Video: How to Dance the Viennese Waltz

I truly enjoyed watching the video “How to dance the Viennese Waltz” by Valencia productions. I felt that this particular video was able to capture the best of both worlds: a high aesthetic value coupled with a high production value. The video featured graceful dancers, dazzling colors, a magnificent score and was still able to capture a high amount of value for the spectator. The camera movements were able to very swiftly captures the lilting and graceful movements of the dancers in a manner that was not at all jerky. By capturing this strongly aesthetic introduction to the instructional film, it gives the viewer a strong sense of what the “finished product” is supposed to look like. The video also seamlessly goes from this introduction to the instructional segment very smoothly. The blue background that the teacher stands in front of is just the appropriate color: it’s regal and royal, giving the screen a splash of color, but doesn’t take attention away from what is being said. The information being presented to the view is truly of an important value. The speaker is able to explain a lucid overview of this particular dance, explaining at the same time why it is so beautiful, and yet, why it is so difficult.

This video is a perfect example of how nowadays one can learn anything by watching a video and the immense power of the Internet. For instance, the following blogger offers up numerous examples as to how to Youtube videos can empower the average individual to learning new skills and that the possibilities are truly endless. “One of my neighbors learned how to roof her entire house by watching YouTube videos. The same neighbor also re-plumbed her entire house from watching YouTube videos. My brother-in-law learned how to shear his sheep from YouTube. I’ve used YouTube for countless instructional videos for new techniques and styles of playing guitar. Just recently, I took an entire series on how to play bluegrass guitar — all from YouTube. YouTube was invaluable in helping me learn how to convert honeycomb into beeswax. I have many more examples” (Bajarin, 2013). While we’re not dealing with YouTube videos here, the sentiments expressed demonstrate that there really is a boundlessness with what you can learn from watching a video. With a video like the one under scrutiny in this review, the possibilities are truly boundless because of the high production value. This high production value means that the source of education is higher than the more slipshod videos which are made by home-users for other home-users.

Another benefit of the video in question created by Valencia productions is the fact that the person speaking is an absolute expert on the Viennese waltz. Thus, here’s able to provide historical background, facts and trivia about the waltz in order to broaden the viewer’s overall educational experience. Furthermore, the speaker uses a partner to illustrate certain concepts so that the viewer has an immediate explanation and then can watch how it is done when properly executed. This is so important because distance learning and correspondence courses are becoming more and more popular. “Video instruction is especially useful to students who are completing correspondence courses or online courses. While online courses rely quite a bit on independent study, it is possible through video instruction for students to witness demonstrations of specific practices instead of simply reading about them” (wisegeek, 2013). Thus, this video presents a true harmony of strong aesthetic value along with a high educational value for students of dance, art history or European culture. However, the video that we watched today which was my favorite of all was the one on the Greeks and the Romans. I enjoyed this video immensely because it was very direct and easy to follow. For example, the speaker explained very lucidly and in a systematic manner how the Roman individual is different from others, generally because of the Roman absolutes which exist. For instance, one very lucid way in which the speaker explains that the Roman individual is different from others is as a result of the phrase “via Romano” or “the Roman way.” The speaker was able to offer up many compelling examples of the distinction which colored so much of the Roman lifestyle and how this particular civilization was so intense and systematically powerful. This was by far my favorite video of all the ones that we’ve looked at in that it was so incredibly illustrative and painted an absolutely clear picture of the ways in which the Roman Empire was both strong and unique.

References

Bajarin, B. (2013, June 24). Reminder: You Can Learn Anything on the Internet. Retrieved from Time.com: http://techland.time.com/2013/06/24/reminder-you-can-learn-anything-on-the-internet/

Wisegeek.com. (2013). What Is Video Instruction? Retrieved from Wisegeek.com: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-video-instruction.htm