Dance
Discourse Community
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Sarah Rillo
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This website provides the reader with information over the wide discourse community of dance. While there are several smaller discourse communities within the much larger community of dance, the goal remains the same, "to explore self-expression, develop awareness and training of the body, communicate important social and political beliefs, and preserve the arts all while using the body as the medium."
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About
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Swales Six Characteristics
Swales defines a discourse community as a group of people who share these six characteristics.
1. A broad agreed set of common public goals.
2. Mechanisms of intercommunication among its members.
3. Utilize and posses one or more genres in the communicative furtherance of its aims.
4. Use participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback
5. Has acquired some Lexis
6. Has a threshold level of members with a suitable degree of relevant content and discoursal expertise.
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Common Goal
Common Goal:
"To explore self-expression, develop awareness and training of the body, communicate important social and political beliefs, and preserve the arts all while using the body as the medium."
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Mechanisms of Communication
No matter what kind of dancer you are the best way to get information about new techniques, styles, and to better immerse yourself into the community is by attending rehearsals, master classes, or improv sessions. These allow the dancer to get the knowledge from the source.
Dance companies will put on performances of classical and historic shows as well as new work that has been set on the company. Attending these shows is a way to get a peek into the minds of some of the most influential people through the history of our community.
If a dancer is unable attend classes or see a piece of work live they can access videos of technique and choreography online. There are many choreographers who put their work on the internet in order to promote themselves more for master classes. This is a great way for dancers to get to see what is current in the discourse community.
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Participatory Mechanisms
Dance Research Journal-Longest running international outlet for dance research
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Dance Education Literature and Research Descriptive Index-Database containing dance literature and research dating back to 1926 to present
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Journal of Dance Education-Quarterly journal containing research articles, student readings, and book and media reviews on dance education
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Alexander Street Press-Production videos and documentaries in all styles of dance.
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Teaching Artist Journal-Quarterly journal devoted to the practice and thought of teaching artists.
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Dance Research: The Journal of the Society for Dance Research-Edited and published in Britain. International forum for the presentation and discussion of contemporary dance research.
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Intercommunication Mechanisms
Rehearsals or Practices-This is where you narrow down your technique as a performer and dancer.
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Master Classes-These are hosted by specific companies or choreographers for individuals who are wanting to learn their style or their unique approach to choreography.
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Performances-Attending a live performance from a dance company or school will help dancers understand what current choreography is being used and what styles are big.
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Videos-Provide dancers visual explination of what choreographers and dancers are working on.
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Current Topics
There is lots of conversation revolving around social issues and how they have had an effect on the dance world. The body acceptance movement has very much played in large role in the dance community. Typically, there is a "look" that dancers were expected to have, but there has been big movement to make dance more accessible for all body types.
This conversation brings us into the next topic that has been evolving for some time, but is still a topic for conversation in the dance world. How African American dancer’s body's fit in a world that has been predominantly populated by white dancers has evolved with the same social issues that surround our society. There have been huge strides in both the acceptance of all bodies and the influence of African American choreographers and dancers.
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Dancer Speak
Style-Refers to a unique type of dance. These styles come with their own techniques, vocabulary, and even clothing styles. Types of styles would be ballet, hip hop, contemporary, African dance, jazz, tap, modern.
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Dance Company-A group of dancers and personnel who work together to put on performances and go on tours.
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Choreographer-Individual responsible for putting the movements together in a sequence that dancers or individuals will perform. This person usually has quite a bit of experience.
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Lines-Refers to the strength and accuracy and look of the dancer's limbs and body in space.
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