John Vernon- Van der Leeuw and Dance

With dance, there is a need for participation. I find it interesting that Van der Leeuw mentions that dance could be the destruction of all the fine arts. He states: “It accompanies and stimulates all the processes of life, from hunting and farming to war and fertility, from love to death” (12). Already from class, we have seen various movie clips that shows examples of ritualistic dances (e.g. fertility dance in Apocalypse Now). In viewing and just watching a performance as a ritual dance, one can share to an extent the same feeling as the participants, but it is not as deepened and may be a less fulfilling aesthetic experience. Being in the presence of the art presented, to me, induces a more concrete understanding and allows us to approach the art in a more contemplative way. Thus, we are then able to be a part of a more intimate and personal experience.

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