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Introductory Page to 3.0 Historical and Cultural Context, Prompt B

The one thing that glues society together is none other than culture. One major aspect of culture is

dance, it prevails in almost all cultures of the world; however, the way dance is perceived in different

cultures is not always homogenous. Especially, it is widely used for celebrations, battle rituals, or even

showing gratitude to the gods [1]. It is true that dance is unique in all societies and civilizations, but they

are all similar in a way that they reflect the cultural context and history which the dances derived from.

Therefore, all dances have an explanation for its existence, such as the Cuban and Brazilian performing

arts that have a rich history of evolution, from common ancestral connections to West African culture.

Dance have been a significant part of human culture since the dawn of our existence and has

diverged differently throughout each cultures of the world. According to the textbook, Experiencing

Dance, World dance is a term currently used to describe dances that stem from within an ethnic culture

and express the movement aesthetic of that culture (Scheff 82). Examples of the term world dance

includes tribal dances and folk dances because they originated from the cultures of a specific ethnicity.

World dances are used to depict the way of life and the background of a particular culture, or can be used

for serious intentions, like rituals before going into battles or for religious rites. Moreover, the definition

of dance is unique from culture to culture and people have created terms to make clear that dances explain

the background and history, which further demonstrates that it is universal in all cultures.

Now that it is obvious that dances distinctly reflect their specific cultural context, Cuban and

Brazilian performing arts are excellent examples to additionally support this idea. One might believe that

the Cuban and Brazilian dances are very alike, thus, proves that dances do not show individuality to a

particular area. However, this is an ignorant mistake because both dances have evolved from West Africa

after its traditions were brought by way of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and hence they are still unique,

in that they reflect the cultural backgrounds of West Africa. In my Afro-Cuban/Afro-Brazilian Dance and

Music Essay, I wrote that [the] physical beings of African people were not only brought on the ships to
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the Americas, their sacred songs, dances, and other traditions followed them as well (Website S 3.0). I

stated these facts to insist that Cuban and Brazilian dances were very alike to one another for they were

embodiments of what was brought by West African slaves to these two countries. An exemplification of

West African traditional dances that exist in the two countries are the choreographies of Ogun and Oshun,

whom are Yoruban (culture in West Africa) deities that we danced about in class (Website S 3.0).

Furthermore, these dances are distinct aspects of West-African culture and they explain its background of.

To reiterate, dances distinctly reflect their particular cultural context, just like how formations of

snowflakes are always distinct. The history of Cuban and Brazilian dances and the Experiencing Dance

textbook proves that dances are unique in cultures and that they are symbols of a particular culture. On

that account, dance is an important aspect of culture and one can learn its history and traditions through

learning it.

Bibliography:

[1] Scheff, Helene, Marty Sprague, and Susan McGreevy-Nichols. Experiencing Dance: From

Student to Dance Artist. Leeds: Human Kinetics, 2014. Print.