PRESERVATION OF BODY MOVEMENTS USING HAND GESTURES

IDEATION

With so many vast languages in the world communication is vital for humans. However to explore other ways of communication there is non-verbal and this can be seen through a variety of ways. Our body movements can do a lot of communication without using words. However when this is connected to culture its becoming less and less appreciated and explored. I intend to preserve body movements by hand gestures in relation to culture. The purpose of this is to incorporate Performance art into Media arts by interaction focusing on hand gesture movements. Body language is:the conscious and unconscious movements and postures by which attitudes and feelings are communicated,for example, putting your hands on your waist can be a sign of anger or tiredness. 

MOTIVATION

• Non-verbal communication as performance art.
• Modernization is erasing cultural dances 
• Hand gestures have different meanings and interpretations.
• The thrill of the drama and mystery behind hand gestures.

OBJECTIVES/PURPOSE

• To explore the relationship between body movements as an art and the cultural influence.
• To link interaction with body movements
• To create a fun experience for audience to learn and experience the mystery of communication non-verbally.
• To preserve the culture of body movement.
• To revive a dying tradition.

JUSTIFICATION

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For my research I will be focusing on Malay culture, Indian dance,Thai dance,ballerina dance and mostly Botswana culture. From observation most of the cultural dances tell a story about one thing or the other. Dance is expressive and from it different interpretations can be absorbed. In most cultural dances of expressive hand gestures nature is the key element,for example animals(animism),weather,plants/flowers,places.

Types of Dances using hand gestures

BOTSWANA:
Botswana culture the bushmen have their traditional dance and most of the time in their storytelling it involves imitating animals.They can also be a communicative way of showing how they heal the sick,this is because the Bushmen are well known for their love and dependence on using nature in all aspects of their lives. Their dances are narrative and mystical.Imitating animals ,Storytelling/body movement dance. Bushmen are hunters and gatheres and this is protrayed in their dances of hunting prey for food.Hunting upclose.

MALAYSIA:
The Malaysian tradition of dances with body movents includes Tarian Lilin. This is a special type of dance using candles.Candle dance. Another type of dance is Zapin dance. This is an ancient folk dance that was introduced to Malaysia by the Arabs who traded with them. Apart from the Malaysia's state where the zapin is danced by its people like Johor, Kedah, Terengganu, Kelantan, Sarawak and Sabah, zapin is also danced by the people in its neighboring country like Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei.

Other dances:

INDIA:

A lot of Indian dancing has hand gestures. Most of the time each represents a meaning either of a flower or an object.

Indian Moonwalk

Bollywood style

BALLERINA:
This dance performance falls under modern culture. It incorporates body movement paying high attention to hand and feet gestures. Ballerina-Queen. Its complex and requires a lot of flexibility.

SKETCHES & MINDMAP