Strictly Ballroom Essay Example for Free

Strictly Ballroom Essay The concept of belonging is explored well in the film Strictly Ballroom. Directed by Baz Luhrmann and released in 1992, this film explores the concept of belonging in relation to places, events and relationships. Throughout the film, techniques such as symbolism, lighting, costume, non-diagetic music and dialogue help to express these concepts to the audience. Firstly, Symbolism is the most common technique used throughout the film to convey belonging to the ballroom dancing world. In Scene 1 of â€Å"Strictly Ballroom†, symbolism is used to connect the protagonist, Scott to the world of ballroom dancing. The number 100 pinned to his back represents his strive for perfection and his determination to win. The gold sequinned costume also reinforces this idea, also being symbolic of the golden performance expected of him. Through symbolism, we can see that scott is trying to belong to the ballroom dancing world by conforming to their standards and expectations. Secondly, belonging to different places is delineated through the film technique of lighting. In Scene 3 when Scott is dancing by himself in front of the mirrors, natural lighting is used which conveys a sense of freedom and enjoyment felt by him as he dances his own steps. Scott feels a new found sense of belonging where he can be himself. This is contrasted to the bright, artificial lighting used in the competition where everyone must conform to standards of the Dance Federation. In the competition, Scott does not smile and he is conforming to the standards of the dance federation which do not allow new steps in the competition. Another aspect of belonging explored in the film is belonging and relationships, especially for Fran and Scott. This is expressed through the choice of costume for both protagonists. At the beginning of the film (scene 1) Fran wears oversized t-shirt and tights and oversized glasses. When we are introduced to Scott, he is wearing costumes for the dance competition but when we see him by himself or dancing with Fran, he wears simple white singlet and black pants. Also for Fran, as the film progresses, her clothes are replaced with more figure hugging leotards and leggings with skirts. By Scene 4, we see both protagonists have matching costumes (simple black and white attire) which symbolises their growing connection as a couple. The removal of her glasses in this scene completes her transformation from the ugly duckling. This technique conveys the belonging of the protagonists to each other as opposed to belonging to the dance federation and also represents their blooming relationship. Non-diegetic music is also used effectively to show their relationship. Also in Scene 4, Scott and Fran are dancing to the song Time After Time. Some of the lyrics read â€Å"If you fall I will catch you† which symbolises Scott’s increasing acceptance of Fran and vice versa and also the development of their relationship not just professionally but also suggesting it romantically. They are beginning to belong to each other. In Scene 7, Non-diegetic music is used once again and again they are dancing to the song. It’s lyrics â€Å"You won’t admit you love me..a million times ive asked you and then I ask you over and over again your only answer pehaps, perhaps, perhaps†¦if you cant make your mind up well never get started and I don’t want to wind up being parted broken hearted† are symbolic of the decision Scott needs to make both professionally and romantically in regards to his relationship with Fran. Their relationship is also emphasised through the close-up shot of them dancing and their intense eye contact. These techniques combine to delineate to us the growing sense of belonging Scott and Fran have with their relationship to each other. Lastly, towards the end of the film, a long shot has been used to show us that the protagonists, mainly Scott, have found their sense of belonging. The long shot has been used at the Pan Pacifics to view all the dance couples on the dancefloor. The long shot juxtaposes Scott and Fran’s strong, passionate dancing against the flamboyant, inexpressive dancing of all the other couples helping to reinforce how much they don’t belong to this world. Costume, once again has been used to emphasise this point as Fran is wearing a beautiful, red, simple but sophisticated flamingo dress and Scott is wearing a vibrant gold matador jacket. These vibrant colours are symbolic of their passion for dancing and each other as well as their authenticity in their dance. Their costumes look beautiful and authentic in contrast to all the other couples who are wearing frilly, brightly coloured costumes which ridiculous in comparison. Scott has finally a true sense of belonging for himself which is being true to oneself. Dialogue is used to show that in order to belong, you must conform to the standards of the Dance Federation and the authority, Barry Fife (the antagonist). In Scene 1 after Scott danced his own steps, his dance partner at the time, Liz, says to him â€Å"Im not dancing with you until you dance they way you’re supposed to.† Liz’s dialogue puts pressure on Scott to conform rejecting his desire for individuality. Les says â€Å"he resorted to his own flashy, crowd pleasing steps† showing disapproval for what happened feeling that the dance should be to please the judges and Barry Fife. When Scott asks his friend Wayne how he felt about his dance, he replies â€Å"I don’t know, you didn’t win did you?† showing that winning is everything in the dance world. Dialogue has been used to make us viewers aware that in the Ballroom Dancing world, the concept of belonging means conforming to the rules and standards set up by them. In conclusion, we can understand there are different ways to belong. Belonging to a place or an event may require you to conform to their rules and standards which can stifle individuality- this can have negative effects on people. Relationship and belonging may help you find yourself. Also finding belonging by being true to oneself is so most important.

Psychology of Dreams Essay -- Dreaming Psychological Freud Essays

Psychology of Dreams To many people, dreams are the thoughts that occur while sleeping, having almost mystic qualities. For millennia the significance of dreams has escaped even the brightest of philosophers and intellectuals. Many people have speculated about why people dream and what meanings the dreams have but in recent times two theories have gained credibility in answering those questions. The first theory is Sigmund Freuds and the other is known as the cognitive theory of dreams also known as biological determinism. Freud presented his theory about dreams in the book The Interpretation of Dreams in 1899. In it he sets out to prove "there is a psychological technique which makes it possible to interpret dreams" and that interpretation has a significant meaning to "waking life" (Freud 35). Freuds theory not a new theory; Joseph interprets Pharaohs dream in Genesis 41 of the Bible. Though even in the Bible dreams are given a mysterious quality, Freud states that logical thought can identify both obvious and hidden meaning in dreams. To interpret the dreams, the subject must be three things: comfortable, relaxed, and open-minded. To relax and be comfortable the subject should lie down and close his or her eyes. Closing the eyes also helps increase concentration on thoughts. Next, the subject must say everything that comes to mind and not reject certain thoughts because they may seem unimportant. Freud calls this process "free association" because by having thoughts follow thoughts, associations can be seen between two seemingly unrelated subjects (Freud 133-134). Once the patient is ready to talk about the dream the person analyzing the dream asks certain questions to get more information about the dream, a techni... ....purdue.edu/guidetotheory/psychoanalysis/freud3.html. Fish, Dr. Tom. Freud Essay. 30 July 1999. Cumberland College. Last viewed on 11 Nov. 2004 http://cc.cumberlandcollege.edu/acad/english/litcritweb/theory/freud.htm. Freud, Sigmund. The Interpretation of Dreams. Trans. James Strachey. New York: HarperCollins 1998. Holy Bible: The NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995. Miller, Robert M. Sleep. Last viewed on 16 Nov. 2004 http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper1/Miller.html. Phillips, John. Dream Work. 14 Sept. 2001. Last viewed on 16 Nov. 2004 http://courses.nus.edu.sg/course/elljwp/dreamwork.htm. What Dreams Are Made Of Page 2. Last viewed on 14 Nov. 2004 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5569244/site/newsweek/. What Dreams Are Made Of Page 3. Last viewed on 14 Nov. 2004 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5569245/site/newsweek/.

What Made Hatshepsut a Great Leader?

Throughout history, men typically dominated societies. Men have always appeared to have more respect and rights than women, depending on certain civilizations. In societies like Egypt, men were frequently pharaohs and today, are considered to be great rulers. Women were often expected to take the job of motherhood in Egyptian society. Although this was their anticipated responsibility, women, usually upper class and royal, were still permitted to get an education, to possess property, own businesses, have a job and be involved in military control.Women could also rule as pharaoh, which was an infrequent occurrence but did sometimes happen. Hatshepsut, for example, is one of the few women who became a pronounced leader in the ancient world. Her father, Thutmose I, was her mentor and therefore led her to success. Through the teachings of her father and educational schooling, she was destined to be a great ruler from a very early age. She learned many important tactics of ruling from Th utmose and many similarities regarding the success of their reign could be distinguished.Besides the guidance she had, her vivid personality, ambition and creative ideas reflected in art, policies and architecture made her ruling successful as she strived to achieve ma ‘at and legitimize her power as a female ruler. Although Thutmose IV attempted to carve her out of history, these circumstances made Hatshepsut’s greatness possible, as she is known as the first great female ruler in history today. Hatshepsut had many attributes about her that her siblings did not obtain. She had excellent health, a hasty mind and her father’s vigor.These qualities made her stand out and were indications that Hatshepsut was always her father’s favorite, even in her young age. She grew up under her father’s personal guidance as he was preparing her for rule. His teachings were as harsh as he would have ordered for a son, again Ancient Egypt: The Case of marking his fai th in Hatshepsut. She was trained to show respect to her parents, listen to them at all times and to respect her elders. She was taught etiquette such as to speak gently, eat gracefully, and groom herself properly.She was also taught the main prayers that are recited to the gods, which was part of the religious teachings for a royal child. She was well educated as she learned to write originally on slate and then with ink on papyrus. She had to learn all the six hundred phonetic signs. It was vital for Hatshepsut to learn the signs because it would allow her to communicate with her correspondents if she ever came to power. During Thutmose’s rule he was effective in not only war, as he was a successful warrior who re-conquered Nubia, but in peace. Egypt was thriving with progress under Thutmose.Agriculture, trade and mining were advancing rapidly as well as advancements in architecture, literature and art. One of Thutmose’s passions was building as he carried out many b uilding projects. Hatshepsut takes notice of this, as her building projects are a vital part of the greatness of her reign. His kingdom was organized and successful as the laws of ma ‘at and Thutmose’s officials kept stability. The system had developed and progressed through out one thousand years. To Hatshepsut, his ways of ruling were flawless and indestructible, which is why she later uses the same style of leadership.But in reality, Egypt was waiting for her, as she was being prepared to rule her whole life. Thutmose had given Egypt the motivation to grow, and she was always part of that. She stood by him throughout his ruler ship, gaining all the knowledge she could, which ultimately leads to her success. By a lesser wife Hatshepsut’s father and mentor, Thutmose had a son, Thutmose II. Hatshepsut married her second brother, Thutmose II, in which she gained the title â€Å"Kings daughter, Kings sister, Gods wife, and Kings great wife. † She bore him on e daughter, but no sons.After thirteen years on the throne Thutmose II died unexpectedly; the crown was passed to Thutmose III, his son born to the concubine Isis. The new king was still an infant and Isis was not considered adequately royal to act as the pharaoh. Therefore, Hatshepsut was summoned to rule on behalf of her stepson. Thutmose was crowned king but until the day Hatshepsut was deceased, the king had to compete with his stepmother-aunt. At first she acted as an advisor to the king, but being Hatshepsut was close to the throne all of her life, felt that â€Å"she had the most royal power as well as the purest royal blood in her veins. After a few years passed, Hatshepsut presumed the Double crown and made herself king. Hatshepsut had a strong and vibrant personality and intended to overshadow her half brother as well as her husband. Thutmose III was still known as co ruler, but he remained in the background. There were many difficulties regarding her gender when she firs t came into rule, but it did not hinder her greatness. The inscription cutters often made mistakes as all the royal titles were in male form. She had to legitimize herself as female ruler, as she often did through art and statues.In ancient Egypt, literacy was most commonly found among the upper class. Throughout the other social classes, literacy was rare. Therefore visuals were used by the government to inform the people and were often used as a form of propaganda. These images included monuments, sculptures and reliefs. Their purpose was to influence the public to obey the king and so that they would recognize that the king had the divine right to rule. As consort, Hatshepsut had been pleased to be represented in visuals as a traditional Egyptian woman. Hatshepsut herself affirmed that she was the most gorgeous woman in the world.Therefore, while in the position of consort, she was shown as a woman or as a woman wearing clothing associated with masculinity and being king. Two lim estone statues that have been retrieved from her famous temple, the Deir el-Bahari, display Hatshepsut dressed in the conventional head cloth and kilt worn by a king. But her physical characteristics such as a â€Å"rounded, feminine, un-bearded face, and feminine body with breasts and an indented waist† represent her femininity. As king, it was necessary for her to create an image that would establish her new role as pharaoh, while separating herself from the position of consort.In her transformation into king, she is depicted as fully masculine with the figure, clothing and accessories of man while performing male rituals. It is assumed that Hatshepsut knew her role as pharaoh could be considered unsubstantiated because of her gender and through the unusual notion in which she acquired the throne. â€Å"It seems that it is the appearance of the king that matters rather than her actual gender; it was important to Egyptians that she use the conventional iconography of power and locate herself firmly within a long history of dynamic rule. † She â€Å"reinvented herself† by portraying herself as a male pharaoh.Hatshepsut displayed this concept through statues and visuals to gain the support of the people and legitimize her power. Another way Hatshepsut â€Å"reinvented herself† to assert her power was by renaming herself Maatkare. The most important word in Hatshepsut’s new name was â€Å"maat. † Ma ‘at is an ancient Egyptian expression that refers to a pharaoh keeping Egypt in order and â€Å"preserving stability of the universe†, as ordered by the gods. Prolonging ma ‘at to guarantee the success and solidity of Egypt demanded an accredited ruler who could communicate directly with the gods.By calling herself Maatkare, Hatshepsut claimed her power as a qualified ruler on the throne. A way in which pharaohs ensured ma ‘at was by constructing monuments and building projects throughout the empire. Hatshepsut followed in her father’s footsteps as a builder and carried out some of the most impressive building projects, more ambitious than any pharaoh before her. She had a strong policy of rebuilding and restoring destroyed monuments around the empire. Through these public works projects, she built systems of important religious roads and temples.Her most famous and impressive temple was the Dier el-Bahari and is consider as one of the â€Å"architectural wonders of the ancient world†. It was a multi-purpose sanctuary with many memorials dedicated to an assortment of gods in the upper level. The lower level contained beautiful gardens and pools. The walls were decorated with massive pictures of the pharaoh proposing offerings to different gods, which ensured that she would have an incredible after life. It proved her devotion and contact with the gods, again confirming her legitimacy. Her temple walls also had depictions of her accomplishments during her supremacy. Included on these walls, was the success of her trading expedition to Punt. Hatshepsut also went about achieving ma’at in ways regarding her trading policies, another tactic in which she learned from Thutmose, as trade strived under his rule. She sent out voyages to Lebanon for wood, boosted utilization of copper and turquoise mines in Sinai, and accomplished a prosperous trading journey to Punt. Punt was an East African trading center and was a site for unusual items such as â€Å"precious resins, curious wild animals and the ever desirable ebony, ivory and gold† (page 100).Hatshepsut’s diplomat Neshy sailed with a small but well equipped army on a dangerous route to Punt. The pictures on the temple walls describe a variety of goods being traded and that after, Neshy returned home safely in triumph. In this case Hatshepsut used the military for trade, but she also used it to carry out several effective military movements. She is known as a great warrior like he r great grandmother, Ahhotep, and her father Thutmose. She used military campaigns to protect Egypt and eliminate the threats of foreigners from the south and east.These actions helped ensure that Hatshepsut’s ruling would be a time of peace and prosperity, just like her father before, and that it was. After 22 years of successful ruling, Hatshepsut dies. Thutmose III, now of age, was free to rule by himself. Near the end of Thutmose III’s rule, he tried to delete Hatshepsut from history. He carves her name and pictures out of artwork. At the Deir el-Bahari many statues and monuments of her are taken down, destroyed and then buried. Although it is apparent that he tried to erase her, it is not certain why this happened.It is assumed that Thutmose was an unenthusiastic co-regent and extremely angry that Hatshepsut stole the throne from him. Egyptologists suppose that it was a â€Å"damanatio meoriae† meaning the intentional deletion of a person’s identity, which would lead to a horrid after life. In the end, Thutmose III was not successful in permanently removing Hatshepsut from history. By the 19th century, the hieroglyphics had been interpreted and the truth about Hatshepsut’s reign was shed to light. Hatshepsut was a great ruler and there are many aspects from which her greatness derived.Not only did her father, Thutmose, instruct and mentor her but also she was extremely intelligent and well educated. She took the ideas and policies of Thutmose’s reign, and applied them into her own. Her bright personality and ambition to achieve ma ‘at through trade and building projects allowed her empire to strive. She displayed herself in visuals and statues, and even sometimes dressed like a man, to legitimize her power and gain the support of the people. She is considered the first great female ruler of Egypt and is an important and exemplary part of history today. ——————— ———————– 1 ]. Hilliard, Kristina, and Kate Wurtzel. 2009. â€Å"Power and Gender in Hatshepsut. † Art Education 62, no. 3: 25-31. [ 2 ]. Evelyn Wells, Hatshepsut (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1969) p 16-91 [ 3 ]. Jacquetta Hawkes, Pharaohs of Egypt (New York: American Heritage Pub. Co. ,1965) p 58 : Joyce Tyldesley, Chronicle of the Queens of Egypt (New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2006), p 92-106 [ 4 ]. Hilliard, Kristina, and Kate Wurtzel. 2009. â€Å"Power and Gender in Hatshepsut. † Art Education 62, no. 3: 25-31 : Coffin, Judith, Robert Stacey, Joshua Cole, and Carol Symes. Western Civilizations. Vol. 1. (New York, NY: W. W.Morton & Company, 2011) p 42-43 : Joyce Tyldesley, Chronicle of the Queens of Egypt (New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2006), p 92-106 : Wilson, Elizabeth B. 2006. â€Å"The Queen Who Would Be King. † Smithsonian 37, no. 6: 80-87. [ 5 ]. Wilson, Elizabeth B. 2006. â€Å"The Queen Who Wou ld Be King. † Smithsonian 37, no. 6: 80-87 : Joyce Tyldesley, Chronicle of the Queens of Egypt (New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2006), p 92-106 [ 6 ]. Joyce Tyldesley, Chronicles of the Queens of Egypt (New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2006), p 92-106 [ 7 ]. Joyce Tyldesley, Chronicles of the Queens of Egypt (New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2006), p 92-106

What Is a Memorandum Definition and Examples

A memorandum, more commonly known as a memo, is a short message or record used for internal communication in a business. Once the primary form of internal written communication, memorandums have declined in use since the introduction of email and other forms of electronic messaging; however, being able to write clear memos certainly can serve you well in writing internal business emails, as they often serve the same purpose. Purpose of Memos Memos can be used to quickly communicate with a wide audience something brief but important, such as procedural changes, price increases, policy additions, meeting schedules, reminders for teams, or summaries of  agreement terms, for example. Writing Effective Memos Communications strategist Barbara Diggs-Brown  says that an effective memo is  short, concise, highly organized, and never late. It should anticipate and answer all questions that a reader might have. It never provides unnecessary or confusing information. Be clear, be focused, be brief yet complete. Take a professional tone and write as if the world could read it—that is, dont include any information thats too sensitive for everyone to see, especially in this age of copy and paste or click and forward. Format Start with the basics: to whom the article is addressed, the date, and the subject line. Start the body of the memo with a clear purpose, state what you need the readers to know, and conclude with what you need readers to do, if necessary. Remember that employees may just skim the memo upon  receipt, so use short paragraphs, subheads, and where you can, use lists. These are points of entry for the eye so the reader can refer back easily to the part of the memo that he or she needs. Dont forget to proofread. Reading aloud can help you find dropped words, repetition, and awkward sentences. Sample Memo About Print Schedule Change Here is a sample internal memo from a fictional publishing company informing employees about upcoming schedule changes due to a Thanksgiving holiday. Production could also have sent separate memos to separate departments as well, especially if there were more detail that each department needed and  that wouldnt pertain to the other departments. To: All employees From: E.J. Smith, Production Lead Date: November 1, 2018 Subject: Thanksgiving Print Schedule Change Production would like to remind everyone that the Thanksgiving holiday will affect our print deadlines this month. Any hard-copy pages that would normally go out  to the printer via UPS on a Thursday or Friday during the week will need to go out by 3 p.m. on Wednesday, November 21. Ad Sales and Editorial Departments Make sure that anyone sending you text or images for publication wont be on vacation the week of the 19th. Set deadlines earlier for anything coming from outside.  Please know that internal photography and graphic designers will have more work and less time to do it, so please route your work to the appropriate department earlier than normal.Please do not send rush work later than November 16. Any short-turnaround items needed Thanksgiving week cannot be guaranteed to be completed by the earlier deadlines and must go through the schedulers desk for approval before being assigned. Be early instead. Photography and Graphics Departments All members of the art department will be allowed to put in overtime during November as needed to deal with the crunch of the start of the holiday season and the earlier  deadlines.   Thank you in advance, everyone, for your help in getting materials in as early as possible and your consideration for the production department staff. Sample Memo About a Meeting The following is a fictional memo to set up a meeting with members of a team who  are returning from a trade show. To: Trade Show Team From: C.C. Jones, Marketing Supervisor Date: July  10, 2018 Subject: Trade Show Return  Meeting Upon your return to work Friday, July 20, from the trade show, lets plan a noon lunch meeting in the east wing meeting room to go over how the show went. Lets plan to discuss what worked well and what didnt, such as: Number of days in attendanceAmount and types of marketing materials providedBooth displaysHow  the giveaways were receivedThe location of the booth and traffic at different times of dayWhat sparked interest in passersbyBooth staffing levels I know that when you get back from a trade show you have a million things to follow up on, so we will keep the meeting to 90 minutes or less. Please come prepared with your feedback and constructive criticism on the marketing aspects of the show. Existing-customer feedback and new customer leads will be covered in a separate meeting with product and sales teams. Thank you for your work at the show. Source Diggs-Brown, Barbara. The PR Styleguide. 3rd ed, Cengage Learning, 2012.