a) Write an introduction that explains your own personal experience of watching Stormy Weather, describing your expectations before watching the film, your thoughts as you watch it, and providing a thesis about this film. If you need help with a thesis then you could explain, from your perspective: • how the dances illustrates the American experience and in what ways; • how the movie illustrates the history of American dance. b) Themes example: Choose a dance scene from Stormy Weather and describe it. What makes this scene significant for you? How does it develop your thesis? As you describe this scene, compare it to themes, concepts, people, and dances from/including: • Broadway themes or Modernist/Puritan themes. How are these themes represented in the film and/or in the dance scene? Which one(s) is represented and how? • Form, technique and structure involved in this one scene. (consider technique as performing a cultural tradition, not about who taught it.) What movements and gestures are part of this dance? What technique(s) seem to be present? Who is represented? • How the dance illustrates or contradicts your thoughts on the American identity and how it compares or contrasts to dances from Lessons 1, 2, or 3; c) History of dance example: Choose a second dance scene from Stormy Weather and describe it. What makes this scene significant for you and your discussion? How does it further develop your thesis? As you describe this scene, compare it to themes, concepts, people, and dances from other Lessons including: • Form, technique and structure involved in this one scene. (consider technique as performing a cultural tradition, not about who taught it.) What movements and gestures are part of this dance? What technique(s) seem to be present? Who is represented? • Compare it to themes, concepts, people, and dances from Lessons 1, 2, or 3. For instance, how does this dance mark a certain period of time and portray the culture that surrounds it? How does this dance illustrate cultural fusion or conservation of traditional dances or cultures? How does this dance compare to social dance or performance dance from the lessons? • How the dance illustrates or contradicts your thoughts on the American identity and how it compares or contrasts to dances from Lessons 1, 2, or 3; d) Develop a conclusion that summarizes your thoughts on the film. Develop your thesis further by comparing both of the dance examples (b and c). What does the dance or film illustrate about society for its historical era. Examine these two examples and any other scenes or dance sections from Stormy Weather that stood out to you. Examine the differences between America in the era of the film and the present and what that says about dance and American values.
Sample Solution
