When Is Dance an Art Form?

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WHEN, IN YOUR OPINION IS DANCE AN ART FORM?

The word “dance” is a difficult one to define. It is something that happens when a human entity moves in directed patterns, consciously performing definite movements. Dance never exists in its totality at any one time, but develops during a segment of measurable time.
Two philosophers, James K. Feibleman and Thomas Munroe attempted to analyse dance systematically as a form of artistic experience (1). Munro stated that “dance is an art of rhythmic bodily movements, presenting to the observer an ordered sequence of moving visual patterns of line, solid shape and colour. The postures and gestures of which these are made suggest kinaesthetic experiences of tension, relaxation etc and emotional moods and attitudes associated with them. They may also represent imaginary characters, actions and stories. Dances are performed by one person or by two or more in mutual co-ordination”
Fiebleman suggests there are seven traditional accepted arts, and these are painting, architecture, poetry, sculpture, drama, music and dance. Fiebleman believes that each form of art has a medium through which it can express itself.(2) Fiebleman defines dance as “ that art which deals with emotions of the human body”. Dance is on its own as an art form because it does not have a lasting end product or record of performance, if one accepts this , then one must explore the nature of “art “
Creativity always has the stamp of the individual upon its product, it is imaginative, original, novel, this novelty grows out of the unique qualities of the individual in his interaction with the materials of experience. According to (3) Rogers “ the creative process is the emergence in action of a novel relational product growing out of a uniqueness of the individual on the one hand, and the materials, events, people or circumstances of his life on the other
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