Each Reflective Essay has one or more questions that need to be considered in essay format. I changed the name of this assignment from Analytical Paper to Reflective Essay because I want you to bring your own perspective (lived experience), your own research interests, and your own voice to the essay. Each Reflective Essay should a thoughtful, substantial response of 1.5-2 pages plus a cited references page. Grading will be based on content and formal writing (spelling/grammar/formatting). Please see Rubric for details. Please note, clicking Save as Draft will not submit your Reflective Essay. It allows you to save your submission and come back to it later. Your instructor will not be able to access any submissions saved this way and you will not receive credit for the assignment.
CHOOSE ONE: Option A or B
Reflective Essay #2 Prompt Option A:Based upon what you have learned in Module 1 and Module 2, consider how the shift in philosophy (pre-modern to modern and modern to post-modern) are evident in the type of work artists were making. For example, throughout the 19th-century artists had a very conservative mindset when it came to the presentation of art. The images and art forms that were made during this time were composed of a certain artistic mold which reflected conservative moral values, virtuosity, righteousness, nobility, sacrifice, and Christianity. Most artists during this time period conformed to the common artistic mold, which is clearly seen in the works of that century. The 20th century, however, saw a new period of design known as modernism, which would eventually lead to postmodernism after World War II. Select four or five examples in order to discuss in Reaction Essay #2 how the modernist and postmodernist periods were composed of very revolutionary and transformative images. Modern artists looked ahead to the future and not to the past, they supported freedom of expression and equality. How did that manifest in work meant for propaganda? [at the top of your submission, stipulate you’re responding to Prompt A]
or…
Reflective Essay #2 Prompt Option B: Discuss Mary Wigman’s role in Nazi Germany. She was far more complicit (accommodating to the questionable act of following Hitler) than Laban or Jooss. How might this association (coupled with her also being a female artist) place her in a darker light, even though she eventually turns against the Nazi regime? Can you think of any other tragic characters from United States’ history, who have been on the ‘wrong side of history’? Would this modern dance pioneer be better known had she not fallen in step with the Nazis? How does our memory become affected? What does it do to the art they have left behind? Consider all these points when drafting your responses. Remember, the body/dance is different than visual art. Years ago, we could not record live performance the way we can now. Memories were the main way of transference. Hence, propaganda becomes embedded in our thoughts and is able to live well beyond the normal life span of an ephemeral work. [at the top of your submission, stipulate you’re responding to Prompt B]
Initial Source to consider (though you are expected to do your own research to add):
Mary Wigman: A Dance Pioneer With an Awkward Past