Midterm Vocab Flashcards
sadir
a devotional folk dance form originating from South India (Tamil Nadu) and practiced by devadasis (also called dasiattam, translating to “dance of devadasis”). Traditionally taught by male instructors, or gurus, called nattuvanars.
devadasi
a hereditary female dancer and courtesan in southern and western India. Traditionally responsible for performing ritual duties in Hindu temple, presumed as early as the 6th century, professionally entertaining within the royal court system between the 16th to early 20th centuries. Sanskrit translation: servant of deva (god).
nautch
derivative of Hindi nach (dance); derogatory term implying folk dance as prostitution
Anti-Nautch Movement
a campaign against devadasis officially launched in 1892, condemning both their courtesan and ritual lifestyles/work
sringara
the expression of love in dance, as practiced
by devadasi in sadir
bharatanatyam
a form of Indian dance which came out of sanitizing sadir after the anti-nautch campaign, it removed sringara to make it socio-politically acceptable
nritta
pure dance; form aesthetic and abstraction
abhinaya
narrative dance
mudras
codified hand gestures used to communicate words, emotions, or concepts in conjunction with song lyrics and/or poetry (also known as “hastas”)
puja
salutation to Mother Earth performed both before and after dancing demarked by the dancer descending to
the ground, touching the floor, and raising palms to the eyes in a gesture of deference
kathak
traditional folk dance with a narrative foundation adapted by the court and best known for said practice by female performers called tawaifs, and in close accompaniment to male musicians known as Kathaks.
tawaif
highly sophisticated courtesan that professionally served Indian nobility, particularly in the northern regions during the Mughal Empire
mehfils
intimate performances of poetry, music, and dance in the concert rooms at court or at the homes of noble patrons
Akbar the Great
born 1542, reigned 1556-his death in 1605, Mughal Empire tripled in size, fascination led to being patron of indigenous performance arts in his court system, as well as the continued celebration of traditional North Indian Hindu celebrations and practices
chakkara
spins derivative of the Sufi dervishes in Turkey, Islamic influence seen here
kathakali
meaning “story-play,” is a classical dance drama that originated in the Kerala during the 17th century
kalaripayattu
a martial art form with origins in warrior caste; students
pursued one-on-one, or guru-shishya, tutorship, whereas training predominately occurs in institutions at present
nritta drishti
meaning ”dance of eyes”, is the vocabulary of facial expressions involving the eyes, eyebrows, cheeks, lips, chin, and neck
pura
Balinese temple; structurally including 3
courtyards that are devoted to 3 different categories of
dance and their performance: wali (sacred, innermost courtyard), bebali (semi-sacred, mid-section), bali-balihan (secular, outer courtyard)
odalan
pura ceremonies ritualizing the descent of deities from Mount Agung and their presence in pura, tribute to the gods via theatrical performance and dance offerings, such as the baris
baris gede
ancient devotional warrior dance for men ranging between 40 to 60 dancers, meaning “great line”
tunggal
secular solo dance derivative of baris gedes, often
taught to a young boy as his first formal dance
sanghyang
ancient, sacred dances involving ritual possession by either demonic or celestial deities for the purpose of exorcising illness and/or misfortune
sanghyang dedari
meaning “honored goddess nymph,” are pre-pubescent children possessed by divinities; it is believed that they are oracles of celestial entities when performing in trance
legong lasem
secular bali-balihan dance derivative of an ancient Javanese poem, in which the King of Lasem meets Langkesari, a beautiful princess, and her congdong (maidservant) in a forest. the king is already wed to a queen, but he desires the princess as his second wife and abducts her against her will. Her brother, the King of
Daha, declares war against Lasem. Just prior to their duel, a black crow attacks and kills Lasem. Traditionally, 3 girls enact this narrative; 2 dancers costumed in green and a soloist in red. The solo dancer plays the role of the congdong, while the pair will portray one character, at times switching between roles one at a time. Each of these characters is identified by specific facial expressions.
barong ket
magnificent four-legged creature performed by two baris dancers, dancer in rear must remain bent over and dancer at the head of the costume manually moves the jaw and eyes on the headdress, playful character; oftentimes teasing the musical accompaniment by stretching out onto instruments, etc.
Javanese bedhaya
Traditionally danced by 9 highly trained women in both the Surakarta and Yogyakarta palaces, pays
tribute to a ruler/royalty
General Suharto
in 1965-66, he waged against approximately one million suspected communists and thousands of female folk dancers (perceived as leftists for supporting working-class women) were incarcerated and/or murdered. to inflict the power of his autocratic New Order, Suharto exploited a rearrangement of selected traditional Javanese dances for export; sought to idealize Indonesia’s luhur, or noble culture, and chose to use female dancers as propaganda. Javanese court dances, including bedhaya, were taken out of the palace and taught to female civil servants that performed said dances on international cultural missions attempting to sell Indonesia’s cultural sophistication and bolster Suharto.
mele
poetry communicated in hula performance through the use of gestural vocabulary consisting of symbolic hand positions and movements; said hand gestures represent both tangible and abstract ideas
hula kahiko
”ancient” hula, often accompanied by traditional Hawai’ian instruments and performed to mele
hula ‘auana
“drifting” hula; i.e. what has come to define all contemporary hula performance, frequently consumed by local tourism
King Kalakaua (Merrie Monarch)
during his 1874-1891 reign, he revived the tradition of
hula and made many innovative alterations, Hula flourished under the “Merrie Monarch”, it had gone underground after 1820 arrival of European missionaries marked the start of religious conversion to Christianity and ban on indigenous hula
ami
the rotation of the hips (possibly one to the most defining features of hula)
lewa
rhythmic side-to-side sway in hula
haka
Māori dance of welcome and of war
kapa haka
Kapa meaning “to stand in a row or rank”, haka meaning the “dance and song” that accompanied said movement
mana (Maori)
spiritual essence from the divine, oftentimes thought to have ancestral lineage; authority, power
powhiri
welcoming ritual that incorporates the tenets of mana and tapu (sacred, spiritual, strong force)
te wero
”cast a spear,” start of the powhiri; as a challenge, one of the hosts places a taiaha (spear) and a leaf or feather on the ground. As long as the spear is not chosen, the two parties have agreed on peace.
whatero
protrusion of the tongue, symbolic of the phallus and usually performed by men only, in haka
pukana
rolling of the eyes in haka
gisalo
ceremony with an invited group of guests from another longhouse community performing for host from dusk until dawn, hosts cook food and decorate selves in paint, feathers, and shell jewelry, guests compose and rehearse songs that exemplify relationship between the host and guests, as well as landmarks and environment known to both parties, Lyrics refer to the hosts’ relationship to deceased community members, purpose is to encourage reflection and mourning amongst the hosts, sadness evoked is profound, so it is customary for members of the host party to ritualistically burn the backs of the performers, who continue with their performance while stoically bearing the pain
gesema
meaning “one feels sorrow or pity,” should be heard in the singers’ voices; the start of the sung performance is often done solo, later as an ensemble
su
Hosts’ compensation to guests for their performances and to insure continued friendship; in the form of mirrors, paint, knives, shell
Manifest Destiny
fueled assumed justification of white colonial expansion westward and into regions occupied by the Lakota nation: Essential duty to spread virtues of the American people and their institutions and Mission of the U.S. to redeem/remake the West in the image of agrarian America
Lakota Sun Dance
wi-wanyang-wacipi, important ceremony practiced by Lakota Sioux and nearly all Plains nations, annual religious ritual held in the summer; time of renewal for the tribe members and their land, circular arena with mystery pole from cottonwood tree, strips of rawhide tied to it and dancers pierced in chest with bone, dance begins as a slow shuffle and purpose is to remove bone pieces from the dancers body; dancers pull themselves backwards, looking into the sun, from the pole and try to tear their flesh and dancers with skulls on their back move thru rocks and bushes
Fort Laramie Treaty
led to creation of the Great Sioux Reservation, 60 million-acre tract encompassing all of present-day South Dakota west of the Missouri River, including the Black Hills, Under reservation regulation, buffalo were exterminated, religious rites/dances were banned, native children attended Christian missionary and boarding schools
Wovoka
a Paiute in Nevada who worked as a rancher, founder of the Ghost Dance after having a vision
Sitting Bull
Hunkpapa Sioux chief standing against U.S. pressures and refusing to sign or recognize the Fort Laramie Treaty, was exiled to Canada with 2000 of his people but moved to Standing Rock, had delegation investigate Wovoka and invited Kicking Bear to inaugurate the Ghost Dance at Standing Rock
Ghost Dance
usually lasted 4 days, initiating on Sundays at high noon, Wikasa wakan (sacred medicine men) sat underneath a tree or coverage while men, women, and children joined hands and sang while circling around them in a counterclockwise direction, following the pathway of the sun, with the left foot stepping sideways as the right dragged behind. non-stop dancing, singing, and lack of food and water led to a state of exhaustion, in which Ghost Dancers oftentimes collapsed in deep trance and depletion, Upon awakening, they shared the visions they received from their dead ancestors while unconscious, the Ghost Dance was a reaction to the ongoing injustices against the Lakota people
ghost shirts
clothing items thought to guard against violence with spiritual powers
Wounded Knee
American Indian Movement occupation in 1873, protesting US government, federal troops arrived and exchanged gunfire w/ weaker movement over 71 day siege
vodou
a syncretic religion in Haiti bringing together West African religions of Von and Yoruba, Supreme Being is called Bondyè (good god), while the lower level deities (lwa)
act as intermediaries between the mortal and the Supreme Being, Devotee cultivates a symbiotic relationship by placating with praise songs, dancers, and offerings such as animal sacrifices, The power of one who is not “fed” dies out
Iwa
lower level deities in vodou, intermediaries between the mortal and the supreme being
petro
a family of spirits, such as Ogou (lwa of iron and thunder), which are “hot.”
rada
“sweeter” spirits often used to protectively balance out the petro
kouche
technique in voudou initiation which imitates rebirth, resurrection; initiates are blindfolded and guided though a dance of spirals and turns before taken to a small room where they lie down; treated like infants while lying still, fed/cared for over 40 days; heads wrapped like newborns to protect the tops
tango
a partner dance that originated along the River Plata, natural border between Argentina and Uruguay, in the 19th century, had colloquial, sexually explicit lyrics, so was restricted to red-light districts and performed in “academias,” dance halls where men could hire waitresses as dancing partners; led to a negative reputation amongst upper Argentinian class
gauchos
one of the roles immigrants played other than slavery, outlaws in colonial society but also considered folkloric heroes
conventillos
slum tenements in the south of the city
canyengue
the nearest form of contemporary tango, a cheek-to- cheek couple dance in which dancers “melt” by leaning into each other’s chests while taking short steps with the knees bent, buttocks protruding, and arms in a European ballroom embrace with clasped hands held low
export tango
devised for tourism and touring, sanitized and showy version supported by Perón
home tango
a more understated version, practiced devotedly, socially in milongas by Argentinians (and adept foreigners)
abrazo
embrace, a contribution from Europe yet it differed from the waltz; instead of dancing in an open embrace and facing one’s partner, gaze was inward and couples danced cheek to cheek, and chest to chest, in a decidedly close embrace – without any polite
conversing
Wodaabe
Nomadic cattle shepherds and traders of the Sahal in southern Nigeria, a.k.a. “people of the taboos”
koobgal
an arranged marriage brokered between cousins of the same lineage, following the birth of the child
teegal
“love marriages” usually between different lineages and made of more flexible agreement
ruume
the first dance of the Geerewol Festival, dance of welcome by day or by night, meaning “spending the rainy season”
yaake
a contest of charm to be judged by 3 women from an opposite lineage, translation meaning “ancient dance”, charm is considered different than beauty whereas it denotes individual personality
geerewol
the culmination of the Geerewol festival, a dance for as many as 50 men. It is here that only the most confident and beautiful men from 2 lineages compete, fierce competition of smiling and exhibiting beauty, goal to be chosen as bull and held in high esteem for rest of lives
dama
collective funeral ceremony held approximately every 12 years for esteemed men such as Hogons or important elders. The function of the dama is to shepherd the souls of the deceased to the spirit world where they can officially attain the rank of ancestor and become conduits between Amma and the living
Èmna
masks are associated with death and the underworld, to avoid becoming infertile or miscarrying, women must have nothing to do with these and can only regard masked ceremonies from a distance
Lebe (mask)
represents the snake god, A large rectangular box divided by a vertical ridge with 2 carved eyes, topped by a towering plank decorated in geometrical patterns, only the most experienced men can manipulate this èmna
gur-wando
Mossi spirit masks representing a family of a father, mother, and child, dancers are completely concealed by a shaggy mass of dark red hemp fibers whilst holding a reed in their mouths for whistling birdlike sounds
Egungun Masquerade
annual and biennial festivals throughout Nigeria and Benin to celebrate ancestral spirits, secret male society performs in the masks, dates back to 14th century, masked dancer moves along with a beating drum to communicate the spirit
Zār ritual
a healing rite practiced in Muslim and non-Muslim communities in the Nile River regions of Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia. Although customs vary depending upon geographical location, the overall mission of a zār ceremony is to cure physical or psychological maladies caused by possession of one or more “zār” spirits – powerful and demanding supernatural beings that
are appeased by music, song, dance, and sacrificial feasting.
shaykha
a female expert zār practitioner who acts as a powerful intermediary between the mortal and immortal worlds, It is her responsibility to “broker an agreement” between spirits and an ‘ayãna (an afflicted woman) in zār ritual
farah ma’a al-asyaˉ d
If an ‘ayãna is diagnosed as possessed, a private zār can to appease the spirits and control her symptoms, Ceremony can last from 3–11 days, Considered obligatory, regardless of cost, in attempt to ameliorate her infirmity
hadra
the weekly zar, common to be performed in lower income neighborhoods, oftentimes at the home of the Shaykha, attendees pay an entrance fee, removal of shoes, purifying incense, consultation of the Shaykha
Mevlevi Dervishes
Members of a Sufi order founded in the 13th century in Konya, Turkey, known for asceticism and for their practice of zikr, Persian darwish (meaning “sill of the door”) is written in Arabic and Turkish as dervish, and is metaphorically interpreted as one who seeks the door of enlightenment
zikr
Form of devotion embedded in rhythmic repetition, including phrases such as la’illaha il’Allahu (”there is only God”)
sema
Whirling dance that induces a state of ecstasy in its practitioners, uniting them with God
tekke
Dervish or spiritual residence, as well as a place of philosophical teaching and training for master performers of Turkish music and sema
chille
an intensive retreat lasting for 1,001 days of study for the title of dede
sheikh
the leader of the tekke
hirqa
long black overcoat with wide sleeves to represent the grave and/or death
Gitanos
peoples from Rajasthan of northwest India exiled by Muslim invaders and migrated to Spain, eventually
settling in Andalusia, often persecuted under Spanish law and branded as vagabonds, beggars, witches, and thieves
flamenco
derives from Arabic felag and mengu, meaning “wandering peasant”, though Gitanos were not Arabic, flamenco became the name of their performative tradition of music, song, and dance
zapateado
footwork, why Flamenco dancers wear the shoes with studded nails
di cintura para arriba
the predominate movement being of the upper body,
motion and gestures of her torso, arms, and hands are a constant serpentine and sensuous flow, at times
including enhancement of a fringed shawl and/or a fan
bata de cola
Colorful dress tight-fitted at the torso, extends into a layered, ruffled train oftentimes incorporated into the movement, Torso –especially the back– has great freedom of movement and expression, while the legs are more concealed
Carmen Amaya
1913-1963, challenged gendered traditions of both the dance and its costuming, known for her incredible speed in zapateado, dressed in a matador’s traje corto
cafés cantantes
working class venues where flamenco moved from the barrios beginning in the 19th century, competed and lessened in popularity to ópera flamenco
nacionalflamenquismo
Reconfigured, “repackaged” flamenco variation utilized as political propaganda, joyous symbol of Spanish identity that underhandedly erased Gitano roots, Objectified its female performers; hyper-sexualized and exoticized, Male musicians portrayed as ultra masculine, mirroring Fascist ideals and reaffirmed the patriarchy of the time, More aggressive dance style
tablaos flamencos
intimate nightclubs similar in fashion and production to café cantantes, and directed at tourists
Warba
Traditionally, a dance for enthronement or funeral of a nakomsé, has been secularized for weddings and public entertainment, believed to be an original contributor to contemporary twerking due to rapid shaking of hips and buttocks
