When the African, as slaves, were introduced to the Caribbean island of Haiti, the carried among them their cultural and ritual traditions. Dances and songs from various regions of Africa, as well as from the diverse ethnic groups, crossed paths and blended to create a new uniquely Haitian expression. Some of the songs, dances, and traditions were retained mostly from Dahomey and Congo region. However, these evolved through time and fused with the elements of the French and Haitian Indigenous Indians who resided in Haiti. Haitians consider dances as a way to unwind, celebrate and connect to the rest of the world. This section will examine the Haitian Folkloric Dance, its importance and influence in modern society.
Haitian Folkloric Dance provides valuable insight into how to dance, as an art, can be used to reveal the culture and practices of a community. Dancing is not only a peaceful and rejuvenating way of passing time but also can be used as a form of entertainment. The Haitian community has always appreciated the pricelessness of dance and employs it in various events such as shunning of social ills such as violence (Anderson 120-121). Dancing, to the Haitians, speaks of moments in life that are dear to them, which they can never wish to forget. They also dance to various events such as the celebration of childbirth, when christening a child and after the death of one of them. Therefore, dancing is an energetic way that the Haitians use on various occasions of their lives. They have a cultural heritage and passionately safeguards their traditions. This community put their emotions into grief, and fears aside and wallow such moments through dance.
Dance had a central role in the lives of the Haitians. Their culture categorizes dance as either religious or secular dance. I was fascinated to discover that their sacred dances are used to appease their cultural spirits such as the Afro-Haitian Loa. Such dances are thus crucial in exorcizing demons, appease the spirits of the death and making magic. They also use similar dances while honoring the ancestors. They consider the soothing effect of dance essential in taking away the pressure of life. The Haitians view dance as a way of making statements of life as well as setting people in action or motion. Many rebellions and eventual wars were preceded by dances mainly during their revolt against slavery. Currently, Haitians dance and beat drums ahead of a protest as their way of warming up and generating the required energy.
The Haitian dance is viewed as being rooted in the Vodou, an African tradition. This word, however, confuses or scare people as they seem to associate the vodou with sorcery, evil and black magic. This perception is perhaps fueled by the negative portrayal of the Haitians in movies such as the Serpent and the Rainbow. Vodou means spirit in the African context. Vodou emerged first in West African nations such as Togo, Nigeria, and Benin (Anderson 120-121). This culture was then taken to the US by slaves. Therefore, the Haitian culture is appreciated in various parts of the world apart from West Africa. Overall, the use of dance by the Haitians demonstrate the powerful way through which dances can be used to convey various events and emotions in their lives. Their culture has transcended many generations with no sign of dying soon.
Journal Two: Breakdance
Breakdance refers to an athletic style of street dancing. It mainly consists of four forms of movements, which include freezes, down-rock, top-rock, and power moves, although one can note the amount of variation available in the dance. Typically, breakdance is set to breakbeat, funk and hip-hop music, even though modern trends permit much broader modification in music along specific ranges of beat patterns and tempo. This dancing style was created by African American youth during the later 1960s and early 1970s with the most initial group to use this style being the Clark Kent and Zulu Kings. By mid-70s, this dance had begun to spread to others communities and thus gaining popularity. However, at this time, this dace style losing popularly among African Americans.
A person who practices this dance style is referred to as a breaker, or b-boy/b-girl depending on gender. Currently, this style has been adopted by different musical genres with the help of remixing. The original songs, which enhance the popularity of this dance form borrow much from progressive funk, disco, electro, jazz and soul music. The most common feature of this musical dance exists in compilations or musical breaks created from different samples taken from various songs that are often chained together or looped by a Deejay. The dance majorly uses a tempo that ranges between 110 and 135 beats per minutes with shuffled 16 and quarter bears in the percussive pattern. According to history, his concept is credited to Deejay Kool Herc for inventing this concept, which became later termed as breakbeats.
Currently, breakdancing has been used to unite people, especially in warring nations. Many people who do not speak a similar language have used this form of dance to communicate non-verbally. For instance, during breakdancing one person usually has to use non-verbal signals to tell his partner which move to perform ("Breakdance as A Tool for Social Change"). Interacting together and creating dance crews has also seen breakdance impact different people who use it as a tool for social change. Although getting people to move in unison and have shared objectives is challenging, breakdancing has given such people a chance to walk in harmony and have a mutual moment that unites them.
The society has also recognized breakdancing as a form of entertainment. Some choreographed pieces have been identified to have themes, which are romantic, comical, action-packed or even dramatic. Thus, breakdance can be considered another form of art, which attracts audiences from different walks of life. For instance, various television shows such as Dancing with the Star and So You Think You Can Dance have been utilized to aid in popularizing specific dance moves across the world. Currently, audiences can access and watch dance moves without having to makes trips to theaters or competitions.
Lastly, breakdance has also been integrated into the curriculum of various schools for educational purposes. These schools teach distinct styles, as well as techniques, which are dominant in breakdance. Breakdancing has also been used to explore about ourselves. For instance, when a dance style requires one to move his body in a specific direction, which he has never done before, one discovers something new about his body. Also, by partnering during the dance, one can learn how to collaborate and work with others as a team.
Anderson, Jeffrey E. "Vodou in the Haitian Experience: A Black Atlantic Perspective edited by Celucien L. Joseph and Nixon S. Cleophat." (2018): 120-121.
"Breakdance as A Tool for Social Change". Big Think, 2018, https://bigthink.com/design-for-good/breakdance-as-a-tool-for-social-change. Accessed 15 Oct 2018.
