Technology Intersects with Dance

The Art of Dance is Accessible to All

Shows like So You Think You Can Dance dazzle us with amazing movement technicians from all over the country and from all walks of life. Through such shows more Americans are magnificently opened to the world and possibilities of expression through movement. However, the styles of dance, highly skilled dancers, and judges may sometimes combine to make dance appear as only for an elite few, only for those who can jump high, turn twenty times, or do unique tricks.

While there is a place and appreciation for such pyrotechnics, there is another approach to expressing one’s self through movement that makes dance available to anyone with a story and a body. Dancer and choreographer Marianne Goris not only believes in this approach, but practices it. It is the foundation for the way she moves and the way she guides her dancers to move.

In this approach, choreographers have the capacity to act more as guides than solely creators of steps. They guide dancers through a process of recognizing the inherent power of what already exists within them and allowing the release of that through movement.

In this way, anyone is capable of movement that tells the real story in some way of their life. It can be argued that allowing others to see into who you are, a piece of your experience is more captivating than a thousand turns executed perfectly, but disconnected from the heart. For this reason, anyone willing to share this with others is capable of dance worthy of sharing with an audience.

Ethnic Radio Builds Majority and Minority Communities in DC

A diversely populated city such as Washington DC elicits an equally diverse range of radio stations serving the area. The 2010 population of our nation’s capital is 50.7 percent African American, 38.5 percent white, 3.4 percent Asian, and 9.1 percent Hispanic/Latino. Each of these communities are reached by multiple radio stations.

Correlating to the above percentages, DC’s Asian population has the fewest radio stations serving them. The most prominent is the Korean religious station WDCT which began in 1955. WDCT unites Koreans within the DC area though its broadcasts are mostly in English rather than Korean.

There are five radio stations serving African Americans in the greater DC area: WEAA 88.9FM, WKYS 93.9FM, WPGC 95.5FM, and WHUR 96.3FM. The most popular of these is WHUR, Howard University’s school station. The Washington Post first owned WHUR in the 1940’s when it was then known as WINX 1600AM. Since then, the station has undergone name changes and conversion to FM and most recently (1971), it was donated to a Historical Black University, Howard University. Today WHUR airs one of the most popular African American programs called the Tom Joyner Morning Show which invites the voice of the listeners in addressing struggles and victories within the black community.

Though the Hispanic/Latino community makes up only 9.1 percent of DC’s population, there are over nine radio stations reaching this demographic, including WBZS 92.7 FM, WBPS 94.3, WDKL 730AM, WILC 900AM, WKCW 1920, WACA 1540AM, WZHF 1390 AM WLXE 1600AM, and WACA 1540 AM. Since 2000, Alejandro Carrasco from the Dominican Republic has owned WACA. Carrasco was discovered at a wedding which led to him hosting a radio show, “Calentando la Manana” (Heating up in the Morning). A picture of the American dream, he finally bought the station which was broadcasting him, keeping Spanish as its language.

Prayer is Personal...and Makes a Difference Personally (and Beyond?)

Prayer…what is the point? Ok, first…what is it…really? I have described prayer to others as being an authentic space to pour your heart out to God. I have heard it described as being a way to align yourself with what God wants for your life. I have also heard definitions that don’t include God. Dear reader, I wish I could hear your own views on prayer over a cup of coffee (and for any reading this, that is a sincere and standing invitation). In the absence of a face to face discussion, however and taking advantage of e-communication…I welcome any thoughts you care to express through comments.
I went to an expert on prayer to hear her thoughts. Since her husband is a pastor she has been within circles which talk a lot about prayer. However, she has her own personal and deep connection to praying. She employs it in her own life and also leads a weekly group which gathers to pray together. For them it is a collective process of speaking and listening to God and each other. They do this on behalf of people they know and those they do not know…on behalf of people in their communities and overseas.

So, back to my first question…what is the point of prayer? It seems to make a difference at least in the lives I have witnessed. I tried unsuccessfully to find statistics on prayer that had not been conducted by those who already believe in its power. Perhaps the best way to test its effectiveness is to try it. Just a thought…

American Radio Waves Carry Across Ocean Waves: Voice of America

On February 1, 1942, Voice of America (VOA) made its first broadcast to Europe using BBC transmitters. They began speaking beyond country borders from cramped studios in New York with no name or guidance except "to tell the truth no matter what it is." Within a year and a half, VOA had grown and found a new home and by 1944, there were VOA broadcasts in 40 languages.
Today, 4 more languages are added to that number, so that the approximately 1,500 hours of weekly multimedia broadcasts contain 44 languages. The programs include information on international news, culture, and much more. This scope is made possible by many technological elements such as the largest integrated digital audio system in the world and involved website.
In 1976, Gerald Ford established the VOA Charter which "protects the independence and integrity" of VOA broadcasts. This is in keeping with VOA's mission to "broadcast accurate, balanced, and comprehensive news and information to an international audience." The BBG or Broadcasting Board of Governors oversees Voice of America since it is the official external broadcast institution of the United States.

*Their organizational chart

The Pulitzer

John Pulitzer, a major figure in journalism towards the end of the 19^th century, established the Pulitzer Prizes through part of his will. Not only did he assign awards, letters, and scholarships for journalism, historical writing, drama, and travel; his will also saw to the creation of a board which would govern and adjust awards to keep the Pulitzer Prizes relevant to the future changing times. One steadfast requirement which was not to change, however, was a high standard of excellence mapped out by the board. (http://www.pulitzer.org/historyofprizes)

Due to this requirement for excellence, each piece submitted for consideration within any category underwent, and still undergoes, a rigorous, year-long process. Today, there are 102 judges annually appointed and divided into 20 juries for nominations within 21 categories. If a piece makes it through this process to an award, its creator is honored during an April lunch with the president of Columbia University. (http://www.pulitzer.org/administration)

The first Pulitzer Prize I found evidence of was issued in 1917 to Herbert Bayard Swope of New York World. This award was for a series of reports Swope wrote including an article entitled, "Inside the German Empire."

The subject of reporting is now divided into different categories including local reporting, national reporting, investigative reporting, etc. As an example of how stringently the Pulitzer nomination board keeps to its standard of excellence, there was no prize awarded under the category of “Breaking News Reporting” this year. However, Paige St. John of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune was given an award under the category of Investigative Reporting. She wrote about her examinations of “weaknesses in the murky property-insurance system vital to Florida homeowners, providing handy data to assess insurer reliability and stirring regulatory action” http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/2011-Investigative-Reporting. See: http://www.pulitzer.org/archives/9192

Zhou Long also received a Pulitzer this year for his opera entitled, “Madame White Snake”. Long’s masterpiece draws from Chinese Folk Tales to bring eastern and western cultures together. http://www.pulitzer.org/works/2011-Music

Part of the Pulitzer’s importance lies in the way in brings value to each of these fields in which it offers awards, drawing from John Pulitzer’s passion for excellence within journalism. He felt strongly that journalism was meant to function as a public service and intended the financial fruits of his labor in life to support this function after his death.

Dance Techonology

Hello! My name is Jan and I'm a dance major. In researching the impact technology has had on the field of dance, I came across the term dance technology (on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_technology). So apparently, technology and dance are capable of a pretty solid relationship. I have never thought about it before, but in referencing my flimsy knowledge of dance history, the reality surfaces that technology has been an integral part of the western dance world. Though I am guessing the term "dance technology" has only been around for half a century, technology has been enriching and influencing the work of dancers and choreographers for much longer. Stage lighting is the earliest and most basic example of this. Lois Fuller, considered a modern dance pioneer, upped the importance and involvement of stage lights in her work; here is a recording of her performing in 1896: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIrnFrDXjlk. Though this film is no doubt colorized, it represents the kind of work she did with colored light and movement. Obviously, technology has greatly advanced since 1896 and such advancements have made possible its further integration in the field of dance. Merce Cunningham, a modern dancer and choreographer, created dances in the 90's with the help of a computer program which simulated the human body in movement: http://www.merce.org/about/danceforms.php. Now today, the examples of technology's presence in western dance are limitless. While observing some friends throw ideas around for a dance piece, I heard one participant suggest using skype projected onto a screen to allow dancers separated by thousands of miles a chance to move "side by side" on the same stage, at the same time.
My daily use of technology is basic and thus far the most part technology has had in my dance has been for sound recording purposes (it was a small personal victory when I learned to cut and layer music for pieces I had choreographed). Beyond the basics of navigating life in the modern western world, technology is not that much of a concern for me so I have not considered greatly how it could be integrated into my dancing. However, perhaps this class will put it on the map; I am interested to see if anything inspires me creatively.