Dance

If you had been a child in ancient Greece, your school day would have included lessons in writing, music, physical education--and dance. Boys and girls learned to dance as a way to cultivate both the body and the soul. Through the centuries and around the world, dance has been a vehicle for artistic expression, storytelling, communication, worship and building community spirit. Want to learn more about dance? Use the direct links on The Times’ Launch Point Web site. https://www.latimes.com/launchpoint/

LEVEL 1

Southern Powwow: Learn about nine different Native American dances and the symbolism of headdresses and other ceremonial items. Hear a variety of songs and drumming, and learn about proper etiquette for attending a powwow.

https://www.bonus.com/bonus/card/s_powwow.html

Bailes Folkloricos--Mexicano Folk Dancing: Get acquainted with the folk dance of Jalisco, Mexico, through explanations of the traditional dress and dance steps as well as an in-depth examination of mariachi music.

https://www.si.umich.edu/CHICO/MHN/edu/marlesson3.html

Dance and Performance--The Lion Dance: Though there are no lions in China, find out how the Lion Dance came to be and why it plays an important role in so many celebrations.

https://www.columbia.edu/~nc79/liondance.html

LEVEL 2

Dances of India: This site pays tribute to India’s rich heritage of dance, which spans centuries and a wide variety of forms. Explore the history and movements of temple, tribal and folk dances through photos and descriptions.

https://people.unt.edu/~sga0001/dance.html

Dancer’s Delight: From Hip-Hop to House, from Breaking to Popping, find out about the history of modern of dance and learn more about some well-known dancers.

https://pilot.msu.edu/user/okumurak/

History of Greek Dance: Traces the importance of dance in Greek society from ancient times to today. Learn what Plato and Socrates thought about dance as well as what types of dance steps the ancients favored and what dances continue to be performed.

https://www.firstnethou.com/annam/dancehis.html/

LEVEL 3

American Ballet Theatre’s Online Dictionary: What is a pirouette, a cabriole or a pas de deux? See those and other ballet terms demonstrated in this online ballet dictionary.

https://www.abt.org/dictionary/index.html

Tap Dance Homepage: A collection of tap dance resources, this site describes the history of tap and includes a glossary, biographies of top performers, tap dance routines, sound and video clips.

https://www.allegheny.edu/~corrp/tap/

African Music And Dance Ensemble: Discover African dances by touring the Online Concert. View video clips of performances, hear drum sound clips, and read historical commentary in the program notes.

https://www.cnmat.berkeley.edu/~ladzekpo/Ensemble.html

Launch Point is produced by the UC Irvine department of education, which reviews each site for appropriateness and quality. Even so, parents should supervise their children’s use of the Internet. This week’s column was designed by Anna Manring and Stan Woo-Sam.

EXPLORER’S QUEST

*Free Times T-shirt

Don’t forget: Oct. 13 is the deadline to pick up your free T-shirt in the Explorer’s Quest contest. If you still need an entry form, you can find it on the Launch Point Web site, https://www.latimes.com/launchpoint/

The answer to this Internet quiz can be found in the sites at right.

How many people make up a “lion” for the Lion Dance?

Clue: See Dance and Performance--The Lion Dance

Answer to last week’s Quest: The “shot heard ‘round the world” was fired in Lexington, Mass.