Hula in commercials

After watching the film on Thursday, I wondered how much a part of the American culture that hula has become. I searched to see how hula was incorporated in commercial advertisements. I found the one below, and realized we never discussed in class the advent of the hula bobble head car toy, a mainstay for many people that made the hula and Hawaiian culture not only accessible, but stereotyped the culture itself. What do you think of this commercialization of this culture? Have you noticed any other pieces of Hawaiian culture in our everyday that we don't always recognize as Hawaiian, but truly are?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbYw5AlqiHg

Hula in Lilo & Stitch

One of the things I associate with hula is the Disney movie Lilo and Stitch. Even though the movie focuses on the friendship that develops between the two main characters, there are themes of Hawaiian culture in the film.

The movie even contains a hula scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCAlnPIeiCY

I found a link that explains the movements that were used in the hula animation. So at least we know the dance steps in the film were accurate. http://www.huladancehq.com/how-to-do-the-lilo-and-stitch-hula-dance.html

Are there any other films or entertainment pieces that focus on a cultural dance? Are the dance and cultural elements within the piece accurate and to what extent? How do you feel about films that integrate a culture as a supplement to a storyline? Do you think it can add to a stereotype?

Hotel Lexington Hawaiian Room

Here are the photos that did not show up on my powerpoint. All of them are from the Hotel Lexington Hawaiian Room in NYC. Notice how in the ad, the female hula dancer does not look Polynesian, hence reinforcing the new image of "hawaiianess" that the haole's wanted to promote through tourism. Hope you all enjoy!

Is Hula Dance Authentic?

After reading the article this week about Hula Competitions, I continue to think about the topic of authenticity that we keep bringing up in class. Hula dancing is in important part of the Hawaiian cultures, but I wonder how competitions has changed its intent as a means of storytelling and poetry. While competitions are supposed to be fun and continue to spread the Hula tradition, they have turned into shows and many rules and regulations affect the choreography. First, they are scored, and judges like innovation; is changing the choreography still make it an authentic dance? Second, the emphasis is on a form of entertainment to impress an audience, which requires choreographers to be unique. Major structure changes have been imposed due to the time restraint dances have to occur in. I continue wondering, though don't have an answer to, if these changes still make the dance authentic and preserve the wonderful Hawaiian tradition, or has it changed it into a form of consumerism? Are these changes bad or is this just the natural progression of dance in the 20th-21st century?

Tango as a Modern Dance with a Latin Feel

We discussed in class the fact that Tango is a Modern Ballroom dance, and it fufills the basic idea of what modern ballroom is. But during class i couldn't help but think of this movie Take the Lead. It talks about how ballroom is considered a upper middle class sport that many can't afford to do, but this movie discussed how they mix the basic ideas of ballroom with non-traditional dance moves.
This clip shows the tradition Tango, and a recreation of tango with the Latin sexiness. I love this dance because it definitely allows a person to compare both the styles of dance, clothing, and background
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmsKDQ1DlN4

Glee Flash Mob

While our class is concentrated in American dance styles, I always wonder how our dance cultures spread to other countries. I found this video of a group of people participating in a flash mob in Italy to music from the popular television show Glee. Shows and media outlets like Glee allow non-dancers to participate in dance, by allowing them to connect with the music the way that the characters on the show do. The show places a large importance on dance (as they do air on FOX, a network gaining a lot of money off of So You Think You Can Dance), and the balance of music and dance in performance. Can you think of any other examples where music and dance have become a phenomenon for the average non-dancer? Enjoy the video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhbK2bMTRbI

DanceSport

My presentation on American DanceSport really got me thinking about the stereotypes that go along with dance. And even more so after some of the conversations we had this week. I found it extremely interesting to learn that DanceSport Professionals are not what the average person would think of a ballroom dancer. Most people think of ballroom dancers as professionals, glamorous, wealthy and smart. However, that is really just the Amateurs, people who do DanceSport as a hobby. Are there any other sports like this? Or anything in general? I was trying to think of some but was unable to, any ideas?