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Culture, Ritual and Theatrical Performance

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Performance studies is sort of a discipline that works with other fields. These are anthropology, gender studies, folklore, religion even art and more. Eventually none of those disciplines can’t work on their own. Like Performance Studies need to establish its roots on those branches. It examines artistic performances and cultural performances. Traditions and rituals seem take part in our cultures however they shape our daily life. Rituals are divided into two parts. First one is sacred and the second one is secular. Sacret rituals are called religious performances. Like praying, sacrificing, fasting, baptism. Secular rituals are our daily life routines and duties. Every human being performs consciously and unconsciously. Individuals are supposed to perform according to their jobs and situations. At the same time one can perform as a doctor and also as a father. And also some of those performances could be both sacred and secular. Both performances is divided into two transportations and transformations. Transportation performances don’t last too long just a couple of hours or less like praying, dancing and meditating. However transformation performances are permanent like getting married and puberty. These performances take a part in cultures. In everyday life people act according to their cultural rituals. As a secret ritual Christians go to church on Sunday, Muslims go to mosque on Fridays, Jewish go to synagogue. They perform according to what they believe in. Carnivals and dances could be secret. In Islamic culture, Sufi whirling is kind of religious ritual but it seems like dancing. Sufis while spinning their around start to go into a trance and abandon their egos, personal desires for desiring God. This movement symbolizes of the planets which take place in Solar System. In American Indian culture dance has a different place in their culture. In 19th century Ghost Dance was performed for communicating with death people.

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