Dance and Culture
Professor Danell Hathaway
Spring 2020
final presentation
This semester some other students and I made a final presentation video regarding the Samoan Slap dances called Fa'ataupati. We learned not only what the dance looks like but also the culture and life of the Samoan people. We discussed how their culture had been changed here in America as well and much much more. If you would like to view our presentation, press here.
Reflection:
1. What did you learn about a person’s experience in this country who is different from you?
My final presentation was on the Fa’ataupati dance, which means Samoan slap dance. I had a unique experience while I was studying and creating my portion for the final presentation. I had the opportunity to interview a close friend from high school who is a Fa’ataupati dancer at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii. I learned so much from him and his culture, it was cool to learn from someone firsthand. One thing that I learned from him about the Samoan people is that here in America, the Samoan people get oppressed or privileged only by others from a Polynesian culture. He expressed to me that people not of his culture doesn’t usually treat him different, but it happened within the cultural group. That is different yet similar to me and my life. I do not have to deal with being culturally different, but I feel like I am looked down upon or oppressed by those not of my culture. That is a small difference that makes a big impact on our lives.
2. What impact did this assignment have on you or your understanding of the world?
The final project opened my eyes to a lot of things, but the biggest thing I learned was that everyone grew up differently. I have been told that over and over throughout my life, but after doing this project I realized that the environment of my home is so different than the Samoans. Neither one is bad, nor wrong, just different. The hard part is when we come together, there can be conflict because the different cultures have different views. Overall, I just learned that I want to be accepting of others because I truly don’t know how they were raised or where they came from, and I hope in return they will do the same for me.
3. Did it challenge any of your assumptions?
Surprisingly, I didn’t feel like this assignment challenged my assumptions. I feel like I have been surrounded by the Samoan culture enough in my life to understand the basics of their culture. I did assume some things but none of them were challenged during this assignment.