Early Modern Period: The Renaissance / Presentations

 

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Unit: Early Modern Period

Theme: The Renaissance 

Introduction

The Renaissance was a fervent period of European cultural, artistic, political and economic “rebirth” following the Middle Ages. Generally described as taking place from the 14th century to the 17th century, the Renaissance promoted the rediscovery of classical philosophy, literature and art.

 

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Learning Objectives

 

• Understand the importance of the Reformation 
• Explain the meaning of the Renaissance for dance
• Gain an awareness of the pre-classic dances
• Experience the steps of some Renaissance dances
  

 

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Presentations

Group 1: Tori, Sophia, Lana, Erin

Group 2: Sarah, Tatiana, Alyssa, Shamus

 

 

Main Lesson

 

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Reformation

The Reformation is considered one of the events that signify the end of the Middle Ages and beginning of Early modern period in Europe.

Reformation, also called Protestant Reformation, refers to the religious revolution that took place in the Western church in the 16th century.

The Reformation was the start of Protestantism and the split of the Western Church into Protestantism and what is now the Roman Catholic Church.

The Protestant Reformation was also a political, intellectual and cultural upheaval that splintered Catholic Europe, setting in place the structures and beliefs that would define the continent in the modern era.

The Reformation began when German priest Martin Luther nailed his "95 Theses" -- a list of grievances against the Catholic Church's practices -- to the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517.

 

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Renaissance

Renaissance was a cultural movement that began in Italy and spread across Europe while reformation was the Northern European Christian movement. 

Renaissance paved the way for the advancement in art and architecture, whereas Reformation paved the way for religious fragmentation. 

The Renaissance was a period from the 14th to the 16th centuries marked by a renewed interest in Classical Graeco-Roman culture, art, learning and science. It began in what is now Italy and spread throughout Europe. 

The Protestant Reformation was a European religious movement which challenged the authority of the pope and the Catholic Church, which until then was the only organized form of Christianity in Western Europe.

The Renaissance started in Florence, Italy, a place with a rich cultural history where wealthy citizens could afford to support budding artists. 

Members of the powerful Medici family, which ruled Florence for more than 60 years, were famous backers of the movement.

In the revival of neo-Platonism and other ancient philosophies, Renaissance Humanists did not reject Christianity; quite to the contrary, many of the Renaissance's greatest works were devoted to it, and the church patronized many works of Renaissance art.

 

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I. Historic Overview of the Renaissance

Ch. 17: History of the Renaissance -- 18 min

Question 1

After watching the video above, explain in detail the meaning of the word renaissance and why the cultural period Renaissance was given that name.

 

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The Vitruvian Man 

(min. 20:00)
 

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Dance in the Renaissance

Please, click on the link below, read the article on dance during the Renaissance and answer the following questions:

LINK

  The Renaissance Period

 

 

Question 2

Why are these dances called pre-classic?

 

 

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Question 3

What are the main characteristics of these dance steps? 

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Rumi

Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī, or simply Rumi, was a 13th-century poet, Hanafi faqih, Islamic scholar, Maturidi theologian and Sufi mystic originally from Greater Khorasan in Greater Iran. Rumi's works were written mostly in Persian, but occasionally he also used Turkish, Arabic and Greek in his verse.

 For nine years, Rumi practised Sufism as a disciple of Burhan ud-Din until the latter died in 1240 or 1241. Rumi's public life then began: he became an Islamic Jurist, issuing fatwas and giving sermons in the mosques of Konya. He also served as a Molvi (Islamic teacher) and taught his adherents in the madrassa.

 As an order, the whirling Dervishes were founded by mystic poet Rumi in the 13th century.

 

Oct 28, 2009 / This 5-minute documentary about whirling dervishes was created by Zain Dada and Jacob McDowell as a final project for a Learning Community (LCRM 200-LC-J) at Augustana College - Rock Island, IL. The Learning Community consisted of two classes taught side-by-side. Dr. Cyrus Ali Zargar taught a course on "Sufi Literature" (RELG 378-LC) and Dr. Sarah Skrainka taught a course on "The Complete Works" by Michel de Montaigne (WLIT 326-LC2). The aim of this short video is to provide a basic explanation behind the origin of Sufi whirling and how the ritual (known as a "Sema") is structured.

 

The erasure of Islam from the poetry of Rumi 

https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-erasure-of-islam-from-the-poetry-of-rumi

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A Note to Remember

 The Renaissance was mainly an Italian movement through which artist make a come back to the humanistic ideals that prevailed during the Classic period.

 

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 Case Study

 

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The Canary Dance

The Canary dance was a Renaissance dance inspired in an indigenous dance and song of the Canary Islands that became popular all over Europe in the late 16th and early 17th century.

The dance, which is most often choreographed for a single couple, has been characterized as "a fiery wooing dance" with either Canary origins or at least a Canary flavor from its "rapid heel-and-toe stamps" and distinctive music (Suton, p.50). It was also called frogs legs, because it was an energetic dance that featured jumps, stamping of the feet and violent movement, accompanied by music with syncopated rhythms (Thomas, 1980).

While there are choreographies for the canario as a stand-alone dance in the dancing manuals of Fabritio Caroso, Cesare Negri, and Thoinot Arbeau (1967),it most frequently appears as a section of a larger dance or suite of dances (Suito, 50-52). Several Baroque composers (notably J.S. Bach) used the distinctive rhythm of the canary in a few pieces, such as the gigue of the French Suite in C Minor, and it also appears in one of the Goldber Variations (Variation 7).

References

 Sutton, "Canary," vol. 2, p. 50.

Stanford, E. Thomas (1980). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. London: Macmillan

Thoinot Arbeau, Orchesography, transl. Mary S. Evans, ed. Julia Sutton (New York: Dover, 1967), pp. 179-181

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Zapateo

Question 4

What similarities do you notice between the Renaissance dances and the zapateo in Latin America?

 

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Activity 1

Students create couples and learn how to dance the Renaissance dances.

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STUDENTS' WORK

Experiential

From the Canary to the Zapateo

Academic

1. After watching the video above, explain in detail the meaning of the word renaissance and why the cultural period Renaissance was given that name.

Renaissance can be defined as the rebirth, revival, or renewed interest in something. The Renaissance was given that name due to the renewed interest in the study of ancient Greeks and Romans and their ideals. During this period, Europeans adapted many ancient customs and studied their tactics on a multitude of levels. 

2. Why are these dances called pre-classic?

These dances were called pre-classics as they often contain elements of folk and aristocratic movements. 

3. What are the main characteristics of these dance steps? 

The dances here require a lot of small foot and knee movements that were often done in quick order as well as with jumping. All of these dances required detailed steps with coordination and accuracy. 

4. What similarities do you notice between the Renaissance dances and the zapateo in Latin America?

The main similarity that I see is the use of quick feet movements in a forward or side motion, equally the zapateo uses a lot of jumping and skipping motions.