Seexeng made a lot of really great statements on Monday night. He also taught me a lot about the Hmong culture that we haven't been able to cover this semester. Art alone has such a powerful impact and effect, but when you combine it with history and lifestyles it changes. Art goes from an expression to a story. The story of your past, of your traditions, of your family.
As a dancer I consider myself to be an artist. I create movement and lines. I have to be connected with the piece of music that I am using, with my choreography. You have to have an emotional connection. Hmong art and in general art is about an emotional connection. If the connection isn't there than the emotions are not there either. Art is so difficult to define. Art is whatever you want it to be, I believe it is an emotional connection to anything you creating. Webster and Britannica have very different definitions. I have to choose a definition that I agreed with the most it would be Britannica's. They ideally defined the connection that I see when I think of art.
It was interesting to hear Seexeng talk about Hmong art. The Paj Ntaub was such a functional piece in older Hmong culture. Now it is used as a decoration. It has such intricate patterns. It was interesting to hear that the real meaning of Paj Ntaub is flower cloth. The reason it is named that is to protect the baby's head from the evil spirit when they are little and have a soft head. It was alos interesting to hear about the singing during new year and how it used for mating. Was he kdding? Because that would seem a little awkward, but that might be a tradition in Hmong culture. Also that the Hmong culture didn't have a written history until 1952. I found that really interesting, I always knew they were storytellers I jst never knew for how long.
Monday night was filled with lots of new and excited information. It was a very interesting night!
As a dancer I consider myself to be an artist. I create movement and lines. I have to be connected with the piece of music that I am using, with my choreography. You have to have an emotional connection. Hmong art and in general art is about an emotional connection. If the connection isn't there than the emotions are not there either. Art is so difficult to define. Art is whatever you want it to be, I believe it is an emotional connection to anything you creating. Webster and Britannica have very different definitions. I have to choose a definition that I agreed with the most it would be Britannica's. They ideally defined the connection that I see when I think of art.
It was interesting to hear Seexeng talk about Hmong art. The Paj Ntaub was such a functional piece in older Hmong culture. Now it is used as a decoration. It has such intricate patterns. It was interesting to hear that the real meaning of Paj Ntaub is flower cloth. The reason it is named that is to protect the baby's head from the evil spirit when they are little and have a soft head. It was alos interesting to hear about the singing during new year and how it used for mating. Was he kdding? Because that would seem a little awkward, but that might be a tradition in Hmong culture. Also that the Hmong culture didn't have a written history until 1952. I found that really interesting, I always knew they were storytellers I jst never knew for how long.
Monday night was filled with lots of new and excited information. It was a very interesting night!
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