Week 1

Beginning this module I didn't know how to approach it or what to expect as I am coming from a Drama background. Taking Anthropology of dance as a final year module I feel it is greatly important that I have some knowledge and understanding of anthropology as this will allow me to explore the ideas of Anthropology through dance furthermore allowing me to develop a better understanding of an anthropologists way of thinking.

For me Peter Metcalf gives a simple understanding of what anthropology is, he states that:

"Anthropology is an adventure. it offers you the opportunity to explore other worlds, where lives unfold according to different understandings of the natural order of things. Different, that is, from those that you take for granted. It allows you to escape the claustrophobia of your everyday life, but anthropology is not mere escapism. On the contrary, it will demand your best efforts at understanding."
(Peter Metcalf, Anthropology: the basics, (Oxon: Routledge, 2005) p.1

After reading Jonathan Skinner's A natural turn to the Anthropology of Dance, I got a better understanding of how an anthropologists views and sees the world around us. As a person who loves traveling and exploring different cultures I can now relate my experience to various cultures in an aspect of Anthropology. having seen different dances from various cultures one example being Africa, having an anthropologist way of thinking allows me to explore deeper into that culture and the way in which they view dance and the importance of dance within that culture.

 Reflecting back on week 1 was able to get an insight of the ideas around dance. The different ways of understanding dance through an anthropologist way of thinking. Looking at particular movements and traditions behind various dance styles, looking at how the various dances are choreographed and how dance is perceived by different people. It has allowed me to focus more on the meaning of dance and why we dance.

Helena Wulff states that:

"Dance has the potential of releasing emotional and erotic forces that are kept at bay most of the time in everyday life.' 

I have had various experiences dancing in workshops and as part of shows, and I feel that now when I dance I will think about it more, in terms of how I dance, why I dance and what I will get from a particular dance.