History 11

Choose one or two of the following critical questions to guide your critical response (~250 words), or respond freely, if you would rather. Don't forget to include your own critical discussion question. Please do not respond to all of these questions. These are simply a guide to get you started in your own critical response. Likewise, you are welcome to write your response independent of the questions I have provided here. While these prompts focus on the ideas of appropriation and suppression from the assigned videos and article, feel free to include relevant observations from other videos, images or activities and discussion seen in class this week, or to connect to other themes and discussions from earlier in the semester. Include your own critical question to further the discussion.

1) Given what you have read, when performances are given for tourists or entertainment, or are performed out of context, how does that effect the authenticity, ritual and meaning of the dances? What are pros and cons to 'traditional' performances for tourists, entertainment, or other out-of-context situations? How might this apply to Ballet Folklorico, as we saw it with Guest Instructor Stasi Flores?

2) Given what you have read in chapters 1 and 2, what can you say are key factors in the development of many classical / traditional dances in India, Bali and Java? What is your overall impression of these dance traditions?

3) Both Kathakali and baris dances have a relationship to regional martial arts. How or why does this relationship occur, given the videos we have seen in class and the information given in the book?