Catching Up

Okay. I've done quite a bit of research, even though so many sites were blocked. I've got a pretty good understanding of Khon and the 'mechanics' of it. I'm waiting for the video I asked to borrow from this university in Ithaca, NY. Unfortunately, I requested about five, but the other ones weren't available. I asked the guy I was talking to if they would be available at a later date, but he has yet to respond to me. But I guess that's alright. I also requested a video and a CD from the library; I just have to remember to bring my card to class to check to see if they are available or not. If I don't pick them up by November 1st, they'll no longer be on hold. Then again, I don't think they're very popular things to check out.

But for now, work wise, I have to focus on the webliography and the foundation questions, now that I have a decent resource list. So yeah. Lovely. I have no idea what to do for an essential question. Gah. However, interesting enough, I'm pretty good on my final action. I know what I want to do and I basically know how to do it. My only issues are really the costumes and putting together the choreography of it, because I'm not real good at either, but I do know people who could help me. So that's good. =D

I'm excited about the performance. I think it will be great. Though, I'm not sure if I could get it done by 1st trimester of 12th grade, just incase I have grad project then. It's kind of going to be really difficult and I won't hold it in the summer because then the dancers would be far too hot in the extremely bulky costumes and masks that I have to make. -_- So, it's either going to be in early Spring (which I could never do for this year), or like....early-middle fall. That should work. ^_^

Unfortunate Problem

I must say, the most unfortunate thing about conducting research on the school computers is the 'parental' blocks. Just about everything that I click on is blocked. It's insane. I don't feel that there should be blocks on things like this because sometimes it's just an advertisement on the site and you're missing out on information that could be amazing. I think I would especially need YouTube because I would have to study their music, their dance techiques, and their costuming.

As of current, I'm not entirely sure as to what I want my main topic to focus on, but I do know what I want my action to be, which is usually a lot harder, in my opinion. Plus, the action would take so much longer and you have to love it to stick with it. So yeah.


Progress:

• No sure topic
• No essential question
• Action found
• Resource list nearly finished
• Lost on how to find foundations of theatre (reason for movements, what are the specific ways to play an instrument to specify something, reasons for costuming/headdresses, etc.)

Update In Topic

My topic has completely changed. Currently, I really want to focus on traditional Thai dance, which can also be considered a form of theater or drama. I've always been really interested in it for a long time, but I didn't think it should be used for the project because I wanted to incorporate my chosen profession (archaeology) into it and the two topics don't really fit together. There are multiple types of styles in which the dances are performed. Some only pertain to folklore as their plot base, or some have a specific type of movement, one used to be only performed for royals, etc. I'd really like to put on a production in the style of Khon, which is a very traditional dance that protrays all or sections of the Ramakien, which is Thailand's version of an Indian epic called Ramayana. The dancers are completely silent. Their actions, thoughts, and speech are narrated by someone who stands on the side of the stage, who is usually with a chorus. The music that's played depicts different things such as walking, expressions, weather, etc. I think it's a very fascinating form of dance because it's so different than anything that I've ever seen, before. Even though a production would take some time, even a year or so, it wouldn't be too difficlt, just time consuming. The main thing would probably be costumes, for money, and the place for it to take place.

Completely Blocked

I am basically back to where I started. I've found so many interesting subjects that I'd love to go further into. However, I have absolutely no idea of what I could do for an action. I desperately do not want to do anything bland and boring. I want to have something that I wouldn't mind researching and doing.

As of now, I'm really fascinated with ancient rites of passage, such as the process undergone by boys trying to be men, and girls turning to women, Bolivian healers (and the witches' market in La Paz, Bolivia), and just about everything in Indian, Japanese, and Chinese history. I particularly love their architecture, art, traditional dress, and theatre (Thai theatre, also).

So, even though I have managed to narrow things done, I'm still really stuck. However, I do think that I want to focus on either India or China. The Mauryans in India have such beautiful sculptures and the time of the Three Kingdoms in China is a really interesting story.

My Sister

Severe progress has been made in narrowing a topic. I must say, my sister is an absolutely amazing person. I sent her my long, long, long, long, long, long, looooong list of topics and she sent me so many options and offered even more help. I think asking for her aid was most definitely a good idea; she's really gifted with this such as this. This is her most recent e-mail to me:

"The art of body piercing and body art.......i googled this topic and the romans pierced their nipples as a sign of manhood and many african tribes got huge peicings to not be very attractive to slave traders....this would be cool to all you could provide pictures and illustrations of both and contrast it with today

Art and the growth, importance and significance throuh the years pick a century to start with and work your way up.each huge artistic mvmt is a direct result of what was going on in the era...presentation could be finding (and if you like this idea we could discuss further) copies of major art peices and having a mock art gallery showing in one of your classes complete with sparkling cider and cheese like aunt sue's [my aunt is an artist]

The pagan origins of christian holidays is interesting Chris says that some viking group had a voodoo doctor that shrunk heads and would hang them on the trees thus we have ball ornaments ....Once you get together all your info on these holidays we would come up with a cool way to illustate it...

Burial practices are cool in them selves religions in general are very differnt even today like jews can not be enbalmed if you choose a variety pick a # incas, native americans, india, mayan, asian there is an unlimited # to chose from

Oh in my opinion stay away from the witchcraft it is taboo and you should work on a project that will interes your new internship and can be referred to later like in college never know when it can be recycled.

As for comparing the costumes for military i hav not done much reasearch but it will be hard to demonstrate to a class unless you just use pictures even then it is a little
dry.

Japan is a cool country and they have so many traditions that are still practiced today it is cool take a geisha, foot binding , even the way they cook and drink tea is an art...you could do a whole comparison on the japanese cultral and compare it with another asain cultural or american or even any other european cultural we do not hold on to our traditions like that....OH and the kimono and fans god we could go on and on...I have a lot of asia nmarkets down here... Origami you could wrk on some peices to display then teach the class how to make a crane then research cuz there is always somw kid out there trying to have people send them thousands of cranes send them to that kids (usually a cancer patient."

I think that her suggestions were absolutely fabulous. So, she's going to be my main start in narrowing things down.