council of Ballroom Dancing, and was established at a meeting organised by P.J.S Richardson on 22 September 1950 in Edinburgh. For a period from 1996 to 2006, the WDC was known as the World Dance & Dance Sport Council Ltd (WD&DSC). The primary objective, at the time of its formation, was to provide an agreed basis for holding world championships in competitive ballroom dance. That objective has been achieved. Initially consisting of nine European countries and three others, today the WDC has become the leading authority on professional dance competitions, with members in numerous countries throughout the world. Each country is allowed one vote. As of 2006 there are 59 members. Its governing body, the Presidium, consists of a President and five Vice-Presidents.

http://www.wdcdance.com/

Music and Movies

 Latin America has influenced many artists. The artist range from singers to dancers to movie makers.

Have you ever heard of Shakira? She is a Colombian singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, choreographer, and model. She is also a very large influence on modern music of the United States.

How about Celia Cruz or Gloria Estefan? Both are extremely famous Cuban singers.

How about Mercedes Sosa? She is an Argentinian Opera Singer.

 There have been numerous movies made that have Latin American dancing prominently displayed.

Tango

Assassination Tango

Shall We Dance (Japan)

Shall We Dance (America)

Dirty Dancing

Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights

Cuban Fury

Moulin Rouge

Rent

Scent of a Woman

               In the news!

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/people/2007-02-04-pedro-knight-obit_x.htm

          

             Dancing in Jaffa

 In 2013 a renowned ball-room dancer Pierre Dulaine takes his program, Dancing Classrooms, back to his city of birth, Jaffa, to teach Jewish and Palestinian Israelis to dance and compete together.

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2125480/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Global News and World Media Cultures

  Swing Dance. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NOcW62tgBg&noredirect=1 

Question 1:
 What is swing dance?

Swing dance is an amalgamation of dance moves that are quite often crazy and exotic looking. Such is shown in Video 1.

Video 1

That video is a clip from the movie Hellzapoppin'

Swing dance officially started in San Francisco in the 1910s.  But the dance did not take America by storm until the 1920s with the booming popularity of Big Band music. From the 1920s to the 1950s every region in the United States had created their local version of Swing Dance. For example, Blues and Charleston were created in the southern States while the Balboa and other dances were created in California and other West Coast States.
 *See below videos

Swing dance did not just stay in the United States.  There is a movie called Swing Kids and it is about Germany before the second World War and how the younger generation created an underground culture that was centered around Swing Dancing. The underground culture formed when Hitler banned all foreign music and made any dance besides the polka illegal. 

 

Just like each region in the United States created unique spins on swing dance so did a few other countries. England came up with something called the Skip-Jive which is a variation of Jive dancing (Jive was brought over to England by American G.I.’s). This dance became very popular in England during the 1950s and 60s when traditional Jazz became a bigger player on the music scene. 

 

But according to CBS news Swing Dance has not lost any appeal over the years.

The timeless allure of swing dancing

Every year in parks across the country, bands strike up tunes from a by-gone era, and dancers of all ages start to swing.
"It's the greatest social dance in the world, because everybody around the world can swing," said Norma Miller, a member of the original swing generation. At age 94, she still travels the world living up to her title as the "Queen of Swing."

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-timeless-allure-of-swing-dancing/

Swing dance still influences musicians, artists, dancers, and movie makers today. *See videos below.

How about a little competition? All around the world there are swing dance competitions.  The competitions usually consist of Jack and Jill  where the dancers rotate partners and Strictly Swing where couples compete against other couples.  http://www.swingdancecouncil.com/ActiveServerPages/UpcomingEvents.asp

As an avid swing dancer myself I can relate to the enticement of swing dance and how it slowly took over my life.  I was in a car accident a few years ago and one of the things that helped me to recuperate was swing dance. As soon as I could walk without crutches I went straight back to dancing and I have not stopped since.  In fact, I am now the President of the MTSU Swing Dance Club.  We meet Wednesdays and Fridays from 6-9 at the Murphy Center, Dance Studio A. All are welcome to join in!

Videos:

Cee Lo Green - Cry baby

Balboa Swing Dance

John Wayne doing the Jitterbug

West Coast Swing

East Coast Swing

Blues

Love n' Dancing : Starring Amy Smart

Blast From the Past : Starring Brenden Fraiser

Olly Murs Dance with Me Tonight

and many more!

Assessment of English 1010: Ms. Henson's class.

For the most part I enjoyed the class.  I particularly liked the group and one-on-one paper reviews. It is always good to get feedback from other people.

As for the suggestion for the class... pick a book that you like.  No one really liked this book.  It was very firmly biased against men and it made women look like total nut-jobs. It also did not do a very good job of portraying Anne Boleyn. Pick a book that not only you would like but a book that other's might like. I am not saying that you have to make every student in the classroom happy (let's face it, someone is not going to like the class) but it is so much easier to get into the class if books were likable.