THE LANGUAGE OF MOVEMENT 8

In this last session of the course we looked at body movements from several different points of view. First, we looked at the ways that homosexual choreographers created movements to either hide, or present, their sexual identity. During the early twentieth century male choreographers, such as Ted Shawn emphasized masculine movements while Loie Fuller hid her body in huge gauze or chiffon tent like costumes. When homosexuals "came out" later in the century, choreographers, such as Bill T. Jones and Joe Goode presented body movements, story lines, and group movements that identified them as legitimate artists with their own particular style of dance. As cultural values changed, so dance movements changed.

We looked next at the ways in which the Supreme Court handled the problem of "exotic dancing" in clubs. The question of whether or not "exotic dancing" was expressive, and therefore protected as free speech

under the First Amendment, was not directly determined in the several court cases of the mid and late twentieth century. Cases were not decided on the basis of moral, ethical or value concerns, but rather, on the basis of whether the dancing was dangerous for the community and likely to increase crime and prostitution and lower property values.

Finally we looked at the changes in the general valuing of physical activity in our present society, as evidenced by the increase in gyms and studios for special body exercise programs such as Yoga, Pilates, Alexander, Feldenkreis methods. We also looked at the changes in physical education in the schools and finally at the commercialization of sports in schools and in society in general.

I thank you all for your attendance, participation and interest in a subject that has received little critical attention in our contemporary society. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday.