Two World Dances, Essay Example

Humans are the only species in this world to move with the grace and accuracy necessary to comply by the standards that we now call dance. Throughout history, various different dance forms have been developed. From the ancient Mayans dancing to what they believed were the rain gods, to elaborate dances that we now have such as Flamenco; dances have always been created with a specific purpose and they most often represent the culture of a certain country. The two dances that shall be analyzed in this essay are the Hula dance and the Flamenco dance. The essential factors that should be attributed to these dances include: their origin, their beginning, their meaning, and other general qualifications that come together to form each individual dance as a whole.

Hula dance is a dance form that is accompanied by singing also known as chant. The Hula dance is from the Hawaiian islands and originated in this same place by original Polynesian settlers. There is no exact date of when Hula was created but historians have concluded that it happened around the early 1800s. The Hula was originally created to worship the volcano goddess so that she would have mercy and would keep the volcano from exploding and destroying the land. In the 19th century the Hula dance had major religious significance since it was dedicated to the volcano goddess but most recently the Hula dance has the social significance of telling stories about the people’s pasts. The traditional costume of the Hula had women wear small skirts and be topless but today that has changed as being considered lavish. Male dancers wear the malo and lei and tapa are worn for sacred Hula along with ornaments. Traditional dances were performed outside with no particular setting but nowadays dances are also performed in stages with the purpose of entertainment. The Hula dances have never had any specific dancers but in special occassions where the dances are performed for chiefs only the skilled dancers are to perform. Commercialisation has transformed Hula dances into prostitution for a lot of places where women are forced to wear lavish makeup and dress and behave in a very sexual manner.

Flamenco dance is a form of Spanish folk dance originating from the region of Andalusia in southern Spain. The first written records of Flamenco dance are from about 1774 but the dance has evolved significantly over the past centuries. The meaning behind the flamenco dance was for personal expression of opposed ethnicities. The flamenco dance has national significance in Spain as part of their culture, and as aforementioned used to have the social significance of personal expression. Women wear the “traje de flamenca” or flamenco dress which used to represent this expressionism for the gypsies and males wear shirt and dress pants that go with the female’s dress. Flamenco dances are held in four different settings which are: the juerga or informal, tablaos which are small establishments, professional concerts, and theatrical presentations. The dance can be performed by anyone but is mostly known for the female performers. Commercialisation has formalized flamenco very much and has converted it into a dance of great skill for those that wish to perform at the highest levels.

Both flamenco and hula were created around the same time but for distinct purposes. The two dances have evolved but one has been formalized while the other has been transformed into a form of prostitution. The costume for the hula dance is much more revealing than that of the flamenco dance. Both dances allow for the individuals performing to express themselves and tell their stories through dance.

Analyzing the previously stated facts we find that both flamenco and hula have become transcendental dances present in our world today. Coming from a Hispanic background I find the jarabe tapatio to be the most relevant cultural dance to my background. I do not have any cultural dance that has been taught in my family but after conducting this research I find great interest in learning flamenco. The free means of expression that this dance allows are very appealing to me and I find a lot of value in them. A dance can define a whole culture and can very much evolve and metamorphose over time.

Works Cited

“Caminos Flamencos – “Suite De Cadiz” – December 20, 2009 – Cowell Theater, San Francisco.” YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.

“Flamenco Dance – Flamenco Dance History.” Learn Spanish in Spain – Enforex. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.

“Hula Dancing History.” Hula Dance Head Quarters – HulaDanceHQ.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.

“Na Hula O Kaohikukapulani Hula Practice on Kauai.” YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.