Arts in the Renaissance: Upon a Summer's Day

Instructor Jennifer Rose teaches students a Renaissance dance, Upon a Summer’s Day, from John Playford’s book The English Dancing Master. They perform the dance’s three figures and chorus. Rose relates that this was still danced in Appalachia in the 1920s and explains dance’s role in social interaction in the Renaissance.

Arts in the Renaissance: About the Bransle

Carrie Nath, director of education for the Kentucky Arts Council, explains the purpose and structure of the Maltese Bransle, a country dance that was popular in the courts of England and France during the Renaissance.

Arts in the Renaissance: Bransle

Kentucky students perform the Maltese Bransle (pronounced brahwl), a country dance that was popular in the royal courts of France and England during the Renaissance. The segment was recorded by KET in partnership with the Kentucky Arts Council and Kentucky Shakespeare. Kentucky Shakespeare also provided the costumes worn by the dancers.

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Arts in the Renaissance: About the Pavane

Carrie Nath, director of education for the Kentucky Arts Council, explains the purpose and form of the Pavane, an Elizabethan processional dance.

Arts in the Renaissance: Pavane

Kentucky students dance the Pavane, a processional dance from the Renaissance. The segment was recorded by KET in partnership with the Kentucky Arts Council and Kentucky Shakespeare. Kentucky Shakespeare also provided the costumes.

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African/African-American Culture: E Sin Mi D'Africa

Bi-Okoto Drum and Dance Theatre performs a welcome dance that combines movements from several traditional dances of the Yoruba people of Nigeria.

African/African-American Culture: Gue Pelou

Moha Dosso, a professional stilt dancer and musician from the Mahouka tribe in Cote D’Ivoire, West Africa, performs the Gue Pelou dance from the Ivory Coast.The Gue Pelou is a sacred rite used to honor and communicate with the spirit world and can be danced to protect the village.

African/African-American Culture: Kou Kou

Moha Dosso, a professional stilt dancer and musician from the Mahouka tribe in Cote D’Ivoire, West Africa, performs the Kou-Kou dance from the Ivory Coast.Kou-Kou is a communal recreational dance, often used to teach kids how to dance. Moha Dosso performs with the Kyene Drum Ensemble of Louisville, Ky.

African/African-American Culture: Manjani

The Imani Dance and Drum Company of Louisville, Ky., perform the Manjani, a West African dance that celebrates an important event such as the harvest (as in this performance), a wedding, or a naming ceremony.

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African/African-American Culture: Plantation Dance/Ring Shout

The Plantation Dance/Ring Shout represents a style of dance and music found in African slave communities on plantations in the southern United States, Caribbean Islands, and other locations.

African/African-American Culture: Sohu

Bi-Okoto Drum and Dance Theatre performs Sohu, a ritual cleansing dance from Togo.

Artistic Interpretation in The Little Mermaid

This video from Great Performances: The Little Mermaid from San Francisco Ballet features a scene from the first act of the ballet in which The Poet (a role based on the real life author Hans Christian Andersen) exits the real-world and enters a watery paradise under the sea.

Choctaw Dances

This video, adapted from material provided by the ECHO partners, presents aspects of traditional Mississippi Choctaw activities.

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Dance Theatre of Harlem

Learn about the Dance Theatre of Harlem is this segment from A Walk Through Harlem.

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The Little Mermaid: Character Analysis

This video from Great Performances: The Little Mermaid from San Francisco Ballet focuses on the moment the Little Mermaid falls in love with the prince and saves his life.

The Little Mermaid: Transformation

This video from Great Performances: The Little Mermaid from San Francisco Ballet features the Little Mermaid as she meets with the Sea Witch and makes her fateful decision to become human.

Native American Culture: Cherokee Beaver Dance

The Raven Rock Dancers perform the Beaver Dance, a social dance depicting the actions of a hunting party, at the 2006 Festival of Native Peoples. The Raven Rock Dancers is a family group founded by Walker Calhoun, a respected Cherokee elder.

Native American Culture: About Apache Dances

The Apache Crown Dancers are enrolled members of the White Mountain Apache Tribe and live in Whiteriver, Ariz. In this video segment, the group leader, Joe Tohonnie, Jr., talks about the long history of the dance and its role in Apache culture as the dancers perform Crown Dances.

Native American Culture: About Cherokee Dance

John Bullet Standingdeer is a member of the Warriors of AniKituhwa of Cherokee, North Carolina. In this video, he describes the cultural importance of the ceremonial Eagle Dance, performed by the Warriors of AniKituhwa, and the social Beaver Dance, performed by the Raven Rock Dancers.

Native American Culture: About Git-Hoan Dances

David Boxley of the Git-Hoan Dancers discusses dance traditions of the Tsimshian, whose descendants live on the Northwest coast of northern British Columbia and in southeastern Alaska. He discusses the use of masks and other handmade regalia in the dances.

Native American Culture: About Navajo Dances

Albert Brent Chase, artistic director of The Pollen Trail Dancers, explains the purposes of dance in Navajo culture.

Native American Culture: Apache Dance Performance

The Apache Crown Dancers are enrolled members of the White Mountain Apache Tribe and live in Whiteriver, Ariz. In this video segment, they perform a traditional Crown Dance in full regalia to music sung by the group leader, Joe Tohonnie, Jr.

Native American Culture: Cherokee Eagle Dance

The Warriors of AniKituhwa perform the Eagle Dance at the 2006 Festival of Native Peoples. Like other dances from Cherokee culture, the Eagle Dance serves as a catalyst for people to come forward and share their memories and a way to preserve cultural traditions.

Native American Culture: Git-Hoan Chief's Headdress Dance

Three dancers of the Git-Hoan troupe perform the Chief’s Headdress Dance celebrating the meaning found in the leader’s ceremonial headwear. The Git-Hoan are descendants of the Tsimshian people of northwest Canada and Alaska.

Native American Culture: Git-Hoan Raven Dance

The Git-Hoan Dancers perform the Raven Dance, a celebration of the Raven Clan. They wear masks representing the clan. In Tsimshian culture, the wearer of a mask is said to take on the spirit of the creature it signifies.

Native American Culture: Little Deer and Mother Earth

Marilou Awiakta, of Cherokee/Appalachian heritage, tells a traditional Cherokee story in which humans are killing too many of their animal relatives, threatening the delicate balance of nature. Little Deer leads the animals in taking action, teaching the lesson that people should take “only what you need with respect and gratitude.”

Native American Culture: Navajo Shaker Dance

The Pollen Trail Dancers perform the Navajo Shaker Dance, also called the Buffalo Dance. Artistic director Albert Brent Chase explains that the Shaker or Buffalo Dance is a healing dance that is part of the Fire Dance Ceremony, which lasts nine nights.

Native American Culture: The Dreamcatcher

Susan Mullins (Kwaronhia:wi), a Mohawk from the Kahnawake reserve in Canada who now resides in Berea, Ky., shows her grandchildren how to create a dreamcatcher, an item designed to catch bad dreams and let good dreams through.

Native American Culture: Truman Lowe: Contemporary Native American Artist

Truman Lowe is a contemporary sculptor working primarily in wood that he often scavenges from the landscape. This segment is from the KET documentary From the Shadows of the River, which chronicles Lowe’s visit to Wickliffe Mounds and his creation of a sculpture inspired by the rich heritage of the place.

Native American Culture: Truman Lowe at Wickliffe Mounds

In this video segment, contemporary Native American artist Truman Lowe discusses his visit to an ancient Native American community in Western Kentucky, Wickliffe Mounds, and how it influenced his work. The segment also includes a tour of art works at the Eagle Gallery at Murray State University.

Native American Culture: Zuni Harvest Dance

Instructor Arden Kucate gives background on the Zuni culture and the harvest celebration, explains the significance of Zuni boys being presented gourd shakers, and teaches a group of middle school students two dances from the Zuni harvest celebration.

Performing "The Walrus Hunt"

This video, adapted from material provided by the ECHO partners, shows Alaskan students preparing a music and dance presentation that draws on Native traditions.

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