Individualized Research Topics for Midterm Assignment

1. Student #1 (K)
Research Q: How is the development of different art forms affected by social structure? Investigate the
social and cultural changes in America during the 1920’s/Jazz Age. From what dance styles did jazz
music and dance originate, and who were the people who started them? How did racial & cultural biases
affect the growth of this dance and music form in the movies and on Broadway? How does culture/race
play differently into the arts today?
Student #2 (A)
Research Q: Hip-hop began as a cultural movement of rap, breakdance, and graffiti. Discuss its origins
and the people who created these forms. In time, branches of hip-hop such as Krump have evolved in
response to oppression and dissatisfaction. Name some of those extensions and how they came to be.
What is the conflict between the treatment of people of color in this country and the mainstreaming of
hip-hop music and dance? What are your thoughts about the appropriation of these forms?
Student #3 (C)
Research Q: What is the difference in the body aesthetics we see in Romantic ballet vs. Neo-classical
ballet? In what ways has the “ballet body” contributed to an aesthetic of oppression within the dance
field? Has that aesthetic changed today, why or why not? Can you think of any preventative measures or
steps that can be taken to help establish healthy relationships with our bodies in the dance space?
Student #4 (I)
Research Q: What led to the creation of modern dance? How is post-modern dance different from
modern dance? How and when did this variation of modern dance come about? Provide an example of
one modern and one post-modern choreographic work to compare and contrast.
Student #5 (L)
Research Q: Find an example of how a time period or world event had significant influence on the
development of a dance form, and the arts in general. How do you think this dance form would have
developed without the influence of the social & cultural experience of that time? How do you think the
current state of the world is influencing dance and the arts, and what kind of art trends do you foresee as a
result?