Arts - Buffalo State College

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Arts
Shimmying Across the Atlantic:
Development In Belly Dance and Its Music
Laura Klemann, MUS 440W: Ethnomusicology
Faculty Mentor: Professor Carolyn Guzski, Music
The migration of belly dance from the Middle East to the United
States has caused diverging trends in motivations, stereotypes, and
cultures in this dance genre and its music. I will be discussing these
differences, comparing American style belly dance (characterized
as “American Cabaret Belly Dance”), and current Middle Eastern
practices, as well as the musics associated with them. The regions
of the Middle East on which I will focus most closely are Egypt and
Turkey, due to the plethora of resources available regarding current
dance and musical trends in these regions. Through fieldwork, oral
history, and video and scholarly written sources, I will be discussing
the stereotypes and stigmas that are associated with belly dancing
in the Middle East in comparison with the United States, and in
particular, the influence of these stereotypes on gender roles in both
regions. My presentation will display musical examples of Americanproduced
and performed pieces of music meant to be used with
American cabaret belly dance, and compare them with examples
of contemporary music composed in the Middle East specifically
to accompany the Middle Eastern style of belly dance. As a final
synopsis of my discussion, I will exhibit a live performance by an
American Cabaret and Middle Eastern style trained belly dancer, who
will present in succession the contrasting dance forms to recordings
of the musics discussed.
Presentation Type and Session: Oral – Humanities III
Silence
Cassondra Conrad, Theater and Music, Cecelia Barron,
Theater, Elixander Bane, Theater, Robert Sherman, Music,
Chelsea Correa, Theater, and Pamela Mendoza, Theater
Faculty Mentor: Professor Carol Beckley, Theater
“Silence” is a play portraying the lives of four people at their
breaking points before committing suicide. The intimate structure,
of the play, allows the audience to see the impact and struggle
ordinary people face as they contemplate suicide. The play focuses
on breaking the stereotypical idea of ‘what’ and ‘how’ suicide
happens. A woman longing to be mother, an Ivy League student,
a homosexual man, and a young teenage girl all have individual
stories and individual lives. However, the purpose of the play is to
give them all a link. As the audience watches their downfall they also
see glimpses where someone could have said something or done
something. But, in the end, no one did anything. As a result, three
lives are lost; lost and consequently silent. Nonetheless, one character
remains alive and gives hope to the idea that suicide can be
prevented. “Silence” is an original play written by Cassondra Conrad
and Cecelia Barron. We have combined our efforts and done research
on real stories about real people who have committed suicide. We
want to express the unspoken words that these people never got the
chance to. Our goal is to inspire an audience to make a change by
noticing the little things that could prevent suicide from happening.
Presentation Type and Session: Performance – Flexible
Theatre, April 28, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Skin, Muscles and Bones Oh My: The
Artistic View On the Human Form
Kevin Whalen, Painting and Sculpture
Faculty Mentor: Professor Elena Lourenco, Fine Arts
Most people, when they think of the body, they think of just the
surface and the shape, when actually it is what is inside that shapes
our bodies. There are all different body types, Tall, short, heavy, thin,
average; but we are very similar on the inside. I love this notion,
which is why working with the human figure is my main focus
in both my painting and sculpture majors. My work involves the
human figure and form: what makes up the body, and how it works.
Currently, I am learning all about how the body works and moves
in my Biology class. I plan on artistically showing this relationship
between the bones and muscles, and how the brain and spine work
together to let our bodies function in a multi-media sculpture(s).
I will be using different medium to present my research. These
mediums include pencils and oil paint for my preliminary 2-d
figure studies. In sculpted form, I will use steel, which I will cut and
assemble with the welding process, to fabricate the likeness of the
spinal vertebrae. On top of this, I will use wire to express various
circulatory and nervous systems, and clay, directly applied to the
steel, to build up the likeness of muscle. With consideration to
formal elements, there will be some artistic liberty taken in a subtle
abstraction of the realistic elements. In the end, I would like to create
a form that is reflective of the human skeletal and musculature
system, while expressing an exaggerated gesture and utilizing
various material applications to elicit a visceral and emotional
response from the viewer.
Presentation Type and Session: Poster VIII
Slow Down, You’re Russian the Beat! An
Overview of Russian Folk Music
Jennifer Babcock, MUS 440W: Ethnomusicology
Faculty Mentor: Professor Carolyn Guzski, Music
There are many different forms of Russian music, and folk is
one of the most prominent and important to Russian culture. My
current research on the topic indicates that the greatest significance
of folk songs in Russia was political in nature. Particularly after
World War II, when many Russians were displaced from their
homes, it became essential to pay homage to a common culture
and homeland. Music was a central signifier of the people’s strong
sense of Nationalism. This folk genre is still important to popular
expression today: Gogol Bordello has emerged as an influential
contemporary performer of Russian folk who has crossed over to
American culture as well. Family experiences served as the major