IMPORTANCE OF THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.
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IMPORTANCE OF THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.
Social dancing involves one expressing the way they feel and also how they relate to others. According to these movies, Mao’s last dancer and the Cabaret help put across power and resistance concepts through ballet and burlesque. Moreover, each storyline has its unique way of expressing dance. That is to convey freedom of expression through its characters and the audience involved.
In the film, Mao’s last dancer character, Li Cunxin, a Chinese ballet dancer sent to America. Li used ballet to express crucial moments in his life, his achievements, and his failures. Li’s first performance interprets Li’s movement from a peasant village into a communist environment. Li does a solo through this act, and the theme of flying is emphasized, jumping and leaping, showing how this new phase of life has given Li the freedom to fly.
Following the account’s next performance, following his parent’s murder history, the version is viewed as chaotic and dark. The performance portrays Li’s trauma in his mind as echoes of thunder throughout the theatre and with the ballerinas dancing as black cloth walls shake in the background. The ballet ends with Li calmed and lifted to kiss Mary, who manages his thoughts. The kiss symbolizes a new link created between the West and the East, viewing the West as more superior because in this case, Mary pulls Li up from the fog
Furthermore, another symbolism is when Mary represents the US. The “birthing” of Li is the US way of aiding and helping China, giving possible hints of Us involvement in WWII.
According to Cabaret, the singer, Sally Bowles, represents those who ignored the environmental changes. In contrast, Clifford Bradshaw represented the naive breed of Americans who could not ignore people’s demands by sitting and doing nothing. Sally is a young woman who constantly looks for the next party, complete freedom from responsibility and gratification from others often. Sally sees social issues and politics getting in the way of a good time; hence she refuses to participate in them using alcohol and sex to hide from the real world.
http://www.newlinetheatre.com/cabaretchapter.html
This movie expresses the freedom of sex, that is, new feminism and open homosexuality, a one-of-a-kind sexual experience that none of them had ever experienced, and distracted the Germans from what happened in politics. Most of the Germans did not participate in the election of the Nazis to power; hence the German president appointed Hitler as chancellor to bring the Nazi party under control. An optimist, Herr Schultz, believes blindly in humans’ goodness that he can not think Jews will be persecuted and expelled in their own country. Henceforth, he represents social conscience and morality.
http://projects.vassar.edu/Berlin_1998/Berlin_Music/cabaret2.html
As a result of distractions in Germany, according to the play the Cabaret, most of the Germans were not actively involved in the voting process that led to Hitler being a leader. That is why I believe freedom of expression is essential as it brings strong democracy. Asking questions to people in power and finding the decisions that will affect them is vital to a democratic society. It is crucial as it ensures individuals to exchange, debate, and discuss relevant ideas that are essential to them.
Furthermore, I view freedom of expression as important as it gives a platform to other human rights. A wide variety of human rights are expressed, such as abuse of indigenous people’s land rights and persecution of the LGBTQ. In Cabaret’s show, the Aryans and the Jews in a relationship were persecuted and imprisoned, denying the freedom to express their sexuality. People tell their stories, help advocate through freedom of expression, therefore, holding international and government human rights standards.
Li from Mao’s last dancer is a minor, as he is from China, and thus he tries to express his concerns through Slow but sudden movements in his dance, twisting and turning to catch the audience’s attention. Freedom of expression is crucial as it encourages individuals to tell their own stories without fear of punishment. Issues from a wide variety of voices from LGBTQ communities, minorities in the religious and ethnic communities, workers’ rights towards women’s rights addressed. It guarantees individuals the right to talk about their opinions even if they go against the status quo, allowing them to advocate for themselves and others.
Without fear of repercussions, institutions, groups, and individuals can put across theories, opinions, and concepts. It is a cornerstone to creating a vibrant and healthy culture of art.
Lastly, I see freedom of expression as vital because it gives one the right to critical, artistic, and analytical engagement with the world around us. As evident from the Cabaret, being able to think, debate, and discuss ideas freely is essential to academic study. Without fear of repercussions, institutions, groups, and individuals can put across theories, opinions, and concepts. It is a cornerstone to creating a vibrant and healthy culture of art.