Macarena (or like song with movement activities) from a different physical viewpoint

by | Apr 11, 2025 | Analysis

 

Recreate the Macarena (or like song with movement activities) from a different physical viewpoint and
record yourself doing it. Normally we stand and dance to the Macarena (or cupid shuffle etc.) can you
recreate these in the push-up/crab walk/bear crawl position and incorporate this in a physical classroom
setting? Show us! When you’re finished, upload your video into the discussion when you’re finished. If
the video is too large to upload to the discussion, please submit it to YouTube and then post the link in
the discussion forum.

 

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Concept: We’ll break down the Macarena’s iconic arm movements into a sequence that translates to push-up, crab walk, and bear crawl variations. We’ll also add some modifications to make this a full body workout.

Movement Breakdown:

  • Original Macarena Arm Moves:
    • Right arm forward, palm down.
    • Left arm forward, palm down.
    • Right hand to left shoulder.
    • Left hand to right shoulder.
    • Right hand to back of head.
    • Left hand to back of head.
    • Right hip sway.
    • Left hip sway.
  • Adapted Ground Moves:
    • Push-Up Position (Right): Extend right arm forward while holding push-up plank.
    • Push-Up Position (Left): Extend left arm forward while holding push-up plank.
    • Crab Walk (Right Shoulder): While in crab walk, touch right hand to left shoulder.
    • Crab Walk (Left Shoulder): While in crab walk, touch left hand to right shoulder.
    • Bear Crawl (Right Head): While in bear crawl, touch right hand to back of head.
    • Bear Crawl (Left Head): While in bear crawl, touch left hand to back of head.

Concept: We’ll break down the Macarena’s iconic arm movements into a sequence that translates to push-up, crab walk, and bear crawl variations. We’ll also add some modifications to make this a full body workout.

Movement Breakdown:

  • Original Macarena Arm Moves:
    • Right arm forward, palm down.
    • Left arm forward, palm down.
    • Right hand to left shoulder.
    • Left hand to right shoulder.
    • Right hand to back of head.
    • Left hand to back of head.
    • Right hip sway.
    • Left hip sway.
  • Adapted Ground Moves:
    • Push-Up Position (Right): Extend right arm forward while holding push-up plank.
    • Push-Up Position (Left): Extend left arm forward while holding push-up plank.
    • Crab Walk (Right Shoulder): While in crab walk, touch right hand to left shoulder.
    • Crab Walk (Left Shoulder): While in crab walk, touch left hand to right shoulder.
    • Bear Crawl (Right Head): While in bear crawl, touch right hand to back of head.
    • Bear Crawl (Left Head): While in bear crawl, touch left hand to back of head.
    • Crab Walk Hip Dip (Right): While in crab walk, dip right hip down.
    • Crab Walk Hip Dip (Left): While in crab walk, dip left hip down.

Circuit Sequence (Repeating the Macarena pattern):

  1. Start: Push-up plank position.
  2. Right Arm Forward: Extend right arm forward, maintain plank.
  3. Left Arm Forward: Extend left arm forward, maintain plank.
  4. Crab Walk (Right Shoulder): Transition to crab walk, right hand to left shoulder.
  5. Crab Walk (Left Shoulder): Left hand to right shoulder.
  6. Bear Crawl (Right Head): Transition to bear crawl, right hand to back of head.
  7. Bear Crawl (Left Head): Left hand to back of head.
  8. Crab Walk Hip Dip (Right): Transition to crab walk, dip right hip.
  9. Crab Walk Hip Dip (Left): Dip left hip.
  10. Repeat: Repeat the sequence, syncing the movements with the Macarena music.

Physical Classroom Setting:

  • Warm-up: Begin with a light warm-up, including dynamic stretches and joint rotations.
  • Demonstration: Demonstrate the adapted movements and the circuit sequence.
  • Practice: Have the students practice the movements slowly, focusing on proper form.
  • Music Integration: Play the Macarena and gradually increase the tempo.
  • Circuit: Have students perform the circuit in groups or individually, rotating through the positions.
  • Cool-down: End with a cool-down, including static stretches.
  • Safety: Ensure students have adequate space and are aware of their surroundings.

Recording Your Video:

  1. Setup: Find a well-lit area with enough space to move freely.
  2. Angle: Position your camera to capture your full body during the movements.
  3. Music: Play the Macarena music in the background.
  4. Demonstration: Start by demonstrating the adapted movements slowly, explaining each step.
  5. Circuit Performance: Perform the circuit sequence to the music, syncing your movements with the beat.
  6. Variations: You can add variations to the movements, such as adding push-ups between arm extensions or increasing the speed of the hip dips.
  7. Ending: End the video with a cool-down stretch or a brief explanation of the workout’s benefits.
  8. Upload: Upload your video to YouTube and share the link in the discussion forum.

Important Considerations:

  • Safety: Emphasize proper form to prevent injuries.
  • Modifications: Offer modifications for students with different fitness levels.
  • Engagement: Make the activity fun and engaging by encouraging creativity and participation.

By adapting the Macarena into a ground-based circuit, you can create a challenging and engaging workout for a physical classroom setting.

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