[Ansteorra] the performing artist and documentation

[willowdewisp at juno.com]

The performing artist must start with proving his field or style of performance is period.
With Dancing you take the dance form as far back into recorded History as possible. 
For example, Persian Dance. 
The first recorded history of the dance form is during the 1700's. Classical Persian Dance comes from that period, but there is a strong background of it being passed down from mother to daughter. Look for in period illustrations. 
Look at folk dances because cultures create sets of behavior for dances to follow. Folkloric dances are very stable and have moves that are pan cultural. 
If you can look for videos before TV and Movies because these modern inventions have influenced many things. 
Here is a site that gives some good information 
http://home.earthlink.net/~rfriend11/Bhuz1.htm
Bring together any quotes that describe the dance form. 
Looking and comparing movements, music and costume, we can build a case for the dance style going backs into our period. Comparing in period pictures with just out of period dance information and modern "classical" Persian dance scholar/ dancers, we can collect a set of movements that by looking at the pictures period Persian dancers us.
Looking at the modern scholars interpretations of your dance collect transitions from the folkloric styles and current dance styles in the region of your dance.
Then you get in period music. Music shapes the dance. Try out movements and transitions record what works and what didnft. Your discarded movement and transitions are as interesting to the scholar as the ones you put into the dance. 
Create clothing as close as possible to what dancer would be wearing. This part of your documentation should follow standard costume documentation. It a good idea to check with a laurel who knows how to do it. 
Then dance to the period music, wearing the proper clothes using your set of movements. Do not forget underclothes because these are sometimes binding. If the clothes change your movement record that. Clothing is a "set" that would make some movement hard to do.
Looks at the culture in period. Are there things that just were not done? Persian Dance was danced in a public setting by "nice" ladies. Are there things a "nice" lady would not of done?
Support your observations with quotes. 
Recreating a period dance is like doing research into "possibilities." Culture, Clothing, music and Custom will all shape the end product. 
We can't produce a video of a period Persian dance, but we build a case with supporting documentation that the dance we are doing could have been danced in pre-17Th century Persia.
Willow de Wisp 
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